Palestinian dies in Gaza after being struck in the face by tear gas canister

A Palestinian in Gaza succumbed on Tuesday to wounds he sustained days earlier during a demonstration near the boundary with Israel, the Gaza health ministry reported.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra identified the slain man as 47-year-old Samir Ghazi al-Nabahin.

He added that Nabahin had been struck by a tear gas canister in the face fired by Israeli forces on Friday east of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Tuesday, the health ministry reported that another Palestinian in his 40s was in critical condition after being shot in the neck by Israeli forces while he was leveling land - possibly for agricultural purposes - in northern Gaza.

Israeli forces have killed more than 243 Palestinians and wounded another 26,800 since the beginning of the Great March of Return on 30 March.

Most deaths occurred during protests and clashes, but others have died as a result of air strikes or shelling.

Gaza’s health sector has been overwhelmed by the influx of injuries in the past ten months, its infrastructure further strained by shortages in fuel and medical supplies.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have been slammed for restricting the grant of exit permits to Palestinians residing in Gaza, notably affecting those seeking treatment in Israel, annexed Jerusalem or the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli High Court is set to hear on Wednesday a petition submitted by human rights organisations Gisha, Physicians for Human Rights and HaMoked regarding persistent and severe delays in responding to permit applications.

Palestinians in Gaza continue to demonstrate at least once a week, calling for the implementation of the right of return for refugees - who make up 1.3 million of Gaza’s two million inhabitants - and for an end to the crippling 11-year Israeli-led blockade of the small coastal territory.