At least 81 Palestinians were injured by Zionist regime soldiers on Friday afternoon during demonstrations in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel.

Iran Press/Middle East: Ashraf al-Qedra, a spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry, told reporters that Israeli soldiers have wounded 79 Palestinians, as well as two paramedics, in eastern Gaza Strip.

Local media and eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers clashed with dozens of Palestinians as they were demonstrating near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, Xinhua reported.

They said that Palestinian demonstrators gathered close to the border, waved Palestinian flags, chanted slogans against the Zionist regime.

The soldiers fired teargas canisters, rubber bullets, and live rounds, according to the eyewitnesses, who added that several demonstrators were injured.

Palestinian demonstrators only had stones to throw back at the heavily-armed Israeli soldiers stationed on the border fence area.

The demonstrations were part of the weekly anti-Israel protests and rallies, better known as the 'Great March of Return', which started in late March last year.

Related News:

Israeli forces injure 13 Palestinians at Gaza border

At the end of the rallies, the highest commission of the event said that next Friday's protests will be held in eastern Gaza Strip against holding of a US economic workshop in Manama, Bahrain.

Gaza health ministry had earlier said in a press statement that since the outbreak of the protests on March 30 last year, the Israeli army has killed 306 Palestinians and wounded more than 17,000 with live ammunition in eastern Gaza.

On Thursday, Islamic Hamas movement political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, warned that the calm understandings brokered with Israel by Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar "are in danger."

"The understandings are in danger because the occupation (Israeli) authorities are delaying its implementation on the ground," Haniyeh told foreign media representatives in Gaza, adding that "his movement is committed to the calm understandings." 101/211/214

Read More:

53rd week of 'Great March of Return' protests held in Gaza

Palestinian Resistance in Gaza Fires Over 600 Missiles at Israel

UN highly concerned about the situation in Gaza

 

Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man during demonstrations on the Gaza-Israel border (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih)
Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man during demonstrations on the Gaza-Israel border (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih)
Palestinian protesters carry a wounded man during demonstrations on the Gaza-Israel border (Xinhua/Yasser Qudih)