IDF denies Palestinian claims it killed Gaza teen near border

Medical sources in the Gaza Strip said Friday evening that a young Palestinian was killed by IDF fire in El Bureij in the coastal enclave.

The 18-year-old was reportedly killed during riots by Palestinians near the Gaza border fence.

IDF officials said in response the Palestinian “claims are known and are now being examined.” Later, the IDF said that while troops were in the area, they used tear gas only to counter violence across the border, and not live fire. “Dozens of rioters breached the buffer zone and attempted to damage the security (border) fence. … Forces stationed at the border used tear gas that led to the dispersal of the riot. Following a preliminary review, the Israel Defense Forces did not conduct the reported shooting,” said a military statement quoted by Reuters.

Earlier this week, on Monday, Palestinians in northern Gaza fired across the border at Israeli soldiers. In response, tanks fired at two Hamas posts in Gaza, the IDF said in a statement. Palestinian media sources reported the targets were buildings belonging to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.

No injuries were reported on either side.

In a separate operation, IDF troops arrested six alleged Hamas operatives throughout the West Bank and seized a weapons cache containing explosives in the village of Surif, north of Hebron.

The shots fired from Gaza are the latest in a series of minor clashes between Gaza-based groups and the IDF. Two days ago a similar incident occurred at the same site.

Tensions along the border flared on August 22 after a rocket from the coastal territory landed in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, leading to an IDF retaliation against as many as 50 installations, which the army termed “key Hamas strategic assets,” using tanks and aircraft.

This article was updated on September 12 to include that the IDF said its forces were in the area, and used tear gas, not live fire, in the incident.