Palestinians say Israeli troops fire on Gaza protesters killing two

GAZA: Israeli forces opened fire during a demonstration in the northern Gaza Strip near a border crossing on Tuesday, killing two Palestinian protesters and injuring 46 others, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli military had no initial knowledge of any casualties or that live fire had been used, a spokeswoman said. Israel was marking the Yom Kippur fast day from dusk on Tuesday, when very few officials are available for comment.

Many youths burnt tyres and hurled stones at Israeli security forces, local residents said. A doctor at Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital said both men were hit by live ammunition, one in the chest and the other in the back. Three of the wounded were hit by bullets.

Earlier, two other men found dead near the site of an Israeli missile strike at the coastal strip’s border with Israel on Monday were identified as Palestinian cousins, family members said.

The Israeli military said it had attacked a group suspected of tampering with the border fence.