Hundreds of Palestinians on Wednesday demonstrated near the Israeli border in the southern Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to ease a crippling blockade days after a similar gathering ended in deadly clashes with the Israeli army.
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Protesters hurled firebombs and rocks at the Israeli troops but overall, the demonstration wrapped up without a repeat of Saturday's intense clashes after Hamas kept the crowds from approaching the separation wall.
Egypt, which has been trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the enemy sides, had appealed to the Islamic militant group to calm things down. Shortly after the demonstration ended, Hamas officials announced that the territory's key border crossing with Egypt was partially reopening on Thursday.
The Israeli military, which had beefed up its forces ahead of the demonstration, said it used tear gas and limited live fire to disperse the crowd.
Palestinian medics reported at least 14 people were wounded, including five people who suffered gunshots. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.
Soheil al-Hendi, a Hamas official, said the group had made a "great effort" to avoid bloodshed.
"The enemy must understand this message that we do not want to repeat what happened last Saturday when blood was spilled," he said.
Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV showed crowds of people approaching the fence, then running away when an Israeli military vehicle arrived. Tear gas could be seen floating in the wind. The military said it had used .22 caliber gunfire, a type of weapon that is meant to be less lethal than more powerful firearms but can still be deadly.
Meanwhile, a political source traveling with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to Washington said Wednesday that the US administration understands that Hamas' conduct in Gaza is problematic.
According to the source, Bennett is being updated throughout the day on the situation on Israel's southern border.
"We have the impression that the Americans understand that Hamas is the one that is acting provocatively and agitating the region. The Americans are conveying messages on all relevant axes and demanding restraint from Hamas," the source said.
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