Four Palestinians were killed and 51 injured
during clashes on Friday with Israeli army forces in the eastern Gaza
Strip, medics and security sources said.
Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra told reporters that
two demonstrators were shot dead and 51 injured by Israeli soldiers'
gunfire during the weekly anti-Israel protests in the eastern Gaza
Strip, close to the border with Israel.
Al-Qedra added that another two Palestinians were killed in an
Israeli warplanes airstrike on central Gaza Strip, east of al-Mughazi
refugee camp, also close to the border with Israel.
Friday's clashes broke out in the afternoon as part of weekly rallies
and protests that have been going on since March 30 last year.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that since the outbreak of the weekly
protests last year, the Israeli army killed 275 demonstrators and
wounded 17,000 others, who were officially referred to hospitals.
Israel Radio reported that thousands of Palestinians gathered close
to the fence on the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel,
waved Palestinian flags, released arson balloons, climbed on the
border fence and threw stones and home-made grenades on the soldiers.
Meanwhile, security sources said the two are Hamas militants and
were killed in an Israeli warplanes airstrike on a training military
facility that belongs to the Islamic movement's armed wing.
The Israeli army airstrike on Hamas training facility came shortly
after gunmen opened fire at an Israeli army force stationed on the
border with eastern Gaza Strip and wounded two soldiers; one of them
sustained moderate injuries.
No one has claimed responsibility for the shooting attack; however,
an Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that the Hamas
movement is held responsible for the shooting attack that came from
eastern Gaza.
According to the Health Ministry, more than 270 Palestinians have
been killed and thousands injured in protests at the border since
March last year.
Hamas is classified by the EU, Israel and the US as a terrorist
organization.
Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on Gaza for over a decade,
citing security reasons.
Palestinian protesters wave national flags during a demonstration along the border fence with Israel, east of Gaza City