A Palestinian protester holds national flag during clashes with Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israel border, in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on April. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar)
GAZA, April 6 (Xinhua) -- One Palestinian was killed and at least 40 others wounded on Friday afternoon during clashes between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers at the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.
Osama Qudieh, 29-year-old, was shot dead during clashes in the east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, said Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Qedra told reporters that the death toll since last Friday grew to 21 people, adding that Israeli snipers are using live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators.
Early Friday, hundreds of Palestinians set fire to dozens of tires near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel in a bid to make a shield of black smoke to protect themselves from Israeli soldiers' gunfire.
A Xinhua cameraman said he saw large black smoke after tires were burned in the borderline area. The demonstrators wanted to disturb Israeli army snipers from targeting the demonstrators, he added.
At the Israeli side of the border, the Israeli army brought more soldiers, armored vehicles, drones filled with tear gas canisters, firemen and fire vehicles to prevent smoke from being pushed by the wind into Israel.
On Friday, hundreds of Palestinians began to arrive in five different locations from south to north of the Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel, bringing tires and onions to protect themselves from inhaling tear gas.
Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader who reached the area where the rallies are taking place in eastern Gaza City, told reporters "the arms (guns) are in our hands that can be activated in a proper moment."
"We are sending a message that our struggle is without arms and guns, and we will wait and see if the world receives the message and pressure Israel to stop its crimes against our people, and if the world fails, we then will be obliged to use our arms," he said.