国际英语新闻:Thousands of Palestinian women rally against Israel in eastern Gaza

GAZA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Palestinian women demonstrated against Israel on Tuesday in eastern Gaza city, close to the border with Israel.

They waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans, while dozens of them wore white shrouds and black masks, and trod on Israeli and U.S. flags spread on the ground.

The women's demonstration is part of the "Great March of Return" rally, which started on March 30 in five different locations in the Gaza Strip against Israel's 11-year crippling blockade on the coastal enclave.

During the demonstration, Israeli soldiers at the border area fired dozens of tear gas canisters to disperse the Palestinian women, causing dozens of them to suffocate after inhaling the gas.

Medical sources said clashes broke out between dozens of Palestinian young men and Israeli soldiers, who fired live ammunition and wounded three of them.

Iktimal Hamad, head of the women commission of the rallies, told reporters that they demonstrated in eastern Gaza to "send a message to the world that the Palestinian woman is a major and important part of these marches."

Israeli forces have killed at least 135 Palestinians, and injured 14,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally against Israel's 11-year crippling blockade and the U.S. embassy move to the disputed holy city of Jerusalem.

Since the outbreak of the rallies in eastern Gaza on March 30, Israeli forces have killed at least 135 Palestinians, and injured 14,000 others.

Around half of the injured were shot by live ammunition, and many of them are still in critical condition.