GAZA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians were wounded on Friday afternoon during clashes that broke out between demonstrators and Israeli soldiers near the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medical sources in Gaza said.
The Israeli soldiers, stationed on the border, fired dozens of tear gas canisters, rubber bullets and live gunshots at dozens of Palestinians, who demonstrated close to the fence of the border, said the sources.
Several demonstrators were injured, most of them were treated by paramedics in the field, and the others were taken by ambulances to the hospitals for medical treatment, the sources added.
Friday's demonstrations were part of the weekly anti-Israel protests, better known as the "Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege," which started on March 30 last year.
The High Commission of the Great March of Return had earlier called on the Palestinians to join the weekly protests on the border with Israel, where the marches entered its second year in-a-raw.
Earlier on Friday, Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political bureau chief said during Friday's sermon that "our people will not stop going to the Great march of return until lifting the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip."
He pointed out that there is a positive movement in the talks of reaching a calm agreement, adding "our cause is not humanitarian, it is a matter of national liberation."
Haniyeh concluded his speech saying that the unity is our strategic choice and the reconciliation is a legitimate duty for implementing all signed agreements besides forming a government including all Palestinian factions.
Earlier this week, Israel eased the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 when it expanded the fishing area off the enclave's coast from six nautical miles to 15 miles as part of an Egyptian-brokered calm understanding reached with Israel.
The Great March of Return and Breaking the Israeli Siege is calling on Israel to end or relax the 12-year blockade that had been imposed on the Gaza Strip right after Hamas movement had violently seized control of the territory in 2007.
Gaza Health Ministry officials had earlier said that 271 Palestinians were killed, including 57 children, and more than 30,000 injured by Israeli soldiers' gunfire since the march of return started on March 30 last year.
