Gaza Palestinians resume demonstrations on Israeli border

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GAZA – Hundreds of Palestinians connected Wednesday demonstrated adjacent the Israeli borderline successful the confederate Gaza Strip, calling connected Israel to easiness a crippling blockade days aft a akin gathering ended successful deadly clashes with the Israeli army.

The objection wrapped up without a repetition of Saturday's aggravated clashes aft Hamas kept the crowds from approaching the separation wall. Egypt, which has been trying to broker a semipermanent cease-fire betwixt the force sides, had appealed to the Islamic militant radical to calm things down.

The Israeli military, which had beefed up its forces up of the demonstration, said it utilized teardrop state and constricted unrecorded occurrence to disperse the crowd. Palestinian medics reported astatine slightest 14 radical were wounded, including 5 radical who suffered gunshots. None of the injuries were believed to beryllium life-threatening.

Soheil al-Hendi, a Hamas official, said the radical had made a “great effort” to debar bloodshed.

“The force indispensable recognize this connection that we bash not privation to repetition what happened past Saturday erstwhile humor was spilled," helium said.

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV showed crowds of radical approaching the fence, past moving distant erstwhile an Israeli subject conveyance arrived. Tear state could beryllium seen floating successful the wind. The subject said it had utilized .22 caliber gunfire, a benignant of limb that is meant to beryllium little lethal than much almighty firearms but tin inactive beryllium deadly.

During Saturday's demonstration, hundreds of participants stormed the fence, immoderate of them throwing explosives, resulting successful convulsive clashes.

An Israeli worker was critically wounded erstwhile a Palestinian militant changeable him successful the caput done a spread successful the partition astatine point-blank range, portion implicit 40 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire. One of the wounded, Osama Dueji, died of his wounds Wednesday. Hamas identified him arsenic a subordinate of its equipped wing.

Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli subject spokesman, said that demonstrators connected Saturday fired weapons and lobbed explosives astatine soldiers and tried to teardrop down the fence.

“They are presenting riots arsenic peaceful,” helium said. “In reality, these riots are highly violent.” He declined to accidental however galore troops had been mobilized connected Wednesday but said the fig was overmuch larger than connected Saturday and included riot-control forces.

Hamas has organized the protests successful an effort to enactment unit connected Israel to easiness its blockade of Gaza.

Israel and Egypt person maintained the blockade since Hamas, a militant radical that opposes Israel's existence, took power of Gaza successful 2007, a twelvemonth aft winning a Palestinian election. The blockade has devastated Gaza's system and fueled an unemployment complaint hovering astir 50%. Israel says the blockade, which tightly restricts the question of goods and radical successful and retired of Gaza, is needed to forestall Hamas from gathering up its subject capabilities.

Israel and Hamas person fought 4 wars and galore skirmishes since 2007, astir precocious an 11-day conflict successful May that killed 260 Palestinians and 13 radical successful Israel.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the cease-fire that ended the warring by tightening the blockade. In particular, it has restricted the introduction of materials needed for reconstruction. Israel has demanded the instrumentality of the remains of 2 soldiers killed successful a 2014 war, arsenic good arsenic the instrumentality of 2 Israeli civilians believed to beryllium successful Hamas captivity.

Last week, Israel reached an statement with Qatar to let the Gulf state to resume assistance payments to thousands of impoverished Gaza families.

Under the caller system, the payments volition beryllium delivered by the United Nations straight to families that person been vetted by Israel. In the past, the assistance was delivered arsenic currency consecutive to Hamas.

The payments are expected to statesman successful the coming weeks, providing immoderate alleviation successful Gaza.

But tensions stay high. In summation to the demonstrations, Hamas has allowed its supporters to motorboat incendiary balloons crossed the border, mounting disconnected a fig of wildfires successful confederate Israel. Israel has responded with a bid of airstrikes connected Hamas targets successful Gaza.

Egypt, which serves arsenic a mediator betwixt Israel and Hamas, has been moving to broker a longer-term truce betwixt the bitter enemies.

This week, Egypt closed its borderline crossing with Gaza, the main exit constituent for the territory's radical to question abroad, successful a amusement of vexation with Hamas.

An Egyptian official, speaking connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to speech to the media, confirmed his authorities had held extended communications with each sides.

He said Egypt had asked Hamas to calm things down and for Israel to statesman easing the blockade and accelerating the Qatari payments.

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Associated Press writer Samy Magdy successful Cairo contributed.

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