Gaza death toll rises following Israeli protest crackdown

A 40-year old Palestinian hit by Israeli fire yesterday succumbed to his wounds on Saturday, increasing the death toll from the protests the previous day to three, the territory's health ministry said.

Ahmed Abu Lulu was shot in a section of the border east of the southern city of Rafah, where two other Palestinians were also killed.

Over 130 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli bullets during Friday's protests, even as an informal truce ending a deadly flare-up between Gaza's ruling party Hamas and the Israeli army largely held.

In all, 307 Palestinians were wounded on Friday, some by tear gas, including two journalists and five medics, the health ministry in the coastal enclave said.

The ministry had earlier identified the other two as Ali al-Alul, 55, and volunteer medic Abdullah al-Qatati, 21.

Funerals for all three Palestinians took place on Saturday and were attended by thousands of mourners.

Thursday had seen extensive Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation for the launching of more than 180 rockets and mortar rounds by Hamas and its allies on Wednesday night.

But an unofficial ceasefire agreement between the two foes went into effect around midnight on Thursday.

At least 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since mass protests began on 30 March against Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and calling for Gazans to be allowed to return to their historic homeland, now inside Israel.

Violence peaked on May 14, when the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At least 63 Palestinians were killed making it the most bloody day in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since a 2014 war.