Israeli troops kill one, wound 42 Palestinians in Gaza protests

Forty-two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli sniper fire in renewed protests along the Gaza-Israel fence on Friday, Gaza's health ministry said, adding one Palestinian succumbed to his wounds. 

A statement from the ministry's spokesman said the victims "were shot by Israeli occupation forces" during the 50th week of demonstrations.

Four medics were among those wounded, the ministry said.

Tamer Arafat succumbed to his wounds after being shot in the head, the ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra said.

An Israeli army spokesman said demonstrators "hurled explosive devices and rocks at the security fence and soldiers, and have also ignited tyres."

Since March 30 last year, Palestinians have been converging along the Gaza-Israel fence to take part in ongoing rallies against Israel's occupation and 12-year-old blockade of the Gaza enclave.

Hundreds killed in right to return protests

Since the demonstrations began almost one year ago, more than 250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops deployed along the buffer zone.

Demonstrators demand the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

They also demand an end to Israel's 12-year blockade of Gaza, which has gutted the coastal enclave's economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.