Israeli troops kill militant on Gaza border: medic, military

Israeli troops [Reuters].

Israeli soldiers fired at a Palestinian militant on the Gaza border on Sunday, the military said, and a Palestinian medic said the man was killed.

It was the second such incident since Saturday, when Israeli troops shot dead four heavily armed Palestinians who attempted to cross the volatile border.

“IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troops spotted an armed terrorist approaching the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. The terrorist opened fire toward the troops,” the military said in a statement.

The soldiers returned fire and an Israeli tank fired at a post belonging to Hamas, the Islamist armed group that rules Gaza.

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials or from any of Gaza’s militant groups.

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel over the past decade and tensions along the border are high with frequent fatalities.

Israel pulled its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005 but keeps the enclave under a blockade, citing security concerns.