A Palestinian journalist covering the mass demonstration along the Gaza border during the ‘The Great March of Return’ was shot by Israeli forces died of his wounds.

He was photographer by profession in the Journalism line, working with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency. The Israeli army shot at him in the stomach in Khuza’a in the south of the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to a report issued by the Palestinian health ministry.

The photographer, namely Murtaja, wore a blue flak jacket with a mark ‘Press’ printed on it, but despite that he was shot at, ignoring the fact that he was journalist. He was age 30.

Hosam Salem, another photographer present at the scene of the incident said that he witnessed Murtaja being shot and he dropped to the ground after he was shot by Israeli forces.

“Yaser was filming with his camera next to me when we heard the sound of gunfire,” Salem said. “He just fell on the ground and said, ‘I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot.’”

The Palestinian journalist syndicate asserted that at least seven other reporters were also injured during the firing by Israelis in Friday’s protest. The syndicate described the incident as “deliberate crimes committed by the Israeli army”.

The syndicate published photos of journalist Khalil Abu Athira who was also shot at during his coverage of Gaza’s protest on Friday.

The union for journalism called for a huge public participation in the funeral of Murtaja, and after that a protest to be held at 12 pm (09:00GMT) at the Manara Square in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

They also sought from the United Nations to protect journalists and to strictly implement UN Resolution 2222.

Alongside the declaration of Murtaja’s death, the health ministry also announced on Saturday the killing of another man namely Hamza Abdel Aal, aged 20 years, which summed up the number of those killed during Friday’s protests to nine.

The total number of Palestinians shot dead since the start of the protests on March 30 went up to 31. Tens of thousands were present at the border area with Israel for their demand to have rights for return for Palestinian refugees.

The Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullet and tear gas at the rallies which wounded at least 1,400 so far.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, about 491 people were injured during the protests. They were wounded after the Israeli forces fired at them who had gathered near the Israeli border in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Among the severely injured, 33 have been described by the ministry as “critical cases”.

The demonstration on Friday was the second after many weeks of a planned, weeks-long sit-in dubbed the Great March of Return.

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