At least 10 protesters injured by Israeli fire in Gaza Strip

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that 10 Palestinians were injured on Friday evening as a result of the Israeli army assault on the weekly marches in the eastern Gaza Strip.

The ministry said in a brief statement that six of the wounded were hit by live bullets, while it did not clarify the nature of the rest of the injuries.

On Friday, hundreds of Palestinians flocked to five points near the security fence near the Gaza Strip to take part in the weekly anti-occupation protests known as "Great March of Return".

Since the Gaza rallies began in March last year, nearly 270 protesters have been killed -- and thousands more wounded -- by Israeli troops deployed near the buffer zone.

Demonstrators demand an end to Israel's 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has shattered the coastal enclave's economy and deprived its two million inhabitants of many basic amenities.