Israeli artillery shelling killed a Palestinian on Saturday in al-Burij refugee camp to the east of central Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics and eyewitnesses said.

Hospital officials identified the dead as Sami Abu Khoussa, 45, adding he was a civilian and died soon after arriving at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza city.

According to the witnesses, the Israel army fired several tank shells at open spaces and farms in the east of al-Burij after Palestinian gunmen had fired rounds of bullets towards the security fence separating between Israel and Gaza.

One of the shells had badly injured Abu Khoussa who lives in the area.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, observes an undeclared ceasefire with Israel and stopped its rocket attacks on the Jewish states. However, other groups clash with the Israeli forces on Gaza borders from time to time.　

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2009)