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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: April 9, 2005 |
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Israeli troops fired at a group of Palestinian youths in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing three teenagers in the deadliest incident in Gaza since Israel and the Palestinians declared a cease-fire two months ago.
The incident in the Rafah refugee camp, located along the border with Egypt, shattered weeks of calm and added to tensions surrounding plans by Jewish extremists to march on a disputed holy site in Jerusalem.
Ali Abu Zeid, a 22-year-old Rafah resident, said a group of boys were playing soccer in an open area when the ball was kicked toward the border fence. "The kids ran after it, and that's when we heard gunfire," he said. Palestinian hospital officials said the two dead youths were 14 and 15 years old.
The Israeli army said a group of youths had entered an unauthorized area near the border and ignored warning shots to stop. The shots were fired by forces patrolling the area in an armed vehicle, the army said.
The Rafah refugee camp has been a frequent flashpoint of fighting since violence broke out in late 2000. The Israeli army frequently operates in the area to halt weapons smuggling across the border.
But violence has dramatically dropped since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a cease-fire on Feb. 8. Last month, Palestinian militant groups signed on to the truce at a meeting in Cairo, Egypt.
Since the Feb. 8 declaration, a total of 13 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israel. But Saturday's shooting was the deadliest single incident. Five Israelis have also died during the period, all killed in a Feb. 25 suicide bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightspot.
The chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said the shooting threatens peace prospects.
"Every time we have such a violation of the cease-fire it really endangers the fragile quiet," he said. "We urge the Israeli government to refrain from any acts that could endanger the cease-fire."
Tensions were already high amid plans by Jewish extremists to rally Sunday at a disputed holy site in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities have pledged to block the protesters from reaching the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, and Palestinian militants have threatened to end the cease-fire if the rally takes place. |
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