Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in Gaza
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinians on Saturday in Gaza -- two militants who approached the border fence with Israel and a Palestinian seen crawling through an off-limits area near the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, a military spokesman said Saturday.
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The Israeli spokesman said troops opened fire at suspicious figures near the fence in northern Gaza late Friday night, but were initially unaware of any casualties.
During a search of the area on Saturday, troops discovered two bodies clothed in camouflage gear, armed with hand grenades and carrying a 25-kilogram explosive, the spokesman said.
Palestinian security officials identified the two as Asraf Al-Haya, 21, and Abdul Kareem Sokar, 20, and said they were farmers watering their fields when they were shot by Israeli soldiers.
The Rafah incident took place late Friday night, but troops did not find the body until searches were conducted early Saturday, the military spokesman said.
Palestinian security officials identified the Palestinian as 16-year-old Jihad Akhras, a resident of Rafah. The Israeli military spokesman said the dead Palestinian was unarmed and it was unclear if he had any connection to militant groups.
