Three Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed by Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip Friday, authorities in the enclave said, after Israel said two of its soldiers were wounded in a shooting on the border.
One of the Palestinians was shot dead during clashes alongthe frontier while two Hamas fighters were killed in an air strike, the healthministry in Gaza said.
The Israeli army said the air strike was in retaliation forthe shooting incident on the border that left its soldiers wounded.
The Gaza ministry named the men killed in the air strike asAbdullah Abu Mallouh, 33 and Alaa al-Bubli, 29, while the man killed in theclashes was named as 19-year-old Raid Abu Teer.
The Israeli military said it had hit a base belonging toGaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas after shots were fired at its forces along the border.
Hamas confirmed the two men killed in the air strike weremembers of its military wing and pledged to respond to what it called an”Israeli aggression.”
The Israeli army said “one soldier was moderatelyinjured, and another soldier was lightly injured” when they came underfire during renewed protests.
An army spokeswoman said around 5,200 Palestinians had takenpart in the demonstrations throughout the day.
Palestinians have participated in often violentdemonstrations along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel toease its crippling blockade of the enclave.
At least 268 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli firesince the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border.
Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period.
Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carryout attacks.