Three Palestinians killed in Gaza protest on Friday

GAZA, PALESTINIAN TERRITORY— Hundreds of Palestinians converged on the Gaza Strip’s border fence with Israel on Friday, trying to burn and rip through it before drawing heavy Israeli fire. Three Palestinians were killed and dozens were reported wounded.

The Israeli military accused Gaza’s Hamas leaders of orchestrating what it called a “serious and irregular” attack and said it would not tolerate similar activity in the future.

The violence came shortly after a top UN official urged Israel to refrain from using excessive force against the protesters.

At least 38 people have been killed by Israeli live fire and more than1,600 wounded since the protests began March 30.

In Friday’s unrest, a large crowd gathered a few hundred metres from the border, with some throwing stones and set- ting tires on fire in what has become a weekly occurrence.

Late in the afternoon, dozens of young men broke away from the larger protest, moving south about 200 metresand approaching the fence. The crowd then tried to break through the fence with hooks and wire cutters when Israeli forces opened fire. Witnesses said three protesters briefly crossed into Israel and turned around.

Palestinian health officials reported three people killed and 611 wounded, including 138 hit by live fire in incidents along the border throughout the day.

Organizers say the marches are pressing for the “right of return” of refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Two-thirds of Gaza residents are descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from properties during the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948. The protests are to culminate on May 15.