Israeli gunfire wounds Gazans at border fence

Israeli soldiers shot and wounded two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Friday near the border security fence, the Hamas-run health ministry in the coastal enclave said. Spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP the incident occurred east of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed the incident. "Ten Palestinians rioted adjacent to the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. Two instigators attempted to climb over the security fence," a spokesman said. "After they failed to comply with the soldiers' calls to stop, the soldiers fired towards their legs, identifying hits." Clashes are common on Fridays, with regular protests near the border in support of Gaza farmers who say troops uprooted their trees to create a buffer zone. At the beginning of the month a mentally ill Gazan woman was shot dead by Israeli troops after she approached the security fence. Earlier Friday, the army said it had uncovered a new tunnel from Gaza reaching into Israel, which it said was designed for carrying out a "terrorist attack". Hamas said the tunnel was old and had been exposed by storms. Source: AFP