Israeli soldiers kill two Palestinians in Gaza, including 13-year-old boy

Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, including a thirteen-year-old boy, the health ministry said. 

Gaza ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP that a Palestinian youth aged about 13 was shot in the head near the town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, without giving his name or exact age.

He added that 24-year-old Mohammed al-Hamayda was fatally wounded in the stomach by Israeli fire in a separate incident east of Rafah.

The Israeli army said that throughout the afternoon, "thousands of Palestinians participated in extremely violent riots and committed various acts of terror in several locations along the Gaza Strip security fence".

Israeli forces responded with "large amounts of riot dispersal means and in specific cases where these means did not succeeded in negating the threat, resorted to live fire in accordance with the standard operating procedures", it said.

The army said the reported death of the boy would be examined. 

On Thursday, Abdel Fattah Abu Azoum, 17, was hit in the head by fire from an Israeli tank near Rafah in southern Gaza.

Since protests broke out along the Gaza border on 30 March, at least 145 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers.

No Israelis have been killed.

Dubbed the "Great Return March", the demonstrations have centred on a demand for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, after they were expelled following the 1948 creation of Israel.

They are also calling for an end to the decade-long blockade of the Palestinian enclave, which has crippled civilian life in Gaza.

Earlier in the month, the UN General Assembly adopted, by a strong majority, an Arab-backed resolution condemning Israel for the killing of protesters.

The resolution condemned Israel's use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinians and called for protection measures for civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.