GAZA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Death toll in the Gaza Strip since March 30 has grown up to 140 after a young Palestinian died of his wounds early on Tuesday in a hospital in East Jerusalem, Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement.

The statement said that Sari al Shubaki, 24 years old, died in a hospital in East Jerusalem of his wounds he sustained on May 14 from an Israeli gunshot in the back during protests in eastern Gaza close to the border with Israel.

Since March 30, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been organizing rallies and protests called "The Great March of Return and Defying the Israeli Siege." They said the rallies are peaceful.

The health ministry statement said that since March 30, more than 16,000 Palestinians were injured; more than half of them were shot by live gunfire, adding that 60 of the wounded had their limps amputated.

However, Israel said these rallies are not peaceful and would drag its army to wage a large-scale military offensive against Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, after the Palestinians released hundreds of arson kites and balloons into Israel.

The Gaza Strip had seen in the past few days escalation of tensions between Israel and Hamas-led militants in the Gaza Strip, as Egypt mediated ceasefire agreement between the two sides.