Hundreds of Gaza residents are gathering near the border with Israel for a seventh weekly protest aimed at shaking off a decade-old blockade of their territory.

Friday's protest comes just three days ahead of what the Hamas leader of Gaza says will be a march by tens of thousands who could burst through the border fence into Israel. Yehiyeh Sinwar has said Monday's crowd will be unarmed and peaceful, but also compared it to a "starving tiger."

The Hamas-led demonstrations, fueled by despair in Gaza, are part of a campaign to break the blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007.

Israel says it will prevent any border breach. Forty protesters were killed and more than 1,700 wounded by Israeli troops since late March.