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alestinian youth clash with Israeli security forces at a protest in Nahal Oz, east of Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014. Photo by AP
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by Chris Carlson - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

[Friday, January 24, 2014] Israeli forces shot dead one Palestinian and injured another, on Friday, during a protest east of Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qidra, said that 20-year-old Bilal Samer Oweidah died after being shot in the chest by Israeli forces near the border, Ma'an News Agency has reported.

Owiedah was among a group of Palestinians who had gathered near the border to protest the buffer zone imposed by Israel, al-Qidra said.

According to locals, Oweidah was taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Another Palestinian was moderately injured when Israeli forces opened fire on the protesters.

The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by the State of Israel since 2006.

Israeli forces frequently shoot at farmers and other civilians inside the Gaza Strip if they approach large swathes of land near the border that the Israeli military has deemed off-limits to Palestinians.

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Palestinians: Israeli forces kill Gaza protester

Israeli army says soldiers opened fire only after protesters ignored warnings to move away from border fence.

By Haaretz and DPA | Jan. 24, 2014 | 5:54 PM

Israeli forces shot and killed one Palestinian and wounded another in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinian medical personnel told Ma'an news agency.

Bilal Samer Oweidah, 20, died after being shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers east of Jabaliya, near the border, Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry, told the Palestinian news agency.

According to the Israeli army, dozens of Palestinians gathered near the border fence with Israel on Friday afternoon and tried to damage the barrier.

Soldiers tried to disperse the crowd and told them to move away from the fence, an army spokesperson said, and only opened fire after being ignored. The army confirmed that two protesters were injured and evacuated for medical treatment.

Oweidah was taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Ma'an reported.

Another 19-year-old man was wounded after being shot in the leg.

The border area between Israel and Gaza has been a flashpoint for several years, as demonstrators protest weekly against the blockade of Gaza, waving Palestinian flags, chanting slogans and throwing stones at Israeli soldiers stationed there.

Activists said there are also weekly protests against the 300-meter security buffer that the Israeli army established on border with the coastal enclave.

Since an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militants went into effect in November 2012, at least nine Palestinians have been killed and more than 20 hurt during the demonstrations.