Israeli troops killed 2 Palestinians

Israeli troops killed two Palestinians near the Gaza Strip border, Palestinian medics said on Thursday.

A military spokesman said Israeli forces had opened fire on a group of Palestinians who attempted to cross Israel’s border fence on Wednesday night.

There was no immediate word on the identities of the two men who Palestinian medical officials said were killed.

Violence has escalated in recent weeks along the volatile frontier, though both Israel and Gaza’s Islamist Hamas rulers say they are working to avoid a full-blown confrontation.