7 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza

A 21-year-old Palestinian died late Friday from the wounds sustained from Israeli gunshots, bringing to seven the death toll of Palestinians killed during violent clashes near the Israel-Gaza borders.

Mohamed Abbas, who was shot in the head earlier Friday by Israeli gunfire in eastern Gaza city, later succumbed to his wounds, said Ashraf Al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamic Hamas movement.

At least 252 Palestinians were injured during Friday clashes, as some 15,000 Palestinians participated in the demonstrations in several places in eastern Gaza Strip near the border fence with Israel.

Chanting anti-Israeli slogans, the Palestinian protesters burned tries, released dozens of arson balloons into Israel, cut the barbed wire of the border fence, and clashed with Israeli soldiers, eyewitnesses said.

The Israeli soldiers stationed on the border fired tear gas and even opened live fire at the Palestinian protesters.

Al-Qedra said that Ahmad al-Taweel, 27, Mohamed Ismail, 29, Ahmad Abu Ne'eim, 17 and Abdullah al-Daghma, 25, were killed in east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.

He said that Tamer Abu Ermanah, 27, was shot dead by in east of Rafah town in southern Gaza Strip during clashes with Israeli soldiers.

Afifi Mahmoud Afifi, 18, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza city close to the border during an anti-Israeli demonstration, Al-Qedra added.

Among the 252 Palestinians injured, 154 were shot by gunshots, including 50 children, 10 women, two paramedics and one local journalist.

Palestinian and Israeli media reports said that the first four Palestinians were shot dead at the border with Israel in east of Al-Bureij refugee camp after they cut the barbed wire of the fence and attacked an Israeli army post.

Israeli media quoted Israeli army officers as saying that a group of Palestinians infiltrated into Israel from the area, detonated a bomb and tried to attack an Israeli army post. Israeli soldiers opened fire and killed four of them.

Gaza-based social media released a video showing a crowd of Palestinian demonstrators surrounding Islamic Hamas movement politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh to protect him from the tear gas.

Hamas sources said that Haniyeh suffered light suffocation after he inhaled tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers at Palestinian protesters in eastern Gaza city close to the Israeli border.

Al-Qedra said that since the Palestinians staged the Great March of Return demonstration on March 30, a total of 205 Palestinians have been killed and about 22,000 others wounded, at least half of whom were shot by live gunshots.