Update: In what is now the most deadly day since the beginning of Hamas's six- week-long "March for Return" demonstrations back in March, The Palestinian Health Ministry said the death toll from Monday morning's "terrible massacre" in Gaza has risen to 41 - with more than 1,700 wounded. Gaza
According to RT, which translated the announcement, the wounded include 74 children and 23 women, while a 12-year-old and 14-year-old were counted among the dead.
They also issued a revised estimate of 35,000 for the number of protesters who gathered along 10 areas at the Gaza border fence.
Live bullets caused most of the injuries, while some 320 people were hit with teargas. The health ministry said Israel was deliberately targeting emergency health services and journalists, who were clearly marked.
Meanwhile, the IDF said fighter planes targeted Hamas outposts near the village of Jabalya after Israeli soldiers said they were fired on in the area.
The Israeli military continued its violent repression of Palestinian protesters on Monday when soldiers once again gunned down unarmed demonstrators whom it claimed were trying to penetrate the border fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip.
According to Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Israeli soldiers said they were "provoked into violence" when small groups of Palestinians began throwing stones at IDF soldiers from the other side of the border fence. The soldiers responded by gunning down demonstrators; by the time the demonstrations had quieted down, at least 28 Palestinians had been killed, and another 600 had been wounded, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.