GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hundreds of Palestinians on Wednesday demonstrated near the Israeli border in the southern Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to ease a crippling blockade days after a similar gathering ended in deadly clashes with the Israeli army.

The demonstration wrapped up without a repeat of Saturday's intense clashes after Hamas kept the crowds from approaching the separation wall.

Egypt, which has been trying to broker a long-term cease-fire between the enemy sides, had appealed to the Islamic militant group to calm things down. Shortly after the demonstration ended, Hamas officials announced that the territory's key border crossing with Egypt was partially reopening on Thursday.

The Israeli military, which had beefed up its forces ahead of the demonstration, said it used tear gas and limited live fire to disperse the crowd. Palestinian medics reported at least 14 people were wounded, including five people who suffered gunshots. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Soheil al-Hendi, a Hamas official, said the group had made a “great effort” to avoid bloodshed.

“The enemy must understand this message, that we do not want to repeat what happened last Saturday when blood was spilled,” he said.

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV showed crowds of people approaching the fence, then running away when an Israeli military vehicle arrived. Tear gas could be seen floating in the wind.

During Saturday's demonstration, hundreds of participants stormed the fence, some of them throwing explosives, resulting in violent clashes.

An Israeli soldier was critically wounded when a Palestinian militant shot him in the head through a hole in the wall at point-blank range, while over 40 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire.

Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli military spokesman, said that demonstrators on Saturday fired weapons and lobbed explosives at soldiers and tried to tear down the fence.

“They are presenting riots as peaceful,” he said. “In reality, these riots are extremely violent.”