Palestinian shot dead near Gaza-Israel border Published duration 20 December 2013

A Palestinian has been shot dead in northern Gaza by Israeli troops, Palestinian sources say.

The body of 22-year-old Odeh Hamad was recovered from near Beit Hanoun, close to the border with Israel, emergency services in Gaza said.

Israel said it opened fire after trying to contain outbreaks of violence.

Israel maintains a no-go buffer zone along the perimeter inside Gaza which it says is necessary to prevent militant attacks.

The Palestinian Maan news agency quoted a Gaza government spokeswoman as saying Odeh Hamad had approached the fence separating Gaza and Israel.

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said: "During the past few hours several incidents took place along the security fence with the Gaza Strip.

"Palestinians caused damage to the northern security fence, fired a mortar shell that hit the Shaar HaNegev regional council, rioted and hurled rocks at soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, and neared the fence in an attempt to enter Israel.

"Soldiers attempted to contain these violent events by calling out to the Palestinians but to no avail, and in accordance with the incident used live fire. Several hits were identified."

Palestinian sources said two Palestinians had been shot and wounded east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and two others east of Jabaliya in the north.

There has been intermittent violence along the border since a ceasefire ended an eight-day conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza in November 2012.

Israel considers Gaza a "hostile territory" after it was taken over by the anti-Israel Islamist Hamas movement in 2007.