JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Palestinians in Gaza who were approaching the security fence in an attempt to plant explosive devices, the Israeli military said.
The Israeli military said the men were approaching the fence in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian sources quoted in international media identified the three men, in their 20s, as fishermen.
About 100 terror-related incidents took place in 2010 near the security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip, an average of an incident every three days, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The IDF said in a statement that it keeps the area adjacent to the security fence free of people because terrorist organizations have used the presence of civilians in the area as a cover for terror activities, including planting remote-controlled bombs meant to injure Israeli soldiers on patrol.
On Feb. 14, as the military’s new chief of staff was being sworn in, a Kassam rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel.
