Hundreds of Gazans on Wednesday attended the funeral of a four-year-old boy who died after being hit by Israeli shrapnel at a border protest last week, according to Palestinian medical officials.
Wrapped in a Palestinian flag, the body of Ahmed Abu Abed was carried on people's shoulders as mourners threw flowers into the procession in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said he "was hit by shrapnel from Israeli gunfire".
"There was one piece of bullet shrapnel in the eye that settled at the bottom of the brain, that was the most serious of all, and that what most likely killed him," Mohammad Abu Hilal, director of emergency department at Khan Younis hospital, told Reuters.
Gaza's health ministry, run by the militant group Hamas, said more than 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops since March at border protests demanding an end to an Israeli-led blockade of the coastal strip.
Israel's military said it did "everything possible to avoid harming children," and accused Hamas of endangering the lives of civilians by orchestrating the protests.
Hamas denies the allegation and Palestinians accuse Israel of using excessive force against protesters.
The boy's father, Yasser Abu Abed, who suffered a leg injury, said they were among a hundred other protesters nearly 300 meters from the fence when Israeli forces opened fire. "We did not expect anything bad would happen as things were calm," he said.
Palestinians have been protesting along the Gaza border at least weekly since March 30, triggering repeated clashes with the army.
At least 235 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, the majority during clashes on the border but others in airstrikes or by tank fire.
Two Israelis have been killed over the same period.
