Palestinians say one killed, dozens wounded as Israeli troops fire on Gaza protest

GAZA: One Palestinian was killed and dozens other wounded when Israeli forces opened fire during a weekly demonstration near the Israel-Gaza border on Friday, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

The Israeli army said soldiers had come under attack by

Palestinians

who hurled grenades, explosive devices, burning tyres and rocks at them and the border fence.

The soldiers, the military said, responded with "riot dispersal means" and fired "in accordance with standard operating procedures".

It said an Israeli aircraft also carried out strikes in Gaza. A position belonging to the

Hamas

Islamist group that runs the

Gaza Strip

was hit, according to witnesses.

Gaza's Health Ministry spokesman said one Palestinian was killed and 54 others were wounded by live fire.

One Israeli soldier was lightly wounded, the army said.

Since Gazans began holding weekly border protests on March 30, the Israeli army has killed 183 Palestinians and wounded thousands. A Gaza sniper has killed an Israeli soldier.

Israel

says Hamas deliberately provokes violence at the protests, a charge Hamas denies.