A Palestinian fighter armed with a Kalachnikov rifle and grenades was killed by Israeli gunfire Friday when he approached the "Karni-Netzarim" road in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, a 19-year-old Palestinian man was killed Friday in heavy exchanges of gunfire with Israeli troops on the Gaza Strip-Egypt border, Palestinians said.
Hospital officials identified the victim as Mohammed Azmi Abed.
Israeli tanks moved in Rafah refugee camp early Friday, residents and Palestinian security officials said. There were heavy exchanges of fire between soldiers and Palestinian fighters, they said.
The Israel Army said a "limited" operation was underway, aimed at locating tunnels used by Palestinians to smuggle weapons from Egypt.
Also Friday morning, the Israel Army closed the Erez industrial zone to Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip due to warnings of an attack at the Erez crossing between the Strip and Israel, Army Radio reported.
In the West Bank, Palestinians said a teen was killed by Israeli gunfire at the northern entrance to the city of Bethlehem. According to the report, the teen died from wounds caused by heavy fire.
Elsewhere, Israeli police stormed Friday the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City after young Palestinians threw stones at them, Israel public radio reported.
Police used sound grenades and other weapons to disperse hundreds of youths who had also hurled stones toward the Wailing Wall, several metres below, after the Muslim noon prayer, said the radio. At least 15 Palestinians were wounded.
After the initial clashes, thousands of Palestinians barricaded themselves in two mosques in the walled compound for about two hours, before police agreed to let them leave without threat of arrest.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
