Israeli army informs Palestinian liaison 3 killed near eastern Gaza border

GAZA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army officially informed Monday the Palestinian Authority liaison office that three Palestinian teenagers were shot dead on Sunday night after they approached the fence of the border with Israel.

The Palestinian liaison office in Gaza informed the families of the three teenagers that their bodies are held by the Israeli army.

The liaison said in a short text message sent to reporters that the Israeli army informed the office that Yousef Abu Jazzar, 16 years old, Atteya Emmawi, 16, and Yousef Emmawi, 17, were killed on Sunday night at the border with eastern Gaza Strip.

Last night, an Israeli army spokesman said that three Palestinian young men were killed in two separate incidents; adding that one was killed at the border between Israel and eastern Rafah town and the other two were killed east of Khan Younis.

The spokesman said in a press statement that the three were shot dead after they cut the fence of the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, adding that three other teenagers were arrested Sunday night and were released later on Monday.

Since the beginning of the six-week "Great March of Return" on March 30, the Israeli army killed 49 Palestinians. 45 of them were registered in the records of the health ministry, while the bodies of five more Palestinians are still held by the Israeli army. Enditem