Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian man and wounded more than 40 as thousands protested near the Gaza Strip‘s perimeter fence, the enclave’s health ministry has said.

Palestinian protester #Tamer_Arafat, 23, from eastern #Gaza city of Rafah was killed by Israeli occupation forces!#GreatReturnMarch pic.twitter.com/5yCeX97RDP

— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) March 8, 2019

Tamer Arafat, 23, died from his wounds on Friday during the 50th week of demonstrations, said Ashraf al-Qidra, the spokesman for the ministry.

Qidra also said that 48 Palestinians had been wounded by Israeli gunfire, including four medics, two women and 15 children.

Palestinian martyr: 23-y-o Tamer Arafat, murdered today by Israeli colonist forces at the March of Return, east Rafah, Gaza Strip pic.twitter.com/S169Me5wJF

— Palestine Video (@PalestineVideo) March 8, 2019

Palestinians have staged weekly protests near the fence separating besieged Gaza Strip from Israel as part of the Great March of Return protests, which began in March last year.

The demonstrators are calling for the lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007 and for the right to return to their ancestral homes in Israel, as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

(AJE, PC, Social Media)