Thousands attend funeral of 16-year-old Palestinian boy killed by Israeli forces

Thousands of Palestinians on Saturday attended the funeral of a 16-year-old boy killed by Israeli forces during protests along the Gaza-Israel border.

Mohammad Jahjouh's funeral was one of several that took place across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, a day after four people were shot dead during the protests.

Friday's protests were the deadliest in a month-and-a-half of relatively restrained protests, that saw one fatality.

More than 235 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the end of March, when protests began to demand an end to Israel's decade-long blockade and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Human rights groups and the UN have condemned Israel's overwhelming use of force to disperse the demonstrations.

Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank shot and killed Qasim Abbasi, 17, late on Thursday.

His cousin, Mohammed Abbasi, told The Associated Press that he and Qasim were riding in a car with a friend from Ramallah when they encountered an Israeli soldier who told them the road was closed.

Gazans are calling on Israel and Egypt into easing the blockade they imposed when Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. 

Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told mourners that his movement complained to mediators over the deaths, and vowed to keep up the protests.