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M. Continuo

Israeli forces kill Palestinian near Gaza border


    GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed a Palestinian farmer near the Gaza Strip's border on Tuesday, his relatives and hospital officials said, but the Israeli army described the dead man as a militant.

    An Israeli military spokeswoman said a tank unit spotted aPalestinian planting a bomb at Gaza's periphery patrol roadnear Kissufim border crossing, and shot him.

    The man was brought to a Palestinian hospital, where hedied of his wounds. Hospital officials identified him as afarmer from the nearby Qarara village. Relatives said he hadbeen tilling his land when he was shot.

    Israeli forces frequently strike Gazan frontier areassuspected of being used by Palestinian militants to launchcross-border rocket attacks.

    (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Writing by Dan Williams,Editing by Sami Aboudi)