Palestinian killed as Gaza border riots ‎enter 4th month ‎

Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated near the ‎Israel-Gaza Strip border on Friday, as part of ‎Hamas' border riot campaign, now in its fourth ‎month.‎

The military said hundreds of rioters torched tires ‎and hurled rocks and firebombs at the troops.‎

Several Palestinians approached the security fence ‎near the abandoned Karni crossing in northern Gaza ‎and tried hurling explosives over the border. The ‎device landed on the Gazan side and several ‎Palestinians were wounded. ‎

No injuries were reported among the Israeli troops ‎involved in the incident.‎

The Gaza Health Ministry said a 22-year-old protester ‎was killed and 400 others were wounded in Friday's ‎riots. It accused the IDF of shelling protesters ‎east of Gaza ‎City. ‎

According to the ministry, Friday's fatality brings ‎the number of Palestinians killed since the border ‎demonstrations began on March 30, to 136.‎

The military denied the allegations, saying troops ‎used ‎‎standard crowd control measures, as well as ‎gunfire, ‎as ‎they confronted 3,000 Palestinians at ‎five points ‎‎along the security fence. ‎

An IDF statement said that "Hamas terrorists are ‎‎using the crowds as cover to carry out attacks and ‎‎are endangering the residents of the Gaza Strip."‎

The Palestinians said that Zahadia Haniyeh, Hamas ‎leader Ismail Haniyeh's niece, sustained serious ‎wounds in the prowwww. ‎

‎The 38-year-old was rushed to the Shifa Hospital in ‎Gaza City Friday with a gunshot wound to her ‎abdomen. She is said to be in stable condition. ‎

Her uncle visited her at the on Saturday morning, ‎telling reporters, "The Palestinian people will ‎continue with the marches despite the many wounded ‎until the land is purified of the filth of the ‎occupation."‎

Grar Creek in the western Negev has been destroyed by Palestinian arson terrorism Nature and Parks Authority

Meanwhile, while organizers have described the ‎border riots as spontaneous outpourings of ‎frustration, the Islamists terrorist group has ‎failed to mark any major achievements. ‎

A recent poll by the Palestinian Centre of Policy ‎and Survey Research, found that 74% of Palestinians ‎believe the protests have not achieved their goals ‎or achieved little.‎

Palestinians arson terrorism continued to rage ‎over the weekend, as 54 fires were sparked by ‎incendiary kites and firebomb balloons sent flying ‎over the border into nearby Israeli communities. ‎

Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers battled the ‎‎flames for hours, assisted by four firefighting ‎planes as well as Nature and Parks Authority foresters and ‎Jewish National Fund officials. ‎

Palestinian kite terrorism, which has been ravaging ‎Gaza-vicinity communities since late April, ‎has so ‎far sparked ‎‎859 fires. Over 8,200 acres of ‎forest ‎and ‎‎‎agricultural ‎‎land ‎on the Israeli side of ‎the ‎border have been decimated, causing millions of ‎dollars ‎in damage.‎

‎"We're experiencing a complex situation of high-‎frequency fires across large areas. The damage is ‎heartbreaking," First Sgt. Maj. Shlomi Cohen, ‎commander of one of the firefighting teams deployed ‎near the border daily told Israel Hayom. ‎