Soldiers near Gaza border
Soldiers near Gaza borderIDF news photo: Flash 90

A Palestinian Authority Arab man was shot dead by IDF troops in northern Gaza on Friday, medics told the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency.

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that Anwar Muhammad al-Mamlouk, 22, was killed by Israeli fire. He said another man was seriously wounded and taken to the a local hospital by paramedics.

In response to the reports, the IDF told Channel 10 News, "In the afternoon, dozens of Palestinians gathered near the security fence in northern Gaza. IDF forces who were present tried to disperse the Palestinians several times, but when they did not leave they fired at the leg of one of the suspects who had been causing damage to the fence."

"The IDF will not allow damage to the border fence," said the IDF.

Channel 10 News noted that since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in November, there have been a number of similar incidents, in which IDF soldiers had to fire warning shots towards PA Arabs who came too close to the border fence.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)