By Nour Abu Aisha  

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Four Palestinians were martyred by Israeli gunfire during rallies near the eastern fence of the blockaded Gaza Strip Friday, according to Palestinian officials.

Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra identified the martyrs as Yousuf al-Fasih, 29, in eastern border of Gaza; Emad Nabil Abu Drabi, 26, who was shot dead in eastern Jabalia refugee camp; 15-year-old Haisam Emad al-Jamel and 25-year-old Zeyad Jadallah al-Berim were killed in eastern Khan Yunus city in southern Gaza Strip.

Moreover, 618 people, including 48 children, 20 women, two health officials and five media personnel were injured by Israeli gunfire and tear gas.

Palestinians have gathered along the Gaza-Israel border fence -- for the 11th consecutive Friday -- to participate in ongoing rallies against Israel’s decades-long occupation.

Gaza’s National Authority for Breaking the Siege (NABS), which is coordinating the rallies, dubbed Friday’s demonstration the “Friday of Jerusalem”.  

In a statement, the NABS reiterated calls to the people of Gaza to take part in the rallies with a view to “breaking the decade-long siege” of the strip.   

NABS member Ahmed Abu Rteima, for his part, said: “Peaceful mobilization is our most powerful weapon.”  

He also called on Palestinian demonstrators to “redouble their efforts to get through the rallies without losses and refrain from giving the Israelis a pretext to attack”.  

“Palestinians everywhere are rising up for Jerusalem,” Abu Rteima said.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli army troops targeted ambulances with tear gas east of Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis. 

“Occupation forces directly targeted our ambulances with tear gas bombs,” ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement, adding that at least one Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance had been struck by a tear gas canister. 

Earlier, Palestinian medical personnel set up field hospitals near the Gaza-Israel fence to provide immediate medical treatment if needed.  

On Friday morning, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces -- using aerial drones -- had torched several protesters’ tents east of the southern city of Rafah. 

Since March 30, more than 120 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred in eastern Gaza -- and thousands more injured -- by intense Israeli army gunfire. Protesters demand the “right of return” to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.