Palestinians rally for 76th consecutive Friday in Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Friday headed to the security fence to participate in the weekly anti-occupation protests known as the Great March of Return.

Holding Palestinian flags, the protesters flocked to five different areas in the eastern Gaza Strip.

The Higher National Commission of the Great March of Return and Breaking of the Gaza Siege, formed by Palestinian factions, named this Friday's rallies "Al-Aqs Intifada" in reference to the second Palestinian Intifada which erupted on Sept. 28, 2000.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health, for its part, said that 52 demonstrators were injured in the marches.

The ministry added that 27 of them were injured by live bullets, without explaining the nature of the rest of injuries.

Since the Gaza rallies began in March last year, nearly 270 protesters have been martyred and thousands more wounded by Israeli forces at the security fence with Gaza.

Demonstrators demand an end to Israel's 12-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has shattered the coastal enclave's economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of free movement in and out from Gaza and prevented many basic amenities.