Palestinian teen shot dead and several others wounded by Israeli fire in Gaza Strip

A Palestinian teenager killed and five others hurt by Israeli fire in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday.

16-year-old Fahd al- Astal died after he was shot in the stomach by the Israeli army east of Khan Younis.

Weekly border demonstrations along the Israeli frontier were officially cancelled this Friday.

But citizens said a small number of mostly young Palestinians still surrounded the area in which Israel's military enforces a "no go" zone.

"We are looking into the episode," said the Israeli army officials.

At least 348 Palestinians have been hit by Israeli fire in Gaza since weekly demonstrations began in March 2018 and more than half during the protests.

Airstrikes or tank fire killed others.

The protesters are calling for Israel to lift its barrier of the coastal area and for Palestinians to be permitted to get back to their ancestral homes now inside Israel.

Israel accuses Gaza's rulers Hamas of orchestrating the demonstrations and using them as shelter to carry out attacks.

Israel and Hamas have battled three wars since 2008.

About 70 per cent of Gaza's two million Palestinians are listed refugees who have initially been dislodged from their homes by then Zionist armed groups before the founding of Israel in 1948.