Palestinian killed in Israeli strike on Gaza

A Palestinian was killed in an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the enclave's health ministry said.

Three other people were wounded east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the ministry said. The enclave's Hamas rulers identified the slain man as Abdul Kareem Radwan, and hailed him as a fighter.

The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that it had carried out an air strike. It said it targeted Hamas militants who were about to launch balloons rigged with flammable material over the border into Israel.

At least 144 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since protests began along the Gaza border on 30 March.

No Israelis have been killed.

Palestinians are calling to return to the homes their families were forced from in 1948, during the war surrounding the creation of Israel.

Protesters have also called for an end to the decade-long crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

Israel says its use of live fire is necessary to defend its borders and stop infiltrations but human rights groups accuse it of disproportionate force against unarmed protesters. 

Palestinians mourned on Saturday when two Palestinian children were killed - and at least fourteen others injured - from Israeli rocket strikes on Gaza, the largest daylight attack on the strip since the 2014 war.