Palestinians killed, wounded in violence

JERUSALEM, July 3 (UPI) -- A Palestinian woman brandishing a toy gun, was wounded by Israeli gunfire after ignoring soldiers' warnings at a checkpoint, the army said.

The incident occurred less than a day after a Palestinian teenager was reported killed by Israeli mortar fire in Gaza.

Media reports Friday morning said Israel troops manning the Jordan Valley checkpoint spotted the woman carrying an object and called on her stop. The woman ignored their calls and also ignored the warning shots fired by soldiers in the air. Only after she was hit did it become apparent she was carrying a toy gun. The woman was taken to hospital in Israel.

The checkpoint has been subjected to numerous Palestinian attacks, some resulting in Israeli fatalities, the reports said.

Maariv Friday said initial reports regarding the shooting in Gaza Thursday evening said a 17-year old Palestinian girl was killed and four Palestinians were wounded by Israeli mortar fire. The report said Israeli troops responded to a Palestinian attack on an army patrol near the north Gaza border.

Military officials said Palestinian gun men opened fire using light weapons at an army patrol near the Karni border crossing in northern Gaza. Soldiers responding to the gunfire fired a mortar shell in their direction, the paper said.