Gaza Palestinian Badly Wounded by Israeli Fire

Israeli troops shot and seriously wounded a Palestinian man close to the Gaza side of the border on Monday, emergency services in the Hamas-ruled territory said.

Spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP the 34-year-old was shot east of Deir al-Balah in the center of the strip, without giving his name.

According to witnesses, soldiers opened fire after a blast which occurred as a military vehicle passed on the Israeli side of the border fence.

The Israeli army said that a roadside charge was set off at the frontier but no troops were wounded.

A spokeswoman said she had no report of a Palestinian being shot.

Israeli forces shot dead a man and wounded another in the Gaza Strip near the border with the Jewish state on Friday.

The army confirmed those shootings, which it said were at leaders of a group of Palestinians who entered "a prohibited area" and ignored warning shots.