Demonstrators carry an injured Palestinian during clashes along the Israeli border fence, east of Gaza City, September 28, 2018.

Seven Palestinians, including two boys age 12 and 14, were killed by Israeli military fire during clashes along the Gaza Strip's central and eastern sections of the border fence, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry identified the 12-year old as Yousef Abu Zarifa and said he was shot in the head east of Khan Younis. The 14-year old, Mohammad Naif Al-Houm, sustained a bullet to the chest near Al-Bureij refugee camp, the ministry said. The other fatalities were identified as Iyad Khalil Ahmad Ashar, 18, Mohammad Ali Anshasi, 18, Muhammad Bassem Shchasa, 24, Mohammed Ashraf Al-Awadah, 26, and Mohammad Walid Haniyeh, 33.

A total of 506 Palestinians were injured in the clashes, the ministry said, some 90 of whom by Israeli fire. Of those wounded, 210 have been evacuated to hospitals.

The Israeli army said it struck northern Gaza twice in response to grenades and explosives devices being thrown at soldiers stationed along the border fence, adding that one of the airstrikes targeted a Hamas outpost.

A Palestinian hurls stones at Israeli troops during a protest calling along the Israel-Gaza border fence east of Gaza City, September 28, 2018. \ MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS

Yousef Abu Zarifa, 11, wounded during clashes along the Israel-Gaza border, receives treatment at a hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, September 28, 2018. AFP

>> Opinion: Will Israel be forced to invade and reoccupy Gaza?

According to the IDF, Some 20,000 Palestinians demonstrated in various locations along the fence, with protesters burning tires and hurling grenades, explosive devices and stones at soldiers. The IDF said it responded with riot control measures in accordance with the open-fire policy.

The IDF added that a number of suspects managed to illegally cross the border into Israel before immediately turning back to Gaza. A firefighter and rescue worker said that Palestinians hurled incendiary balloons toward the border area, starting six fires.

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Israeli defense officials believe that the chances of a military confrontation with Hamas have increased significantly in recent weeks. According to senior military officials, unless progress is made on reconciliation talks between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and an alternative to UNRWA's aid is found, it's only a matter of time before a conflict ensues.

The defense establishment’s view isn’t new. But recent moves by Hamas have strengthened its assessment that Hamas seeks a conflict with Israel, even if only a limited one.

A tear gas canister is fired by Israeli troops at Palestinians during a protest along the Israel-Gaza border fence, September 28, 2018. \ MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS

Fires near the Gaza border communities, Israel, September 28, 2018 Eliyahu Hershkovitz

Hamas recently resumed demonstrations along the Gaza border and set up special units to harass Israeli soldiers at night and during the early morning. These come on top of existing units for tactics such as incendiary balloons, tire burning and naval operations.

Hamas’ aims to foment clashes with the IDF throughout the week, rather than only on Friday afternoons, as used to be the case. Moreover, Israel has noticed that Hamas has begun making preparations for a confrontation; for example, it has held a home front defense exercise and continues to train its combat forces.</s>Six Palestinians killed in new border clashes

GAZA CITY: Six Palestinians, including two boys aged 12 and 14, were killed in clashes with Israeli forces along the Gaza border Friday, the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled strip said.

Nasser Mosabih, 12, was shot in the head in clashes along the frontier east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP, on what was one of the bloodiest days since protests began on March 30.

Fourteen-year-old Mohammed al-Houm, was shot dead “by live ammunition from the (Israeli) occupation forces” east of Al-Bureij in central Gaza, Qudra said. Four adult men were also killed in widespread clashes along the border, with a further 210 people hospitalised, the spokesman added.

The Israeli army said some 20,000 “rioters” had gathered at multiple sites along the border.It said the protestors hurled “grenades and explosive devices in several different locations”. It said troops were firing “in accordance with standard operating procedures.”

The army declined to comment on the reported deaths.Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March.At least 193 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in that time, the majority during border protests.

Smaller numbers have been hit by airstrikes or tank fire. One Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper. The protests are demanding the right of Palestinian refugees to be allowed to homes their families fled from in the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel and which are now in Israel. Israel says any such mass return would mean the end of it as a Jewish state and accuses Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas of orchestrating the protests. Friday’s protests were bigger than those in recent weeks.</s>Mourners carry the body of Nassir Al Mosabeh, 12, during his funeral in Gaza Strip

Among the dead were a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

In addition, 506 Palestinians were injured, including 90 with gunshot wounds.

Since the end of March, 193 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli occupation soldiers at the border, according to the ministry.

Palestinians have been staging marches along the Gaza border since March, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation blockade of Gaza, among other things.</s>Four Palestinians, including a 14-year-old, were killed by Israeli fire in new clashes along the Gaza border Friday, the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled strip said.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP that Mohammed al-Houm, 14, and Iyad Al-Shaar, 18, were shot in separate incidents "by live ammunition from the (Israeli) occupation forces".

