"Accidents"? BBC Middle East today

Gaza girl killed in border clash

Gaza is struggling to recover from the recent conflict with Israel

A 17-year-old Palestinian girl has been killed in Gaza by Israeli fire.

After initial denials, Israeli army officials said the girl was killed by Israeli troops during a clash with Palestinian militants on Thursday.

Reports say that two others were injured in the exchange in central Gaza near the Israeli border.

The Gaza-Israel border has been quiet, except for sporadic violence, since Israel launched a devastating three-week campaign in Gaza in late December.

Six months after the offensive, Gaza remains under blockade, a state of affairs Israel says will continue while its soldier Gilad Shalit remains in Hamas captivity.

Reports named the 17-year-old girl as Hyam Ayash, a resident of the Deir al-Balah refugee camp.

West Bank violence

Separately in the West Bank, a Palestinian woman carrying a toy gun was shot and wounded by Israel soldiers as she approached a checkpoint, the Israeli military says.

Reports suggest the woman was 18 years old.

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