Israel forces shoot dead Palestinian protester at Gaza separation fence

"Troops recognised a suspect who approached the security fence and attempted to sabotage it," an English-language Israeli army statement said, adding they opened fire at the man.

He was given medical treatment but "later on, the suspect succumbed to his wounds," it added.

Palestinian security officials said the dead man was Atef Mohammed Saleh, 32, from Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, near Israel.

Palestinians have staged regular protests along the separation fence since 30 March, demanding the right to return to homes their families fled or were expelled from during the creation of Israel in 1948.

They are also calling for an end to the decade-long Israel-Egypt blockade that the UN says will make Gaza "unlivable" by 2020. 

At least 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the March protests began.

Over the same period, one Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper.

Israel accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of manipulating the protests and of seeking to use them as cover to carry out attacks.

Saleh's death comes two days after a Gazan teenager was shot by an Israeli soldier while he was waving his hands at the separation fence. The 17-year-old, Ahmad Abu Tayoor, died on Saturday as a result of the gunfire.