Palestinian shot dead climbing border wall

Israeli soldiers this evening shot dead a Palestinian near the Gaza border after he and two others tried to cross illegally into…

Israeli soldiers this evening shot dead a Palestinian near the Gaza border after he and two others tried to cross illegally into Israel.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops at an army post near the frontier spotted the three men climbing the border fence and opened fire at them. All three were hit and the army called for ambulances to take them back to Gaza, she said.

Palestinian medics said two men were wounded and one was found dead under an olive tree with a bullet hole in his head. No weapons were found among them. One of the injured men said he and his comrades had tried to sneak into Israel to find work.

Similar violent incidents have occurred in recent months despite a cease-fire Israeli and Palestinian leaders declared in February. The army spokeswoman said troops had detained three Palestinians who infiltrated the Gaza border earlier in the day.

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Israel completed its pullout from the Gaza Strip on September 12 after 38 years of occupation.