Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man on Friday during a seventh week of protests on the Gaza border, the health ministry in the enclave said.

The number of protesters was smaller than in previous weeks, though still substantial and with Gaza's health ministry reporting dozens more Palestinians wounded by Israeli gunfire.

The health ministry named the man as Mujahid al-Khudari, 23, saying he died in Gaza City's Shifa Hospital after being targeted by an Israeli strike near the border.

Nearly 2,500 people left Gaza during a three-day humanitarian opening of the border with Egypt, a rare opportunity for Gazans to leave the blockaded enclave, authorities in the Palestinian territory said Tuesday.