A/HRC/40/39 21. During clashes in Nabi Salih in the West Bank on 15 December 2017, Israeli security forces shot and seriously wounded a 15-year-old boy in the face at close range with a rubber-coated bullet. The child was reportedly throwing stones at members of the Israeli security forces from the top of an abandoned building. On 11 January 2018 in Iraq Burin, in Nablus, Israeli security forces shot a 17-year-old in the head with live ammunition, killing him. The victim had reportedly thrown stones at a passing Israeli security forces’ patrol and was running away when a soldier opened fire from a distance of approximately 40 m. In both cases, the victims did not appear to pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury when they were killed, raising concerns of excessive use of force. 22. On 15 December 2017, during demonstrations near the fence east of Gaza City, Israeli security forces killed a wheelchair user with a bullet to the head. The man was shot approximately 20 m from the fence in circumstances that did not appear to constitute an imminent threat of death or serious injury that would have justified the use of lethal force. 26 23. Large-scale demonstrations started on 30 March 2018 27 along the perimeter fence between Israel and Gaza, under the banner of the Great March of Return, calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees and protesting the Israeli blockade on Gaza. In the context of those demonstrations, 169 Palestinians (including 1 woman, 30 boys and 1 girl) and 1 Israeli soldier were killed. Three Israeli soldiers and over 24,000 Palestinians were injured, including over 5,800 with live ammunition. 28 The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that as many as 1,200 of those injured would require long-term limb reconstruction and extensive rehabilitation,29 which might not be available in Gaza. 24. On 30 March 2018, a 19-year-old man was shot dead approximately 400 m from the fence, near Jabaliya. Evidence, including video footage, shows that he was shot while he was carrying a tire and running away from Israeli security forces in circumstances that did not appear to constitute an imminent threat of death or serious injury. On 27 July 2018, Israeli security forces shot an 11-year-old boy in the head, killing him, east of Rafah. Witnesses reported that the boy was watching demonstrators waving flags, burning tires and throwing stones, approximately 30 m from the barbwire, when Israeli security forces opened fire indiscriminately towards the demonstrators. 25. Israeli security forces killed or injured several medical personnel while that personnel were carrying out their duties, mostly during demonstrations or clashes with demonstrators. According to WHO, Israeli security forces injured 17 health workers in the West Bank while 3 health workers were killed and 496 injured in Gaza. For example, on 1 June 2018, a female paramedic volunteering with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society was killed after being shot with live ammunition in the chest, approximately 25 m from the fence, east of Khan Yunis. Witnesses reported that she was killed while trying to rescue injured demonstrators at the fence. 26. In Gaza and the West Bank, journalists were injured and some were killed by Israeli security forces during demonstrations. In the West Bank, 52 instances of physical attacks against and injuries inflicted on journalists were documented during the demonstrations in December 2017 alone. 30 During the Great March of Return demonstrations in Gaza, 2 journalists were killed and 113 journalists were injured by Israeli security forces, including 70 with live ammunition.31 27. Throughout the reporting period, Israeli security forces enforced restricted areas at sea off the coast of Gaza by firing live ammunition and confiscating and damaging fishing boats and equipment. A total of 329 shooting incidents were recorded: 1 fisherman was killed and 21 others (including 1 child) were injured with live ammunition. A total of 70 26 27 28 29 30 31 6 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22550&LangID=E. The demonstrations were ongoing at the end of the reporting period. Information provided by OCHA and Palestinian Ministry of Health. See www.emro.who.int/images/stories/palestine/documents/WHO_Health_Cluster_SitRep_23_Sep_6_Oct_2018.pdf?ua=1. See www.madacenter.org/report.php?lang=1&id=1768&category_id=13&year=2018. Communication to OHCHR from Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 13 December 2018.