A Palestinian demonstrator holds a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israeli-Gaza border fence, east of Gaza City, March 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Mohammed Salem.

Hamas plans to use children as human shields during mass border demonstrations planned for Saturday, Israel’s UN envoy warned on Friday.

In a letter to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon wrote, “Hamas has cancelled school on 30 March so that children will be free to attend the riots. As always, Hamas will exploit these children as human shields and compensate the rioters and their families, should they suffer injuries.”

Danon continued, “There can be no doubt that in the upcoming riots, Hamas will seek to fulfill the words of Yahya Sinwar, its leader in Gaza: ‘We will take down the border and tear out their hearts from their bodies.’”

“But we will not tolerate any action that threatens our people, our sovereignty and our borders, whether it comes from terrorists, violent rioters or so-called ‘peaceful protesters,’” Danon concluded.

Meanwhile, seven Palestinians were reportedly wounded on the Gaza border on Friday.

The IDF said around 800 Palestinians had demonstrated along the frontier and that soldiers had used riot-dispersal means against them.

Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the start of weekly border protests that have often turned violent. Around 200 Palestinians — many of whom have been identified as members of terror groups — have been killed in the unrest.