GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP — An 8-year-old Palestinian boy was killed on Sunday in an explosion in the central Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, medical officials said.
The boy, Abdullah Buhar, was hit by shrapnel to his head and chest, the officials said. It was not immediately clear whether the boy was killed by Israeli forces operating in the area or by Palestinian militants who may have misfired a mortar shell.
Doctors said a 16-year-old boy also was wounded.
The Israeli army confirmed there was fighting in the area, saying its forces opened fire at a group of militants who attacked them. But it said it was unaware of anyone being hurt.
Israeli troops and Palestinian militants frequently clash along the 25-mile border between Gaza and Israel. Palestinian militants often target Israeli forces and neighboring Jewish communities with rockets, mortars and sniper fire, sparking Israeli retaliation.
On Saturday, a Palestinian farmer was killed in the northern Gaza Strip in a similar incident. On Friday, Palestinian sniper fire targeted a delegation that included Israel’s public security minister, Avi Dichter.
Dichter was unhurt, but an aide to the minister was wounded by the gunfire.
