国际英语资讯:34 Palestinians injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza

GAZA, June 14 -- At least 34 Palestinian demonstrators were injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza Health Ministry said.

The casualties include two volunteering paramedics, said the ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra.

Dozens fainted after inhaling Israeli tear gas, he added.

Clashes broke out on Friday afternoon between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli army forces as the Palestinians joined the weekly anti-Israel rallies, better known as the Great March of Return.

The Israeli media reported that dozens of demonstrators threw homemade grenades at the Israeli patrols stationed on the border, while Israeli soldiers fired live gunshots, rubber bullets and tear gas at the demonstrators.

The media reports also said Palestinian young men released dozens of incendiary balloons from eastern Gaza into southern Israel, causing large fires and huge losses to the farms in the area.

Israeli war jets struck Hamas military posts and facilities in Gaza early Thursday and Friday, in response to the launch of three rockets on Wednesday and Thursday from the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave into southern Israel.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, said his movement will hold talks with the UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov, the Qataris and the Egyptians respectively in the following days to "oblige the (Israeli) occupation to be committed to the calm understandings."

The last calm understanding between Israel and Hamas-led factions in the Gaza Strip was brokered by the United Nations, Egypt and Qatar in May.

"These understandings were reached under the sword of the marches of return and we grabbed it from the occupation and it will go on until the siege is lifted and our people enjoy freedom," al-Hayya said.