Roundup: Gaza's tension with Israel surges on eve of first anniversary of Great March of Return rally

Gaza, march 24 (Xinhua) -- At least three Palestinians have been killed and dozens others wounded since Friday amid a significant escalation in anti-Israel Palestinian protests, better known as the Great march of Return rally, on the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.

The escalation grows just a few days before the first anniversary of the Great march of Return rally which demands to end the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007.

Ashraf al-Qedra, Health Ministry spokesman in Gaza, said in a press statement that Habib al-Masri, 24, succumbed to his chest wounds sustained during his participation in protests in eastern Gaza on Saturday night.

On Friday, two Palestinians were killed and 62 others wounded during the 51st weekly protests, al-Qedra added.

According to the spokesman, the Israeli army has shot and killed 261 Palestinian demonstrators and wounded more than 29,000 others since the outbreak of the Great march of Return rally in late march last year.

In addition to protests, rallies and demonstrations, the Palestinians launch fire balloons carrying explosives into Israel.

The highest commission of the march of Return rally, which comprises various factions including Islamic Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad, called on the Palestinians to join the march 30 protests to mark one year of the rally.

Mohamed al-Harazeen, a member of the highest commission of the march of Return and a senior leader in Islamic Jihad, told Xinhua that the commission plans to gather 1 million people from Gaza and other places in the region to mark one year of the anti-Israel rally.

"The message of the march of Return rally to the world is that the aim of the marches is based on the necessity of lifting the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip," Bassem Naeem, a senior leader in Hamas, told Xinhua.

He accused Israel of wasting time and escaping from its commitments to a calm understanding brokered by Egypt, the United Nations and Qatar last November.

"Israel is using the situation in the Gaza Strip as part of its election campaign," Naeem added.

The Hamas official revealed that a senior Egyptian security intelligence delegation is expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Sunday for a marathon dialogue with all parties to reinforce the calm agreement.

Two left-wing Palestinian groups, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also called on the Palestinians in two separate statements to unite "to confront the Israeli occupation and topple its plans aiming at liquidating the Palestinian cause."

The growing tension between Israel and the Palestinians coincides with the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections due on April 9.

Hamza Abu Shanab, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that "Israel is deeply concerned with a growing tension and escalation of resistance in the Gaza Strip."

"The march of Return rallies are representing a real pressure on Israel that would enable the Palestinians to gain their rights back," Shanab said.