Palestinian journalist dies after being shot by Israeli troops, while wearing 'Press' vest

A Palestinian journalist covering protests at the Gaza border has died from his injuries after being shot by Israeli troops on Friday.

Yasser Murtaja was a photographer with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency and was clearly shown to be wearing a press vest when he was shot.

He was covering Friday's protests in Gaza and was carrying his camera, witnesses said.

"Yasser was filming with his camera next to me when we heard the sound of gunfire," Hosam Salem, a Palestinian photographer told Al Jazeera.

"He just fell on the ground and said, 'I've been shot, I've been shot'."

The Palestinian journalist syndicate said seven more journalists were injured covering the protests that left nine people dead.

Gaza's health ministry also announced the death of 20-year-old Hamza Abdel Aal, who also succumbed to wounds he sustained from gun fire during the demonstration.

Friday saw the second week of demonstrations at the Gaza border, over Palestinians' right to return to their homes, which they were forced to flee during the 1948 creation of Israel.

The protests on the Gaza border have been fiercely suppressed by Israel, with troops using live fire, rubber bullets and tear gas.

Thirty-one Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the two Friday protests, while almost 500 have been injured from Israeli gunfire.

Hundreds more have been treated for wounds sustained by rubber bullets and tear gas.

Earlier this week, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Palestinians that planned protests in Gaza on Friday would be met with the same deadly tactics employed by Israeli troops a week earlier, including live fire.