Thousands of people attended the funeral of Razan al-Najjar, a 21-year-old Palestinan medic who was reportedly shot by the Israeli military near the border fence during the Gaza protests on June 1, according to The Washington Post.
The Israeli military said they would investigate al-Najjar’s death in a written statement on June 2.
"The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] constantly works to draw operational lessons and reduce the number of casualties in the area of the Gaza Strip security fence," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, the Hamas terror organization deliberately and methodically places civilians in danger."
The Washington Post reports:
Medical workers, dressed in white uniforms, marched in her funeral procession, holding Palestinian flags and photos of her face. Her father walked holding his daughter's own medical vest, once white, now stained red with her blood. ... Photos from the scene immediately after Najjar was shot show a group of men carrying the volunteer in her white uniform, her head tilted back and her gloved hand limp around their shoulders. Witnesses said she was shot in the chest.
Violence in the Gaza Strip has been raging for more than two months, with more than 115 casualties in the "Great March of Return" protests organized by Hamas. Since the end of March, Palestinians have been protesting to shed light on on the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza, and also call for the “right of return” for Palestinian refugees displaced since the 1948 war.
In a New York Times interview a month before her death, al-Najjar said, "We have one goal — to save lives and evacuate people. And to send a message to the world: Without weapons, we can do anything."
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