Israeli forces kill Palestinian woman during Gaza protest

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman during protests in the Gaza Strip on Friday, the health ministry in the besieged enclave said.

Spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP the woman, who was not identified, was shot in the head east of Gaza City.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to the specific incident but said around 12,000 Palestinians had gathered in multiple sites along the border.

At least 14 other Palestinians were wounded by gunshots, al-Qudra said in a statement. 

At least 241 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March, when protests began to demand an end to Israel's decade-long blockade and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The overwhelming majority have been men, though a female medic, Razan al-Najjar, was shot dead in June.

Most of the Palestinians killed were shot in weekly clashes but others have been hit by tank fire or airstrikes.

Human rights groups and the UN have condemned Israel's overwhelming use of force to disperse the demonstrations.