GAZA CITY

At least 59 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army during the weekly Great March of Return rallies in eastern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said.

The Hamas-run ministry said that 34 of the wounded were injured by live ammunition, without elaborating on the rest of the cases.

Almost 270 protesters have been martyred -- and thousands more wounded -- by Israeli forces at the security fence areas with Gaza since the rallies began in March last year.

Demonstrators demand an end to Israel’s 12-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has shattered the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of free movement in and out from Gaza and prevented many basic amenities.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat