Two Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza

Two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces during protests along the border with Gaza on Friday.

Mohammed Abu Zaida, 18, died after being shot in the neck, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Hours later, 26-year-old Mohammad Qita, died after being shot in his stomach.

Dozens of other Palestinian youths had been shot and wounded with live fire during the clashes, east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli army confirmed they had fired on protesters after they allegedly breached the "buffer zone" along the border.

Israel and the Palestinian territories have seen a wave of violence in recent months, with 23 Israelis and 153 Palestinians killed since the start of October. An American and an Eritrean have also died in the violence.

Fridays are known as a day of protest across the Palestinian territories.