*GAZA CITY: Thousands of Palestinians attended the funeral on Saturday of ayoung female volunteer medic killed by Israeli fire in violence on theborder in southern Gaza.*
Razan al-Najjar, 21, a volunteer with the Gaza health ministry, was fatallyshot in the chest near Khan Yunis on Friday.
Ambulances and medical crews attended the funeral, with her father holdingthe white blood-stained medics’ jacket she wore when she was shot, asmourners called for revenge.
Gazans have since March 30 staged border protests demanding the return ofPalestinians to land they fled or were expelled from during the 1948 warsurrounding Israel’s creation, now inside the Jewish state.
The demonstrations are accompanied by smaller clashes as youths hurl stonesat Israeli soldiers and attempt to breach the border fence, at times layingexplosive devices on the fence or throwing grenades.
Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave have also been using kitescarrying cans on fire to set ablaze Israeli fields, torching extensivepatches of agricultural land near Gaza.
Following the funeral, several Gazans were wounded in clashes east of KhanYunis, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.
The Israeli army said “a terror cell” had infiltrated from southern Gaza.Soldiers shot at the Palestinians, who returned to the enclave.
On the Friday clashes, the army said it had included “thousands of rioters”at five locations along the border, “burning tires adjacent to the securityfence and attempting to damage security infrastructure”.
Shots were fired at an army vehicle and a Palestinian had crossed intoIsrael, planted a grenade and returned to Gaza, it said. – APP/AFP