"Israeli" troops kill three Palestinians in Gaza

Source: Reuters, 8-8-2007
GAZA - "Israeli" troops shot and killed three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, ambulance workers and army officials said.
Palestinian medical workers said that "Israeli" soldiers had killed two Palestinians near a major commercial border crossing with "Israel" in central Gaza.
An "Israeli" army spokesman said a force patrolling the border had shot and killed two militants after pursuing them into Palestinian territory.
In a second incident, "Israeli" troops killed a member of Hamas` Executive Force (Palestinian Police) who was stationed at a roadblock near a border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, residents and medical workers said.
The army said soldiers had fired at two gunmen who approached the border fence, hitting one of them.
Hamas Islamists seized control of the Gaza Strip on June 14 after weeks of fighting with President Mahmoud Abbas`s secular Fatah faction. Since then, Gaza`s main border crossings have been closed to all but humanitarian supplies.
"Israeli" troops often shoot at Palestinians who approach Gaza`s border with "Israel", to try to prevent armed infiltrations. "Israel" also conducts raids in the area to try to stop militants launching rockets and mortars into "Israel".