Palestinian protesters use slingshots to hurl stones at Israeli troops during clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, Aug. 2, 2019. At least 51 Palestinians were injured on Friday afternoon in the weekly anti-Israel protests in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel. (Str/Xinhua)
GAZA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 51 Palestinians were injured on Friday afternoon in the weekly anti-Israel protests in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel.
According to the doctors of the Gaza Health Ministry, 26 Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, including two photojournalists covering the demonstrations.
Hundreds of protesters gathered on Friday afternoon in eastern Gaza to join the 69th Friday rally that started in March last year.
Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans in support of Palestinians whose homes in the southeast of Jerusalem were destroyed by Israeli forces last week.
Eyewitnesses said Palestinian gunmen opened fire at an Israeli army camera drone that was filming demonstrators in the northern Gaza Strip.
Suhial al-Hindi, a senior Hamas leader, said at the scene that the join military chamber of resistance, which comprises several armed wings of Palestinian factions, "is ready to respond to any assault by the Israeli occupier."
The health ministry in Gaza said at least 307 Palestinians have been killed and more than 17,000 others injured by Israeli gunfire in eastern Gaza since the outbreak of the March of Return rally.
