Israeli troops kill Palestinian near Gaza border

GAZA, Mar 9 (Reuters) Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man near the Gaza border today, the first such incident in weeks, Palestinian hospital officials said.

The officials said they had retrieved the body near the border with Israel in the central Gaza Strip.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said two Palestinians approached the Israeli-built border fence in the early hours today morning.

''The force suspected them of trying to plant an explosive device,'' she said. ''The force fired at them and identified hitting one of them.'' ''We have called on Palestinians many times not to come towards the fence,'' she added.

Palestinian hospital officials said the body had bullet wounds and there were no weapons found at the scene.

It was not immediately clear whether the man was a militant.

Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a shaky Gaza ceasefire in November.

Israeli officials said earlier this week the Jewish state would consider expanding the ceasefire to the West Bank only once Palestinians stopped violating the existing truce in Gaza.

Some militant groups have continued to fire rockets into Israel from Gaza.

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