A Palestinian protester holds flags during clashes with Israeli soldiers following a protest against the blockade on Gaza near the border fence east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 19, 2017. Dozens of Palestinian youths clashed on Friday afternoon with Israeli army soldiers stationed at the borderline area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, at least eight injured, medics said. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar)
GAZA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinian youths clashed on Friday afternoon with Israeli army soldiers stationed at the borderline area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, leaving at least eight injured, medics said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Gaza-run health ministry told reporters in Gaza that eight young men were shot and moderately wounded by the Israeli soldiers' gunfire near the borders. He said 30 fainted after inhaling tear gas.
On Friday afternoon, dozens of young men marched towards the borderline area, burned dozens of tires near Nahal Ozz and Karni checkpoints close to the borders between eastern Gaza city and Israel.
Similar clashed broke out east of Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip, east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, and east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, according to witnesses and paramedics.
They said that dozens of Israeli soldiers fired smoke bombs and tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators, adding that the demonstrators threw stones at the soldiers, who opened fire and wounded eight of them.
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in an emailed press statement that 38 were injured in total, including casualties were injured by rubber bullets and tear gas.
On Thursday, the armed wings of seven Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, called for a day of confrontation with Israel in support of Palestinian prisoners who have been going on a hunger strike in Israeli jails for 33 days.
Around 6,500 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli prisons, jails and detention camps have been going on a hunger strike for 33 days in a raw, in protest to the tight measures taken against them.
On Wednesday, Fatehi Hammad, Hamas politburo member and former minister of interior in Gaza said: "We call on our people to head to the borders with Israel on Friday and consider the day a day of rage to reject the ongoing blockade."
He made the call in a rally held in northern Gaza to mark 69 years for the Nakba Day.
In the 1948 "Nakba," or "catastrophe" in Arabic, mourned by Palestinians each May 15, more than 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's declaration of independence.
