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Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two children, and shot dead over 90 others on one of the bloodiest days of a six-month protest along the border, said the Ministry of Health. from Gaza.
The Hamas-controlled band ministry said Nasser Mosabeh, 12, and Mohammed al-Houm, 14, had been hit by sniper fire near the fence surrounding the coastal enclave.
The Israeli army said that about 20,000 "rioters" had gathered at several sites along the border and that people had thrown "grenades and explosive devices". He added that no injuries were reported and that no injuries were caused.
The troops "responded with riot control and worked in accordance with standard operating procedures," he said. An Israeli plane also bombed two Hamas positions in response.
Palestinians have been protesting every week since March 30 in what they call the "Great March of Return", demanding that Arabs who fled or were deported to Israel's creation in 1948 be allowed to return home. The protesters also focused on an Israeli-Egyptian blockade that has lasted for about a decade and has trapped a large part of the band's population and devastated its economy.
Israeli attacks killed more than 190 people, most of them with bullets, but also with bombings. Children, doctors and journalists were shot, often far from the fence. An Israeli soldier was shot.
Over the last two weeks, Hamas-led Friday rallies have grown in scale and have also moved towards night, a move that protestors say is aimed at saving lives while people can to move under the cover of the darkness. Piles of tires were also burned to hide the sniper's vision.
The international aid group Doctors Without Borders said it has treated more than 2,000 patients with gunshot wounds, 90% of whom have had lower limb injuries since the start of the event. The youngest patient was seven years old, the group said in an email.
Nearly half of the people shot were fractured and among the wounds there were serious bone fractures. "The threat of permanent disability for these patients increases over time," he said.
Israel claims that its actions are aimed at preventing people from entering its territory and accuses Hamas of using mass rallies to organize attacks. On Friday, he said that several Palestinians had crossed the fence but returned immediately.
The World Bank warned on Tuesday that Gaza's economy was in "free fall". He cited the blockade as a factor, but also economic sanctions imposed by Hamas's political rival, the Palestinian Authority, and a sharp reduction in international aid, especially from the Trump administration.
He said the unemployment rate is now above 50 percent and above 70 percent among Gaza's youth.
"A combination of war, isolation and internal rivalries left Gaza in a crippling economic state and exacerbated human distress," said Marina Wes, World Bank director for the region.
The bloodshed at the border has brought Israel and Hamas together, leading this summer to the most serious exchanges since the 2014 conflict, with Israel using air strikes as Hamas fired mortars and rockets.
A UN-backed ceasefire effort, mediated by Egypt, appears to have stalled this month.
