The health ministry in Gaza says a 19-year-old Palestinian has died of wounds sustained during confrontations between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops along Gaza's border.

Anas Abu Asr was wounded near Gaza City last Friday, the fifth of weekly protests led by the ruling militant Hamas group. The ministry said he died Thursday, without elaborating.

Hamas says the protests highlight a decade-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade and press to revive Palestinian demands to return to homes in what is now Israel. Two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests to carry out attacks and says it's defending its border. Israeli fire has killed 40 protesters, including four minors and two journalists.