Israeli military strikes Gaza amid violent Palestinian rally

Gaza, Sep 16 (IANS) The Israeli military has said it launched air raids on Gaza after clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police at the border wounded at least 12 Palestinians.

No casualties were reported in the raids so far, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday in a statement that the aircraft struck a military post belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group ruling Gaza, after a "violent riot" broke out at the border between Israel and the coastal enclave.

During the standoff, explosive devices and grenades were thrown across the border fence toward IDF soldiers, leading the Israeli soldiers to use riot dispersal measures at the Palestinians, the IDF added.

No IDF soldiers were injured in the clash, it noted.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry earlier said that at least 12 Palestinians were wounded by dispersal means and even live bullets fired by the Israeli soldiers.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the clash took place between hundreds of young Palestinians rallying to voice solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

On Friday, a Palestinian rally held to denounce Israel's settlement expansion grew to a clash with Israeli soldiers in the village of Qaryut, northern West Bank, leaving four Palestinians wounded by rubber bullets fired to disperse them, according to a statement issued by the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Gaza and the West Bank have witnessed unabated tensions between Palestinians and Israelis this year amid long-stalled peace talks.