GAZA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured Friday afternoon during clashes between Palestinian protestors and Israeli soldiers near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, said that on Friday afternoon 24 years old Ahmad Rashad Athamna was killed by Israeli troops' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Friday, al-Qedra said that 25-year-old Nabil Abu Aqel was critically injured in his head before noon east of Jabalia in northern Gaza, and later died of his wounds in hospital.

He said that since the outbreak of rallies and protests on March 30, the Israeli army has shot dead 35 Palestinians and wounded around 4,000 others, and more than one third of them were shot by live ammunitions.