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A young Palestinian Hamas supporter in Khan Yunis holding a toy gun on Friday as he and others gather during a protest against the upcoming U.S.-sponsored Annapolis meeting. (AP)
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Last update - 18:41 24/11/2007
Two Palestinians killed by IDF fire near Gaza security fence
By News Agencies
Tags: Palestinians 

Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot dead two Palestinian men who approached the border fence separating Gaza from Israel overnight, Palestinian medical staff said.

The two brothers, in their forties, had walked close to an Israel-Gaza border terminal late on Friday night. Local residents said the men often scoured the area for cement and other building materials to sell. On Saturday morning, Palestinian ambulances evacuated their bodies from the scene.

An army statement said the two men appeared suspicious and were shot as they moved in darkness toward troops at the border fence, which is in an area off limits to Palestinians. The area is frequently used by militants trying to fire rockets at Israel. However, other Palestinians enter the danger zone to scavenge for building materials, to shoot birds, or to try and sneak into Israel to work.
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"They approached our unit in a suspicious manner, crouched over," the spokeswoman said.

She had no immediate word on whether the soldiers were patrolling Israel's side of the fence or inside Gazan territory.

Israel has stepped up air strikes and military incursions since Islamist Hamas seized control of Gaza in June.

Also overnight in the Gaza Strip, a bomb went off close to a Hamas police building in Gaza. There were no injuries. There have been a series of bombs placed close to Hamas institutions in recent months, following its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in mid-June from rival Palestinian group Fatah. There have been no claims of responsibility for the blasts, which have unnerved - rather than physically harmed - Hamas officials in Gaza. Hamas has blamed rival Fatah, which rules the West Bank, for the attacks.

On Saturday, Hamas' interior ministry in Gaza said they arrested a number of trouble makers they accused of blowing up a police jeep belonging to the militant group on Thursday.

Nobody was harmed in that explosion, which destroyed a standing car.

Hamas said the perpetrators were from the leadership of Fatah but provided no further details.

Hamas also said that five of its members have been arrested by security forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in the West Bank over the past 24 hours.

According to the forces, the five had been detained for "shaking the order," and their detention had been part of a plan to restore security in some West Bank cities.

Security sources confirmed that some of the detainees were affiliated to the Hamas movement. However, Hamas said in a statement all of them were from its supporters.

Hamas condemned the detention as a bid to target the movement's growth in the West Bank. The arrest campaigns took place in Nablus and Jenin.

