#GreatReturnMarch: Israeli soldiers kill two more Palestinians in second week of Gaza protests

Usama Khamis Qadih, 38, was fatally wounded east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, the health ministry said, as thousands of Palestinians protested at various points along the border with Israel.

The second Palestinian killed was identified as Majdi Ramadan, 38, killed east of Gaza City.

Israeli soldiers shot and wounded more than 250 demonstrators, medics said, with five said to be in critical condition.

The number of protesters was much lower than last week, when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a demonstration by tens of thousands, killing 19 Palestinians and injuring thousands more.

Palestinians burned mounds of tyres and threw stones at Israeli soldiers over the border fence, who responded with tear gas and live fire.

The tyre fires were meant to be a smokescreen from Israeli snipers, and thick black smoke covered the border area in some places.

Israeli forces took up positions across a ridge on the other side of the border and set up large fans in an apparent bid to push away the smoke.

They also used water canon to try to douse some of the flames.

"I will be a martyr today. I will cross the border," Ahmed Abu Ghali, 20, who held up his shirt to show his still seeping wound from last week that required 40 stitches.

"I was wounded last Friday but escaped yesterday from hospital," said the protester at the rally east of Khan Yunis.

Israel has warned that its open-fire rules will remain unchanged for Friday's protests, pledging to stop any damage to the fence and prevent infiltrations or alleged attacks.

But it has faced mounting criticism over its use of live fire, and UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for restraint.

"I particularly urge Israel to exercise extreme caution with the use of force in order to avoid casualties. Civilians must be able to exercise their right to demonstrate peacefully," he said in a statement.

Palestinians say protesters were shot while posing no threat to soldiers, with unverified videos spreading online to fuel their accusations.

One video appears to show a man with a tyre shot while running away from the fence.

Human Rights Watch has called the actions by the Israeli soldiers "calculated" and "illegal."

Guterres and the European Union have called for an independent investigation, which Israel has outright rejected.