GAZA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man was shot dead Friday by Israeli army soldiers as thousands staged massive rallies along the border fence between Gaza and Israel, Palestinian medical sources said.

The sources identified the man as Mohammed al-Najjar, a 25-year-old Palestinian, adding that he was shot in the head during a protest in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabaliya.

Earlier in the day, a Palestinian farmer was killed and another one was injured by an Israeli tank shell on Khan Younis.

Eyewitnesses said an Israeli tank opened fire at the two farmers who approached their farm to collect parsley.

Since early Friday hours, thousands of Palestinians flocked to sit-in near the border fence between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, amid Israeli readiness to foil any border infiltration attempts.

The Israeli army declared a status of alert and deployed large forces along the borderline area.

The Palestinian rally, dubbed the "Great March of Return," will last until May 15, which coincides with Israel's Independence Day and the Palestinian Day of "the Nakba," or the catastrophe, when thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their towns and cities that became later Israeli territories.

The demonstrators would stay 700 meters away from the border with Israel from northern to southern Gaza Strip, said the rally organizers.

They stressed that the march is peaceful and aims at sending a message to the world that the Palestinians have legitimate rights, mainly the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees are expected to participate in the rally to demand their return to their home they were forced to leave during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948.