Israeli forces shoot Gaza man in leg

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- A 22-year-old Palestinian man was injured by Israeli fire on Wednesday afternoon, telling medics he was shot while collecting construction aggregates east of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Medical sources in Gaza identified the victim as Nidhal Halwa from the Wadi Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. They said he was shot in the left leg and was being treated.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the shooting was a "usual incident," adding that forces stationed on the border zone acted according to military protocol.

Soldiers opened fire to "drive away suspects" in the area, and when the group continued operating soldiers fired at their lower bodies and identified a direct hit on one of the men, the spokeswoman said.

This morning 11 people were injured in a clash east of Gaza City, including three militants and three children, according to witnesses.

In 2010, Gaza medics say 88 people were wounded in the legs by Israeli fire along the border area.