Young Palestinian journalist dies after Israeli shooting in Gaza

An unarmed Palestinian journalist shot two weeks ago by Israeli forces on the Gaza border has died, Israeli and Palestinian sources said on Wednesday, the second journalist killed in a month of unrest.

Ahmed Abu Hussein was just 25 when he was shot by Israeli forces on April 13 while covering the peaceful Great Return March protests for a local radio station.

After Gaza hospitals were unable treat Ahmed, he was initially refused into the West Bank by Israel but was then transferred following an intervention by the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.

After he was transferred, he received treatment in Ramallah before being transferred to a hospital in Israel.

The Gaza health ministry announced he had died after receiving treatment inside Israel, which the Sheba hospital near Tel Aviv confirmed. His brother Diaa said they were preparing to transfer the body to Gaza for the funeral.

Ahmed is the 41st Palestinian to be killed by Israel since the start of the peaceful Great Return March protests.

The past few weeks have seen tensions rise between Hamas-ruled Gaza and Israel. Mass protests erupted on 30 March - dubbed "Great Return March" - which have centred on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, after they were expelled following the 1948 creation of Israel.

The protests along the Gaza border quickly turned deadly, with Israeli forces responding with live ammunition. At least 1,600 protesters have been wounded by gunfire or needed treatment for tear gas inhalation in the weeks of protests.

The Israeli army has claimed that its forces only open fire in self-defence or to stop protesters attempting to breach the barrier separating the coastal enclave from Israel.

Friday saw over 440 demonstrators wounded with bullets or gas inhalation according to rescuers.

Israel has drawn harsh criticism from rights groups along with calls for investigations by the UN and the EU.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called for an independent investigation. A draft UN Security Council statement urging restraint and calling for an investigation of the violence was blocked by the US.