Israeli fire wounds AP cameraman, 24 Palestinians — ministry

BEIT LAHIA — Israeli fire wounded a cameraman for the Associated Press news agency and 24 other Palestinians during protests on Monday north of the besieged Gaza enclave, the Palestinian health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said.

Rashed Rashid was shot in his left ankle, while filming hundreds of Palestinians who were protesting on a beach by the border fence near Beit Lahia, a spokesman for the ministry said.

The cameraman was taken to hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

Demonstrations have taken place in this area on Mondays since Palestinians began a wider protest movement in late March against a decade-long Israeli blockade of Gaza.

An Israeli spokesperson said on Monday that 750 Palestinians took part in "clashes" near the border and threw stones towards soldiers who responded "by using anti-riot measures and firing in line with standard operational procedures".

He did not say how many Palestinians had been hit by gunfire.

Protesters are calling to be allowed to return to the homes their families fled or were expelled from in the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel and which are now inside Israel.

At least 235 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire or air strikes since the protests began more than seven months ago.

Two Israeli troopers have been killed over the same period.