<p>Israeli troops fired at Palestinian protesters who hurled firebombs and burned tires from behind the Gaza Strip's border fence Saturday, with the Gaza health ministry reporting 24 injuries.</p>.<p>"Twenty-four civilians were injured, including 10 children," the ministry said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Two of the injuries are critical, one of whom is a 13-year-old boy, who was hit in the head east of Gaza City."</p>.<p>The Israeli army told AFP "hundreds of rioters and demonstrators" had gathered along the border fence.</p>.<p>"Troops are prepared in the area and are using riot dispersal means, and if necessary, .22 calibre rounds," the army said.</p>.<p>The Hamas Islamic movement that rules Gaza had called a protest Saturday to mark the burning 52 years ago of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.</p>.<p>"Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line, and any attack on it will be met with valiant resistance from our people," the movement said in a statement.</p>.<p>The protest came exactly three months since Israel and Hamas reached a truce following their deadliest fighting in years.</p>.<p>Over 11 days in May, Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in response to rockets fired from the enclave.</p>.<p>Hamas said it took action after Israeli security forces stormed Al-Aqsa.</p>.<p>Reconstruction in Gaza has stalled since a May 21 ceasefire, in part because of a crippling blockade Israel has maintained on the enclave since Hamas seized power in 2007.</p>.<p>On Thursday, Israel announced it would allow funds from Qatar to reach impoverished Palestinians in Gaza. Other restrictions remain.</p>.<p>In 2018, Gazans began a protest movement demanding an end to Israel's blockade and a right for Palestinians to return to lands they fled after the Jewish state was founded.</p>.<p>The Hamas-backed weekly demonstrations, often violent, sputtered as Israel killed some 350 Palestinians in Gaza over more than a year.</p>
<p>Israeli troops fired at Palestinian protesters who hurled firebombs and burned tires from behind the Gaza Strip's border fence Saturday, with the Gaza health ministry reporting 24 injuries.</p>.<p>"Twenty-four civilians were injured, including 10 children," the ministry said in a statement.</p>.<p>"Two of the injuries are critical, one of whom is a 13-year-old boy, who was hit in the head east of Gaza City."</p>.<p>The Israeli army told AFP "hundreds of rioters and demonstrators" had gathered along the border fence.</p>.<p>"Troops are prepared in the area and are using riot dispersal means, and if necessary, .22 calibre rounds," the army said.</p>.<p>The Hamas Islamic movement that rules Gaza had called a protest Saturday to mark the burning 52 years ago of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.</p>.<p>"Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line, and any attack on it will be met with valiant resistance from our people," the movement said in a statement.</p>.<p>The protest came exactly three months since Israel and Hamas reached a truce following their deadliest fighting in years.</p>.<p>Over 11 days in May, Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes in response to rockets fired from the enclave.</p>.<p>Hamas said it took action after Israeli security forces stormed Al-Aqsa.</p>.<p>Reconstruction in Gaza has stalled since a May 21 ceasefire, in part because of a crippling blockade Israel has maintained on the enclave since Hamas seized power in 2007.</p>.<p>On Thursday, Israel announced it would allow funds from Qatar to reach impoverished Palestinians in Gaza. Other restrictions remain.</p>.<p>In 2018, Gazans began a protest movement demanding an end to Israel's blockade and a right for Palestinians to return to lands they fled after the Jewish state was founded.</p>.<p>The Hamas-backed weekly demonstrations, often violent, sputtered as Israel killed some 350 Palestinians in Gaza over more than a year.</p>