Five Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, blast

Five Palestinians were killed Friday in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In one incident, Israeli troops shot dead three Palestinians in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Local sources identified the victims as Jamal Khaled Azem, 16, Kamel Abdullah Kamel Sabarini, 23, and Eyad Azmi Ghnam, 21. The Israeli Army said the three were armed. Palestinian sources said the three, who were killed in the Israeli ambush, were Fatah activists.

In the Gaza Strip, two Hamas activists were killed early Friday in a blast. Palestinian sources said they were killed from an Israeli tank shell while other sources said they were preparing an explosive device that detonated prematurely in the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Khan Yunis. The two victims were identified as Rami Abu Aker , 25, and Abed Abu Namus. Nine other Palestinians were also said wounded in the blast.