Palestinians say teen shot dead by Israeli fire in Gaza clashes

A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli fire in clashes near the border in southern Gaza late Wednesday, the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave said.

The ministry said Mumin Abu Ayeda, 15, was shot along the heavily fortified border east of Rafah in southern Gaza. It said he was part of the nighttime demonstrations that have taken place over months of protests.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces, which has highlighted the often-violent nature of the demonstrations, labeling them riots.

On Tuesday evening, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in clashes along the border, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The two were killed during protests near the Erez checkpoint between Gaza and Israel, the scene of regular confrontation between stone-throwing youths and Israeli soldiers in recent months.

There was no immediate comment from the army about the clashes, which came just after the start of the Yom Kippur holiday in Israel.

On Monday, two Gazans were killed in an Israeli strike near the border fence east of Khan Younis, in the southern Strip, Palestinian reports said. The Israel Defense Forces said that its aircraft had targeted Palestinians who approached the fence and placed what the military said was a suspicious object there.

The Gaza-Israel frontier has been volatile for months, with the Hamas terror group leading weekly marches on the fence that have recently ramped back up after a brief lull in tensions.

The surge of violence in Gaza began in March with a series of protests along the border that were dubbed the “March of Return.” The clashes have included regular rock and Molotov cocktail attacks on troops, as well as shooting and IED attacks aimed at IDF soldiers and attempts to breach the border fence.

Gaza protesters have also launched incendiary kites and balloons into Israel, sparking fires that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed livestock. Over 7,000 acres of land have been burned, causing millions of shekels in damages, according to Israeli officials. Some balloons have carried improvised explosive devices.

Israeli fire has killed at least 131 Palestinians during the protests since late March. Hamas, which seeks to destroy Israel, has acknowledged that dozens of the fatalities were its members.

Israel says its actions — and in particular the use of live ammunition — are necessary to defend the border and stop mass infiltrations from the territory. Israel has accused Hamas of using the protests as cover to attempt to carry out terror attacks, including firing at troops and attempting to breach the border fence.