Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Palestinian men today in the Gaza Strip, said Palestinian medics who recovered the bodies near a border zone.
The Israeli military said soldiers had opened fire overnight on militants spotted heading toward a border fence to plant explosives, and saw that three had been shot.
Palestinian relatives of the men who were killed, identified as aged 20, 25 and 29, said all three were unarmed fishermen.
None of the militant groups in Hamas-ruled Gaza claimed responsibility for the incident, which they often do in cases where their members are involved.
Israel often clashes with militants in Gaza who fire rockets and mortars at the Jewish state.
In its statement, the Israeli military said troops had dealt with 100 incidents along the Gaza frontier last year, including attempts to plant explosives by a fence where soldiers conduct routine patrols.
Reuters