Israeli forces kill two Palestinian teens during border protests

Two Palestinian teenagers were killed by Israeli fire during protests along the Gaza border on Friday, the health ministry in said.

Ali al-Ashqar, 17, was shot in the neck along the border fence east of Jabalia in northern Gaza.

A second teenager was shot in the stomach east of Gaza City, the spokesman said, later identifying him as Khaled al-Rabaee, 14.

Israeli forces declined to comment on the deaths.

But in a statement, it said an estimated 6,200 "rioters and demonstrators" had gathered in locations along the border and thrown "fire bombs and explosive devices" at troops, as well as approaching the fence.

Palestinians have been holding often weekly protests along the fortified border fence since March 2018.

The protesters are calling for Israel to end its crippling and illegal siege on the coastal enclave as well as demanding the right to return to lands their families fled in 1948, which are now inside Israel.

Israel says any such return would mean its end as a Jewish state and accuses Gaza's Hamas of using the protests as cover for attacks.

Gaza's health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said a further 46 people were wounded by Israeli gunfire on Friday.

United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov called the killing of the two teenagers "appalling".

"Israel must calibrate its use of force," he wrote on Twitter, calling on protesters to "be peaceful" and for an end to "the cycle of violence".

At least 308 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, the majority during the demonstrations.

Seven Israelis have been killed.

The protests have calmed in recent months.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.