GAZA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military opened fire at a group of Palestinians as they tried to cross the Gaza border, killing three men and injuring another, local media reported on Sunday.
The Israeli military said an attack helicopter and a tank fired at the "armed suspects adjacent to the security fence in the northern Gaza Strip."
Palestinian officials confirmed the casualties, according to the reports.
The incident came amid a recent escalation of tension between Israel and the Palestinians, despite Egypt-brokered effort to reach a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Islamic Hamas Movement.
Israel has been imposing a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas took over the enclave in 2007.
