Palestinian shot in Gaza border protests dies

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: A Palestinian shot by Israeli forces on the Gaza border four months ago has died, the health ministry in the coastal enclave has said.

Ahmed al-Ayeda, 17, was shot on March 30 – the first day of months of protests and clashes along the border – the ministry said in a statement late Sunday.

He had been in critical condition since being shot east of Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.

At least 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began.

One Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

The protests are calling for Palestinians to be able to return to the land they or their families f led in the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel.

Israel says any such return would mean the end of it as a Jewish state.

Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas have fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

The United Nations and Egypt are currently trying to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a lasting truce. — AFP