A/HRC/43/70 22. Patients from Gaza requiring specialized medical treatment not available in Gaza continued to face challenges in accessing medical care due to the movement restrictions imposed by Israel. According to the World Health Organization, of the 25,063 patient applications submitted to the Israeli authorities during the reporting period, 16,334 (65 per cent) were approved, 2,050 (8 per cent) were denied and 6,679 (26.6 per cent) were delayed. 2. Violations of the right to life and physical integrity 23. Almost every Friday, Palestinians in Gaza continued to organize demonstrations, known as the “Great March of Return”, at the Israel-Gaza fence, calling for the lifting of the blockade and an end to the Israeli occupation. While the demonstrations remained largely peaceful, on numerous occasions a number of demonstrators damaged and breached the fence and/or threw Molotov cocktails, sound grenades and improvised explosive devices towards the Israeli security forces. Two Israeli soldiers were thus injured during the reporting period. A total of 508 burning kites and incendiary balloons28 were reportedly launched by demonstrators, causing significant damage to agricultural land and forests inside Israel. 24. The Israeli security forces used tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, water cannons and sound devices, and regularly fired live ammunition against demonstrators. Consequently, 39 Palestinians, including 12 children and one woman, were killed in the reporting period. Over 2,075 others,29 including 577 children, were injured by live ammunition fired by the Israeli security forces. Many injuries led to permanent disabilities, with 55 people, including four children and one woman, having limbs and/or fingers amputated, six being paralyzed and 10 partially losing their vision.30 OHCHR monitored numerous cases related to the killing and injury of demonstrators near the fence. In the vast majority of the cases, no indication was found that the demonstrators, including children who were killed or seriously injured by live fire, represented an imminent threat of death or risk of serious injury to either Israeli security forces personnel or others. 25. On 8 December 2018, east of Khan Younis, the Israeli security forces opened fire on a group of demonstrators, fatally injuring a 4-year-old boy. Witnesses reported that the boy was holding his father’s hand at the time of the incident and that he was standing approximately 150–300m from the fence. He was struck with shrapnel in the abdomen and skull and underwent multiple surgeries, but died on 11 December 2018 from mass haemorrhaging. On 11 January 2019, the Israeli security forces shot a 44-year-old woman in the head with live ammunition, approximately 250m from the fence. Witnesses reported that she was watching the demonstrations at the time of her killing. On 8 February, east of Gaza city, the Israeli security forces shot a 17-year-old boy in the neck with live ammunition as he was watching the demonstrations, 300m from the fence. On 6 September 2019, also east of Gaza city and east of Jabalia respectively, two boys, aged 14 and 17, were shot dead in the waist and neck with live ammunition. 26. In the West Bank, the Israeli security forces killed 35 Palestinians: 28 men, one woman, five boys and one girl. The majority of the victims (21) were men under the age of 24 years and boys. In 18 of the incidents, the Israeli security forces alleged an attack had prompted the killings, while in nine of the incidents there were no reports of injuries against the Israeli security forces or anyone else. The Israeli security forces killed 12 persons during clashes, raids, at checkpoints or while driving, seemingly while there was no threat of death or serious injury to them, and five persons during arrest operations. Additionally, settlers killed two Palestinian men in the West Bank. 27. On 27 March 2019, in Bethlehem, the Israeli security forces killed a 17-year-old volunteer paramedic in Ad Duheisha refugee camp while he was carrying out his duties, attempting to reach an injured man. He was clearly identifiable, wearing a marked orange 28 29 30 6 Information provided by the Department of Safety and Security of the Secretariat. Figure provided by the World Health Organization. Ibid.