Israeli killed, two others hurt by gunfire in West Bank

An Israeli man was killed Saturday night and two others wounded by gunfire in a West Bank village north of Tul Karm.

The gunfire erupted at around 10:30 P.M., wounding the three Israelis, one of them critically. After receiving first aid, they were evacuated to Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, where the critically wounded man died of his injuries.

Israel Defense Forces troops were searching the area for the gunmen.

A few hours after the incident, the Palestinians said a farmer was shot by IDF gunfire near Tul Karm, Israel Radio reported. His condition was unclear.

IDF troops kill Palestinian teen in JeninIDF soldiers shot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian boy Saturday afternoon in the West Bank city of Jenin in disputed circumstances, witnesses said.

Palestinian residents and hospital officials said Ala Samara was unarmed and was standing near a group of stone-throwing youths when troops shot him.

IDF officials said the youths threw a firebomb at the troops, and soldiers fired at a youth as he was about to throw a second firebomb.

In a separate incident, a car exploded in the Palestinian city of Qalqilyah later on Saturday, killing two Palestinian militants and critically wounding a third, witnesses and medical sources said.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, said the three casualties were its fighters and accused Israeli security forces of booby-trapping their car.

An IDF source denied involvement in the Qalqilyah car blast.

"None of our forces were even in the area at the time," the source said.

Dozens of Palestinian militants have died when bombs they were assembling or transporting exploded prematurely.

Some 300 Israeli volunteers on Saturday assisted Palestinian villagers to harvest their olives near the West Bank separation barrier in the Jenin area.

IDF kills three militants in GazaNear the Israel-Gaza border fence, IDF troops Saturday opened fire on two Palestinians who entered a no-go area and were suspected of being armed, IDF sources said. Palestinian medics said one of the Palestinians was killed. His identity was not known.

Two Palestinian militants were killed early Saturday morning and an IDF soldier was lightly wounded during the army's pursuit of the militants near the Gush Katif settlements of Gan Or and Gadid in the Gaza Strip.

Golani Brigade infantry forces identified the two Palestinians who infiltrated the area in between the two settlements. The militants, who had approached from the direction of Khan Yunis, jumped a fence surrounding the area before planting an explosive charge at the foot of the fence.

One militant was killed by Golani troops. Military helicopters killed the other some time later.

The wounded soldier was rushed to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.

The Islamic Jihad announced that the militants were members of the militant Islamic organization.

Two mortar shells landed in a settlement in the northern Gaza Strip early Saturday morning. No injuries were reported.

Israeli troops Saturday evening uncovered and safely detonated an explosive device near the southern Gaza Strip settlement of Morag, Israel Radio reported.

Palestinians: Two children killed by IDF tank firePalestinians reported on Friday morning that two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed by a tank shell fired at their house in the Al-Qarara area, east of the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF said it had not operated in the Khan Yunis refugee camp area at the time. It said the children were killed when explosive devices planted in the area by Palestinian militants went off.

Later on Friday, IDF troops unearthed a large explosive device planted near the security fence of the southern Gaza settlement of Netzer Hazani. The device was detonated and the incident ended with no casualties.