Three Palestinians killed in eastern Gaza

Three Palestinians were killed and four injured on Wednesday as Israeli soldiers stationed on the borders with eastern Gaza opened fire at them, said Palestinian medics and witnesses.

However, Israel Radio quoted Israeli army officials as saying that the soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians as a group of Palestinian gunmen were planting an explosive device in the area.

Palestinian witnesses said that the Palestinians are members in the national security forces of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and they were sitting near their post close to the borders between eastern Gaza and Israel.

Earlier reports gave the death toll to one Palestinian.

But Jomaa al-Saqqa, chief of emergency at Shiffa hospital in Gaza City said later that the hospital received three bodies of Palestinian national security forces members, and four of others who were moderately injured.

Al-Saqqa said that two dead men were Khader Qassem, 23 and Eyad Abu Sel'aa, 25, and the third man's identity was not immediately known, adding the three are all from Gaza.

Source: Xinhua