Thirteen Gazans hit by isrælske fire (AFP)

GAZA city, Palestinian territories (AFP) – a isrælie tank wounded eleven Palestinians, two critically, when it opened fire on a group of militant to the East of Gaza City on Wednesday, an emergency services spokesman said.

"Eleven Palestinians were injured in the tank shell in an area east of Gaza City. Two of them are in critical condition, "told Adham Abu Selmiya of Hamas-Run rescue service AFP, said they had taken to the city's Shifa hospital.

Three of the injured were militant from Al day of Quds Brigade, the armed wing of the radical Islamic Jihad movement, a statement from the group said.

"Three of our fighters were injured while fired two mortar-shells against isrælske tanks operating in (Gaza) edge," said the statement.

The isrælske army said troops opened fire after coming under attack.

"This morning an Israel Army force was employed with a regular patrol along the border between Gaza when an explosive device was been detonated near the force and a mortar shell fired at it," said a military spokeswoman.

"The strength spotted more terrorists and opened fire on them, identify a hit," she said, adding that the militant had placed 12 bombs along the border fence in the last two months.

After the event, All day of Quds Brigade said it fired three mortars in Israel, targeting Kibbutz Nahal Oz, East of Gaza City. The military confirmed mortars had fallen in the region, without causing damage.

Israel public radio said one of mortars hit a football field.

In a separate incident was another two moderate Palestinians wounded by gunfire isrælske by the collecting gravel North of the town of Beit Lahiya, near the border, he said.

Three Gazans shot dead by the isrælske Army (AFP)

GAZA city, Palestinian territories (AFP) – three Palestinians were shot dead by isrælske troops early on Thursday in an area near Gaza's northern border with Israel, said officials on both sides.

Adham Abu Selmiya, a spokesman for Hamas-Run emergency services, said the men died after being hit by a tank shell and machine gun fire in an area known as Al-Waha, close to the coast and the northern border with Israel.

Abu Selmiya said three were fishermen and identified them as Jihad Khalaf, 20 Talaat, al-Awagh, 25 and Ashraf al-Kteifan, 29.

The isrælske army confirmed shooting down three men near the border, with a spokesman says troops had "opened fire on a number of Palestinians who tried to plant an explosive device near the fence."

They had identified three powerful people, he said.

Increased tensions on the Gaza border have expressed concern about a new isrælske invasion of the coastal enclave, like the devastating 22 day offensive which began at the end of December 2008, kill 1400 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, and 13 Isræles, 10 of them soldiers.

But Gaza has been relatively quiet over the past 10 days, with a lower than normal number of rockets fired into southern Israel, military sources said.