4 killed, 450 wounded in clashes with Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza: medics

GAZA, April 20 — Four Palestinians were killed and more than 450 wounded on Friday during fierce clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protestors and Israeli soldiers near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza said on Friday the four killed Palestinians are Sa’ed Abu Taha, 29 years old, Mohamed Ayoob, 15 years old, Ahmad Rashad Athamna, 24 years old, Nabil Abu Aqel, 25 years old.
Al-Qedra said that since the outbreak of rallies and protests in March 30, the Israeli army shot dead 37 Palestinians and wounded more 4,000 others; more than one third of them were shot by live gunshots.
Hundreds of Palestinians began earlier Friday to move towards the eastern area of the Gaza Strip that is close to the border with Israel to join the fourth Friday of protests and rallies that is called Friday of Martyrs and Prisoners.
Friday’s movement is part of a six-week activity organized by Palestinians factions and political powers, which started in March 30 and will end on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or “Day of the Catastrophe.”
The Palestinians call the activity as the Great March of Return, to stress their right of return and to exert more pressure on Israel to end more than ten years of blockade imposed on Gaza.
On Friday, Ismail Haneya, Islamic Hamas movement politburo chief told demonstrators in northern Gaza Strip that the Palestinians showed during the rallies that they can never be defeated.
“Be ready and get prepared for the coming human flood that will be on all the borders of Palestine inside and outside the occupied territory on the day of the Nakba. I call upon the people of the nation to embrace this march and call on the people of the world to stand on our side,” said Haneya. – XINHUA