Palestinian Wounded in Gaza Clash Dies ahead of New Protest

A Palestinian has died from injuries sustained during weekend clashes with Israeli forces on the Gaza border, the territory's health ministry said, ahead of fresh protests called for Wednesday. 

Following Saturday's unrest -- which wounded dozens and left an Israeli police officer in critical condition -- 32-year-old Palestinian Osama Khaled Deaih died after being shot by Israeli forces, the ministry said. 

The Israeli army said it responded with live fire and other measures to Palestinian "rioters" who were hurling explosives over the border fence and attempting to scale it. 

The territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said that among the wounded was a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and left in critical condition.  

Palestinian factions in the Israeli-blockaded enclave have called a new protest for 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) Wednesday on the border near the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis. 

The Israeli army said it was reinforcing its Gaza division late Saturday, as it hit multiple Hamas targets with air strikes.

Israel struck Gaza again overnight Monday-Tuesday in response to incendiary balloon launches that sparked multiple fires in Israel's southern Eskhol region. 

There were no reported casualties from the latest Israeli strikes.

The protests come three months after an informal truce ended 11 days of conflict between Hamas and Israel, the worst fighting between the two sides in years. 

Hamas authorities said 260 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes during the conflict, including fighters.

Palestinian groups launched thousands of rockets at Israel during the fighting, killing 13 people, including a soldier, according to the military and police. 

In 2018, Gazans began a protest movement demanding an end to Israel's blockade and the right for Palestinians to return to lands they fled or were expelled from when the Jewish state was founded.

The Hamas-backed weekly demonstrations, often violent, sputtered as Israel killed some 350 Palestinians in Gaza over more than a year.