The crackdown against Hamas in the West Bank was launched in June in response to Hamas' capture of the Gaza Strip after fierce fighting with pro-Abbas security services
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The IDF's dilemna
To what extent should measures in the West Bank and Gaza be rolled back in the coming days?
Not one inch
Hamas says they will reject any deals made by Abbas in Annapolis.
  1.   Maybe we should send some of our Swiss army instructors..... 11:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  2.   So it was a snipering... 11:17  |  I.A. 24/11/07
  3.   Crouching is an offence punishable by death by IDF 11:19  |  www.kibush.co.il 24/11/07
  4.   Business as usual in Israel 11:34  |  Roland 24/11/07
  5.   1# 12:01  |  Teacher 24/11/07
  6.   Do find the real murderer, follow the trail of bodies 12:15  |  Natallie Durson 24/11/07
  7.   1 Swiss (Dino), 4 Ronald 12:16  |  Avi 24/11/07
  8.   Avi 12:30  |  Roland 24/11/07
  9.   Swiss Army 12:41  |  Real Swiss 24/11/07
  10.   Avi Pt. II 12:43  |  Roland 24/11/07
  11.   Are the haaretz readers so lunatic? 12:45  |  trumpeldor 24/11/07
  12.   Ronald 12:53  |  Avi 24/11/07
  13.   never mind...victims nearly always turn into murderers 12:58  |  Karni 24/11/07
  14.   Israeli snipers butcher two innocent Palestinians 13:04  |  Clickfool 24/11/07
  15.   Summary Killings = War Crimes 13:08  |  POP 24/11/07
  16.   GOOD MOVE IDF, DO IT 13:12  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 24/11/07
  17.   Place landmines and see what happens 13:23  |  idf_sergeant 24/11/07
  18.   Summary Killings = War Crimes 13:32  |  POP 24/11/07
  19.   Summary Killings = War Crimes 13:32  |  POP 24/11/07
  20.   Summary Killings = War Crimes 13:32  |  POP 24/11/07
  21.   Summary Killings = War Crimes 13:32  |  POP 24/11/07
  22.   Jewish State Cleansing Non-Jews 13:34  |  POP 24/11/07
  23.   two farmers, brothers 13:36  |  Karni 24/11/07
  24.   # 7 Avi # 5 teacher 13:37  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  25.   # 9 Real Swiss 13:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  26.   Jewish State Cleansing Non-Jews 13:45  |  POP 24/11/07
  27.   HAMAS TERRORISM AND BRAINWASHING : WAR CRIMES !! 13:52  |  Lou Knee 24/11/07
  28.   Remember the concentration camps? 14:00  |  Sarah 24/11/07
  29.   TOO NEAR FENCE 14:10  |  hockeypuck 24/11/07
  30.   TOO NEAR FENCE 14:10  |  hockeypuck 24/11/07
  31.   the decline and fall of the i d f 14:14  |  x-mavregon bir. h. 24/11/07
  32.   SARAH: TAKE A VALIUM 14:39  |  Brant 24/11/07
  33.   sarah #28 -- get a grip on yourself 14:58  |  idf_sergeant 24/11/07
  34.   Swiss dino, secular switzerland, what about the mosques? 15:05  |  Johnny 24/11/07
  35.   They had no business being there in the dark of night 15:19  |  Figaro 24/11/07
  36.   Brank, don`t seek to find excuses for the killers 15:20  |  Karni 24/11/07
  37.   Clickfool and Popfool harmless nuisances 15:31  |  Israeli 24/11/07
  38.   Swiss you aren`t Jews so they`d have acted differently towards yo 15:36  |  pragmatist 24/11/07
  39.   Swiss 15:37  |  Nephtaly 24/11/07
  40.   "security fence" 15:40  |  researched facts 24/11/07
  41.   Palestinian child abuse, appauling, unforgivable, perpetual shame 15:42  |  Johnny 24/11/07
  42.   Pop 15:46  |  H 24/11/07
  43.   suspicious....!!!!!!! 15:46  |  ravi 24/11/07
  44.   14 not butchery but a damn good military response 15:59  |  The Equalizer 24/11/07
  45.   Swiss (Dino) we hardly ever read on HAARETZ (#24) 16:02  |  Gil 24/11/07
  46.   TOY GUN? 16:06  |  Jonathan 24/11/07
  47.   LOVELY picture of a CHILD 16:13  |  Gil 24/11/07
  48.   # 38 H 16:32  |  Traude 24/11/07
  49.   # 34 Johnny 16:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  50.   Swiss Dino # 24 16:54  |  ChanahS 24/11/07
  51.   Gil # 47 - Palestinian children used to promote war 16:57  |  ChanahS 24/11/07
  52.   # 39 Nepthaly 17:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  53.   #3 Kibush 17:04  |  * BEN JABO 24/11/07
  54.   # 38 pragmatist 17:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  55.   # 45 Gil 17:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  56.   # 32 Brant 17:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  57.   # 50 Chanah S 17:37  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/11/07
  58.   Crouching Terrorist, Hidden Jihadist 17:45  |  Hank Essay 24/11/07
  59.   Where was the outcry for the driver in the WB? 18:04  |  Steve 24/11/07
  60.   Tell you what Swiss 18:14  |  pragmatist 24/11/07
  61.   to all pal supporters,take a look at the picture above,do all of 18:40  |  terrornator 24/11/07
  62.   # 1 swiss,thats your opinion,my opinion is it don`t happen near 18:42  |  terrornator 24/11/07
  63.   hate is never choosing to say you`re sorry 18:49  |  night vision 24/11/07
  64.   The lie and the bulldozer 18:49  |  Dav 24/11/07
  65.   Swiss, not trying to divert just pointing out your predicament 18:49  |  Johnny 24/11/07
  66.   This and other crimes 18:55  |  Dav 24/11/07
  67.   Ma`an Has a Different Account 19:02  |  Double Click 24/11/07
  68.   ChanahS Hello regarding your advise to Mr. Swiss (Dino) 19:10  |  Gil 24/11/07
  69.   Swiss (Dino) What Does your Christian girl friend to do with it? 19:31  |  Gil 24/11/07
  70.   Swiss (Dino) What Does your Christian girl friend to do with it? 19:32  |  Gil 24/11/07
  71.   Actually Gil/ChanaS 19:50  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/11/07
  72.   gil:true facts-wrong conclusions 20:08  |  wise thru experience 24/11/07
  73.   They asked for it 20:10  |  Alex Frank 24/11/07
  74.   Hey Lakshmi...defend this picture 20:13  |  will 24/11/07
  75.   For poop #18 20:14  |  Alex Frank 24/11/07
  76.   #56 DINO 20:18  |  Brant 24/11/07
  77.   THE PHOTO ABOVE 20:21  |  Brant 24/11/07
  78.   Swiss (Dino) #49 re Johnny #34 Yes, Yes, Dino 20:26  |  Gil 24/11/07
  79.   Swiss (Dino) #49 re Johnny #34 Yes, Yes, Dino 20:27  |  Gil 24/11/07
  80.   DAV: GLAD YOU`RE BACK 20:30  |  Brant 24/11/07
  81.