He later reported two more Palestinians had been shot dead, without immediately identifying them.

The Israeli army said some 20,000 "rioters" had gathered at multiple sites along the border.

It said the protestors hurled "grenades and explosive devices in several different locations".

It said troops were firing "in accordance with standard operating procedures" but did not go into specific cases.

Palestinians have been protesting at least weekly along the Gaza border since March.

At least 191 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in that time, the majority during border protests.

Smaller numbers have been hit by airstrikes or tank fire.

The protests are demanding the right of Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their homes, now in Israel.

Israel says any such mass return would mean the end of it as a Jewish state and accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of orchestrating the protests.</s>TEL AVIV—At least six Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces on the Gaza-Israel border Friday, after militant group Hamas issued calls for bigger protests amid growing frustrations over stalled cease-fire talks with its neighbor.

Among the dead were a 14-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which said at least 290 people were injured.</s>By The Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s Health Ministry says two Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire at a protest near a crossing point between the enclave and Israel.

Thousands of Palestinians rallied Tuesday outside Erez crossing to protest the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the militant Islamic group Hamas took over the territory in 2007.

Palestinians burned tires and hurled rocks at Israeli forces stationed nearby who responded with tear gas and live fire.

There was no immediate comment from the military.

Hamas has led weekly border protests since March. Since then, 133 protesters have been killed by Israeli fire and one Israeli soldier was killed by a Gaza sniper.

Egyptian mediated cease-fire talks have hit a deadlock. Hamas is now intensifying its campaign with more protests.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

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Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, who were among thousands of people who thronged to the fortified Gaza Strip border on Friday as part of weekly protests launched half a year ago, Gaza health officials said.

GAZA: Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, who were among thousands of people who thronged to the fortified Gaza Strip border on Friday as part of weekly protests launched half a year ago, Gaza health officials said.

Israel's military said its troops resorted to live fire after explosive devices and rocks were thrown at them and to prevent breaches of the border fence from the Islamist Hamas-controlled enclave.

Gaza health officials said 190 people had been wounded.

At least 187 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza protests began on March 30 to demand rights to lands lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation, and the easing of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade.

A Gaza sniper has killed one Israeli soldier and incendiary devices flown over by Palestinians using kites and helium balloons have set off fires that destroyed tracts of forest and farmland in Israel.

Israel accuses Hamas, against which it has fought three wars in the last decade, of having deliberately provoked violence in the protests, a charge Hamas denies.

More than 2 million people are packed into Gaza, whose economic plight is a focus of so-far fruitless U.S.-led efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, stalled since 2014.</s>GAZA CITY: Gaza's Health Ministry says three Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, have been killed by Israeli fire during protests along the border.

Thousands of Palestinians protested along the Israel-Gaza border fence Friday, burning tires and hurling rocks toward Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and gunfire.

The ministry said three protesters died from gunfire and 75 others were wounded.

The Israeli military says it carried out an airstrike after protesters hurled grenades and explosives at soldiers.

Gaza's Hamas rulers have staged weekly protest marches for months, pressing for an end to a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade.

The Islamist militant group seized Gaza from the Palestinian Authority by force in 2007.

Since March, 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops during the protests, and a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli soldier.</s>GAZA — Israeli soldiers fatally shot seven Palestinians, including two boys, who were among thousands of people who thronged to the fortified Gaza border on Friday as part of weekly protests begun six months ago, Gaza health officials said.

Israel’s military said its troops resorted to live fire and an airstrike in response to explosive devices and rocks launched at them and to prevent breaches of the border fence from Gaza, a Hamas-controlled enclave.

Gaza health officials said 505 people were wounded. They identified the dead as males, two of them ages 12 and 14.

About 200 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza protests began on March 30 to demand the right of return to lands that Palestinian families fled or were driven from on Israel’s founding in 1948, and the easing of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade.</s>(JTA) – Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed in riots along the fence separating Gaza and Israel, Palestinian sources said.

An 11-year-old boy also was severely injured in the clashes Friday, Haaretz reported based on sources in the Gaza Strip.

A spokesman for the Israeli army told Haaretz that a military aircraft carried out a strike in the northern Gaza Strip after Palestinians hurled grenades and explosive charges at soldiers.

In August, the Israel Security Agency documented 129 terrorist incidents along the Gaza border, including 34 cases featuring firebombs, the agency said in its monthly report. That tally accounted for the majority of 206 incidents recorded in the West Bank and Israel proper.
Six Palestinians, including a 12-year-old, are killed by IDF fire in Gaza border clashes.