Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian on Gaza border: Gaza ministry

920

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Nov 29, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teen near the Gaza border Friday, the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said.

Fahd al-Astal, 16, died after being shot in the stomach east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, with four other Palestinians wounded, it said.

Weekly border protests along the Israeli frontier were officially cancelled Friday.

But residents said a small number of mostly young Palestinians still approached the border fence.

The Israeli army said it was looking into the incident.

At least 348 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since weekly protests began in March 2018, more than half during demonstrations.

Others were killed by airstrikes or tank fire.

The often violent protests are calling for Israel to ease its blockade of the Strip and for Palestinians to be allowed to return to their ancestral homes now inside Israel.

Israel accuses the coastal enclave’s Islamist rulers Hamas of orchestrating them and using them as cover to carry out attacks.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.