Israeli troops fired at a group of Palestinian youths who were playing soccer near an army base in the southern Gaza Strip, killing three teenagers, Palestinian residents and hospital officials said today.
The incident in the Rafah refugee camp, located along the border with Egypt, shattered weeks of calm in Gaza following a cease-fire declaration by Israel and the Palestinians. Ali Abu Zeid, a 22-year-old Rafah resident, said a group of boys were playing soccer in an open area when the ball was kicked toward the border fence.
"The kids ran after it, and that's when we heard gunfire," he said. Palestinian hospital officials said two of the dead youths were 14 and 15 years old.
The Israeli army said a group of youths had entered an unauthorised area near the border and ignored warning shots to stop.
The shots were fired by forces patrolling the area in an armed vehicle, the army said. The Rafah refugee camp has been a frequent flashpoint of fighting since violence broke out in late 2000.
The Israeli army frequently operates in the area to halt weapons smuggling across the border. But violence has dramatically dropped since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a cease-fire on February 8th.
Last month, Palestinian militant groups signed on to the truce at a meeting in Cairo. The shooting was the first Palestinian fatality in Gaza since the militants' cease-fire declaration on March 17th.
The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said the shooting threatens peace prospects. "Every time we have such a violation of the cease-fire it really endangers the fragile quiet," he said. "We urge the Israeli government to refrain from any acts that could endanger the cease-fire."
Agencies