6 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in West Bank, Gaza

At least six Palestinians were killed on Friday and dozens injured during a daylong of clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, said in a statement that four Palestinians were shot dead and more than 232 wounded; 180 of them were shot by live bullets, in the weekly anti-Israel protests and marches in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.

Al-Qedra said that Mohamed Abdul Nabbi, 27, was killed east of Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip, adding that Nassar Abu Tayem, 22, Ahmad Abu Lebda 22, and Ayesh Shaath, 23, were killed by Israeli soldiers' gunfire east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

He said that the fifth Palestinian was killed in an explosion of a homemade bomb that had suddenly blown up at his house in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, according to security sources.

Security sources said it was an accident that happened when Jabber Abu Hemeisa, 25, was making a homemade bomb.

Meanwhile, one Palestinian was killed and eight wounded in clashes that broke out on Friday between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Ramallah, medical sources said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said in a press statement that the eight were wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire and sent to a hospital in the city for medical treatment. There has been no immediate Israeli army comment to the incident.

Since March 30, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have held every Friday marches and protests, and usually they clash with Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.

On Friday afternoon, organizers of the protests who are members of the so-called highest commission of the "Great March of Return" joined the weekly protests.

Thousands went to five different spots in eastern Gaza Strip along the border with Israel. They burned tires, chanted anti-Israel slogans, cut the barbed wire of the fence of the border and clashed with the soldiers.

The highest commission of the event, which comprises several Palestinian factions, called for ending Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Earlier Friday, the Israeli media reported that Egypt has succeeded to mediate a calm agreement between Hamas and Israel on ending violence for relaxing the blockade and improving the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Fathi Hammad, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, told the pro-Hamas radio station of al-Aqsa on Friday that "we haven't seen anything until now, and all is just media talk."

He insisted that the anti-Israel marches and protests will go on until it achieves its goals "which is the full end and lift of the siege imposed in the Gaza Strip," adding that "we will go on until we achieve triumph."