Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian and wounded three others in three separate incidents of cross-border violence in the Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinian officials said.

Explosive devices planted near Gaza security fence- Photo: IDF Spokesperson

The Israeli military, which has long said the area in Gaza along the border fence is off limits, said it was looking into the reports.

A 22-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by the fence near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. One source said the man was there trying to catch birds.

Three other Palestinians were also wounded by Israeli fire in the Hamas-controlled territory, medical officials said.

According to the army, soldiers noticed the Palestinians approaching the fence and fired numerous warning shots into the air. When the Palestinians continued in their attempts to do damage to the fence, the troops opened fire, wounding both of the Palestinians near the northern Gaza village of Jabaliya.

Palestinian medics told the Ma’an news agency on Friday that one of the wounded Palestinians has been identified as 23-year-old Mohammad Ayoub, who is currently being treated for his injuries at Kamal Odwan Hospital.

This is the third time this past week that the IDF has noticed unusual activity near the separation fence.

Last Sunday, a group of Palestinians approached the Gaza security fence and began carrying out suspicious activity on the ground near the barrier, an IDF source said.

The army dispatched a unit to the area, which borders northern Gaza, and soldiers asked the suspects to vacate the security zone near the fence. The suspects refused, and soldiers opened fire, lightly injuring one of the men, the source added.

Last Saturday evening, a Palestinian was fatally shot on the south Gaza-Israel border, after entering a forbidden security zone.

Soldiers spotted the man acting suspiciously near the fence, and asked him to leave the area. When he refused, soldiers fired warning shots in the air, a security source said. The suspect refused to leave, and was then struck by gunfire, dying of his wounds soon afterward.

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IDF-wounds-two-Palestinians-near-Gaza-security-fence-335675