An Egyptian guard on the country's border with the Gaza Strip was fatally shot Wednesday amid clashes that left at least four Palestinians injured, police said.
Police told the German Press Agency dpa that Ahmed Shaaban, 21, died of bullet wounds sustained when shots were fired on both sides of the border.
The clashes began when Palestinian demonstrators threw rocks at Egyptian troops and attempted to scale the border fence near the Salah al-Din gate.
Witnesses said "many" Palestinians had been injured in the clashes, and that several ambulances had been seen carrying the wounded away. But officials at Abu Yousef al-Najar Hospital in Rafah could confirm only that at least four Palestinians had been wounded by live ammunition.
Witnesses on the Palestinian side of the border said Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, had organized a protest against the 3-year- old blockade of the territory, which has been in effect since Hamas took control of Gaza's security forces.
They said that during the demonstrations, dozens of Hamas members and supporters chanted slogans against Egypt.
The clashes on the Palestinian side of the border followed clashes in the nearby Egyptian town of al-Arish between international pro- Palestinian activists trying to enter the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid.
At least 20 activists and 10 police officers were injured in Tuesday night's clashes between security forces and international activists from the Viva Palestina group, Cairo's al-Masry al-Youm newspaper reported.
The convoy was in al-Arish preparing to head to Gaza through the Egyptian border crossing at Rafah, with 200 vehicles filled with food, medicine, and other aid.
After having reportedly agreed to let the convoy pass, the Egyptian government told Viva Palestina leaders that 59 of their vehicles would have to enter through an Israeli checkpoint.
Police told dpa that the clashes started when the protesters tried to move into the streets of al-Arish.
Protesters broke glass, burned tires, attempted to climb on top of police vehicles and threw rocks at security personnel, who then fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the protest, police said.
Turkish member of parliament Murat Merca, who is traveling with the group, was reportedly negotiating with Egyptian authorities on Wednesday.