GAZA CITY: At least 60 Palestinians were injured during clashes on Friday along Gaza’s border, including 36 shot and wounded by Israeli fire, the health ministry in the coastal enclave said.

“60 people were injured by (Israeli) occupation forces” and of these 36 were shot by live fire, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said approximately 7,000 “rioters and demonstrators” had gathered in multiple spots along the heavily-fortified border.

Demonstrators “hurled rocks and a number of explosive devices” towards troops, she said, with forces responding in “accordance with standard procedures”.

Palestinians in Gaza have taken part in often violent demonstrations along the Israeli border fence for more than a year, calling on the Jewish state to end its blockade of the territory.

At least 265 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the demonstrations began in March 2018, the majority during the border clashes.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Israel accuses Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas of orchestrating the protests and using them as cover for attacks.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2019