At least six Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Friday, Gaza’s health ministry said, as bloody clashes flared along the enclave’s border.

Jihad Farina, 33, became the sixth person killed when he was shot east of Gaza City, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip said, shortly after 16-year-old Ahmed Ouda was pronounced dead in similar circumstances.

Three other protesters were shot dead, while a farmer died when he was hit by a tank shell, the health ministry said, in the deadliest day in recent months.

Tens of thousands of people took part in protests along the border with Israel that Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas had said would be peaceful.

Smaller numbers approached the heavily guarded border in apparent attempts to breach the fence, as Israeli troops fired live ammunition.

More than 200 people were hit by live fire during the clashes, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Israel’s military said in a statement that “thousands of Palestinians are rioting in six locations throughout the Gaza Strip, rolling burning tyres and hurling stones at the security fence and at (Israeli) troops, who are responding with riot dispersal means and firing towards main instigators.”

Earlier on Frdiay, before the main protests began, a Palestinian farmer was killed by Israeli tank fire near the border.

The Israeli military said the tank fire came after “two suspects approached the security fence ... and began operating suspiciously.”

The march kicks off up to six weeks of protests dubbed “The Great March of Return,” in the runup to the inauguration of the new US embassy in Jerusalem around May 14.

Among those taking part on Friday was Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Islamist movement Hamas that controls Gaza.

“There is no alternative to Palestine and no solution except to return,” he said in a statement, referring to Palestinian refugees seeking to go back to land they fled or were expelled from in 1948 that is now inside Israel.

Israel has accused Hamas of seeking to stir up protests to encourage violence.