Gaza crisis: Palestinian 'shot dead near border'

GAZA. November 24. KAZINFORM A Palestinian man has been shot dead by Israeli soldiers close to the Gaza border, Palestinian officials say.
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It is the first reported killing since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force on Wednesday evening.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it fired warning shots at a group walking towards the border fence, then fired at their legs when they did not respond.

Earlier, Israel said it had arrested several people over a bus bomb in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

The blast, which injured 29 people, came hours before the ceasefire began and was the first such attack in Tel Aviv for more than six years, BBC News reports.

The shooting on Friday, east of Khan Younis, reportedly happened around the no-go area surrounding the Gaza border fence.

A man in his 20s, named as Anwar Qdeih, was killed and at least 10 other people injured, said the health ministry in Gaza.

A relative of Mr Qdeih told Reuters news agency that he had been trying to place a Hamas flag on the fence. The army fired into the air three times before he was shot in the head, the relative said.

Israel said a group of about 300 people had approached the fence and that some had attempted to break through.

The soldiers shot at their legs after warning shots were ignored, the IDF said.

Following the incident, IDF spokeswoman Avital Leibovich tweeted: "Trying to breach Gaza fence in order to enter Israel is breaking ceasefire."

Hamas officials said the shooting was an Israeli violation of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

Hamas "will raise this violation with Egyptian mediators to make sure that it does not happen again", spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP news agency.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki also said it was "a clear violation of the agreement and should not be repeated".

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