“Israeli” troops kill Palestinian near Gaza border

Source: AP, 27-8-2007
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - "Israeli" troops shot and killed a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip on Monday as he approached the border fence with "Israel", the "Israeli" army and Palestinian doctors said.
The middle-aged Palestinian was found, unarmed, in a no-man's land along the fence south of the Karni crossing with "Israel", Palestinian doctors said. "Israeli" troops ‘suspected' the man had tried to lay an explosive and saw him climbing the fence, the army claimed. When the man saw the troops, he jumped off the fence and began to flee. The soldiers fired at him and saw he was hit, the army said.
Troops did not know if he was armed, the army claimed.
Incidents of unarmed Palestinians approaching the fence have increased since the Islamic militant group Hamas wrested control of the Gaza Strip in June. On Sunday, six Palestinians looking for work tried to cross the fence into "Israel", but were caught by "Israeli" troops.
"Israel" has virtually sealed off Gaza since the Hamas takeover, allowing through only essential necessities, humanitarian cases and a few dozen Palestinians with work and study permits abroad. "Israel" withdrew in 2005 from the Gaza Strip, where 1.4 million Palestinians live.