Relatives of the victim mourn during his funeral in the southern Gaza Strip City of Rafah, on Sept. 8, 2018. One Palestinian was killed and 210 others injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip, the Gaza health ministry said. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar)
GAZA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- One Palestinian was killed and 210 others injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip, the Gaza health ministry said.
Mustafa Khafaja, 17, was shot dead by Israeli gunfire east of Rafah town close to the border with Israel, said ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra.
Among the 210 injured, 70 were admitted to hospitals, including 15 children, he added.
Israeli forces have killed at least 173 Palestinians, and injured 19,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally against Israel's crippling blockade since 2007 and the U.S. embassy move to the disputed holy city of Jerusalem, al-Qedra said.
During the 24th rally on Friday, the protesters reportedly waved Palestinian flags, burned tires and chanted anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans close to the border fence.
Volunteering paramedics said dozens of Israeli soldiers stationed behind small hills of sands on the borderline fired tear gas canisters and bullets at the Palestinian protesters.
Meanwhile, the Israeli media reported that dozens of arson balloons were released from eastern Gaza into southern Israel, causing large fires in several agricultural fields in the area.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli army aircraft fired a missile at a group of Palestinians who were releasing arson balloons from northern Gaza into Israel, moderately injuring two, the ministry said.
This week, Yehya Sinwar, a top Islamic Hamas leader, stressed that his movement is not seeking a war with Israel, but will carry on with the popular march "which is a current choice for the movement to lift the Israeli siege."
