A Palestinian Arab was killed by Israeli gunfire during clashes in northern Gaza on Friday, the Hamas health ministry claimed.
"Aeid Jumaa, 35, was killed and six other Palestinians were wounded during clashes along the Gaza border (with Israel) north of Jabalia," ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, according to AFP.
The Islamic Jihad terrorist group later issued a statement saying that Jumaa was one of its members and was in fact aged 22.
An IDF spokeswoman, contacted by AFP, said hundreds of Palestinian Arab demonstrators had burned tires and been throwing rocks along the security fence between Israel and Gaza.
"Our forces had to arrest suspects to prevent damage to the security fence," she said, but was unable to confirm the casualties from gunfire.
Hamas said earlier this week that a Gazan was killed by Israeli gunfire in a similar incident.
Gazans have constantly been provoking IDF soldiers stationed near the border fence. These provocations normally take place on Fridays, when Arabs riot near the border fence and attack security forces with rocks.
The soldiers ask the rioters to move back but they ignore the calls and continue to approach the fence, forcing troops to open fire.
Gaza has been run by the Hamas terrorist group since it violently seized power from Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah organization in 2007.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)