2 killed, hundreds wounded in clashes with Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza: Medics

新华社| 2018-10-06 02:22:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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GAZA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least two Palestinians killed and more than 370 wounded on Friday afternoon in clashes between thousands of Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza Strip, medics said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of Gaza Health Ministry, told reporters that two Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli soldiers' gunfire in eastern Gaza City, close to the border with Israel.

Al-Qedra said that the identity of the two is still unknown, adding that their bodies arrived on Friday evening at Shiffa Hospital in Gaza City after they were shot dead in their heads.

He said that more than 370 wounded Friday during clashes, including two paramedics and two journalists, and 64 were hospitalized.

The clashes on Friday broke out when thousands of Palestinians joined the 28th Great March of Return, defying the Israeli blockade which has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for around 12 years.

The demonstrators gathered before the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, burning tires, waving Palestinian flags, and throwing stones at the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border with the Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition at the crowds of the protesters.

The demonstrators also cut parts of the barbed wire of the fence of the border, where some of them managed to infiltrate into Israel. They burned tires and returned to Gaza.

Several masked activists released dozens of arson balloons during the protests, which landed into Israel and caused large fires to various farms and natural resorts, according to Israeli media reports.

Al-Qedra said that since the outbreak of the Great March of Return on March 30, the Israeli army has shot dead 197 Palestinians and wounded more than 21,000 others.

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