Israeli troops kill two Palestinians in Gaza amid protests

Two Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip after being shot by Israeli troops, in the latest deadly incident amid widespread protests.

Gaza's health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qirdeh said on Sunday that Mohammed Abu Rayda, 20, and Abdel Rahman Qudeih, 23, were killed near the city of Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said its forces "fired towards three suspects who attempted to infiltrate into Israel... to damage security infrastructure", killing two of the suspects.

The incident raised to 51 the toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since protests began along the Gaza border on March 30.

Hundreds more have been wounded by live gunfire, while no Israelis have been killed or injured.

Demonstrators have been demanding the right to return to their land seized by Israel in 1948, which Israel argues would effectively spell the end of the country as a Jewish state.

The Israeli military has faced international criticism for its use of live ammunition against protesters.

Israel accuses Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of the mass protests.

Earlier Sunday, Hamas vowed revenge after blaming Israel for an explosion the night before that killed six of its fighters.