Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza border, the territory’s health ministry said early Tuesday, with Israel saying the men had planted a suspicious object next to the border fence.
A health ministry spokesperson said the bodies of two men had been taken to a hospital in southern Gaza after the 11 p.m. (2000 GMT) strike on Monday, September 17. He did not identify them.
The Israeli Air Force said in a statement late Monday the men were targeted after planting a device.
“Terrorists suspiciously approached the security fence in the southern Gaza Strip and placed an object adjacent to the fence. In response, an [Israeli] aircraft fired towards them,” the IAF tweeted.
It was the second suspicious object along the buffer fence in as many days, i24 reported.
Separately on Monday evening, at least 26 Palestinians were shot during renewed protests in northern Gaza, the ministry said.
Since months of often violent protests began on March 30, at least 181 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.
The majority have been shot during protests but others have been hit by air strikes and tank fire.
One Israeli soldier was killed by a sniper.
With reporting from AFP