Outpouring of grief in Gaza over deaths in mass protests

GAZA CITY — Hundreds attended funerals of Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday who were killed during mass protests along the Israeli border the previous day.

Israeli troops opened fire from across the border, killing at least nine Palestinians and wounding 491 others in the second mass border protest in eight days. The deaths brought to at least 31 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since last week. The border area appeared calm Saturday.

Yasser Murtaja, a journalist, died from a gunshot wound he sustained while filming Friday in an area engulfed in thick black smoke from protesters setting tires on fire.