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Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian in northern Gaza

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-25 02:20

GAZA: One Palestinian was killed and another wounded on Monday evening by Israeli soldiers' gunfire in northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.

Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein said that the Israeli army informed the Palestinian side that one Palestinian was shot dead and another was moderately injured near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia.

Witnesses said that two Gaza young men approached an area in al- Atatra neighborhood north of the town, not far from the border between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, adding that Israeli soldiers stationed there opened fire at them.

The witnesses also said that one of the two young men was injured and was immediately taken to a local Palestinian hospital by a local ambulance that arrived in the area shortly after the incident.

They added that the other one was critically wounded and remained bleeding, but the rescue teams were not able to reach him. Israeli soldiers took him for treatment to an Israeli hospital, but he died later.

The witnesses said it was not clear if the two Palestinians were armed, or were trying to attack the Israeli soldiers stationed in the area. The body of the dead young man will be transferred to the Palestinian side later Monday night.

Meanwhile, Israeli radio quoted Israeli army sources as saying that armed Palestinians fired on Monday evening two homemade rockets at the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon, adding that no damages were reported.

However, the Israeli army told the radio that one Israeli soldier was slightly injured in the head. No one has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks.

An undeclared fragile ceasefire was agreed upon between Israel and Gaza militant groups at the end of a 22-day Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip that ended on January 18.