Israeli Gunfire Wounds 2 Gazans

Israeli gunfire wounded two Palestinians near the Erez checkpoint on the border with Israel on Tuesday, a Palestinian medical source said.

The two men were among a group collecting gravel for construction north of Beit Hanoun, in an area which the Israeli military has declared a no-go zone for Palestinians.

Israeli troops opened fire, wounding both men in the feet, the source said, adding that the men were taken to nearby Kamal Adwan hospital with "moderate" wounds.

An Israeli military spokesman said the Palestinians were wounded in two separate incidents.

"In both incidents soldiers identified a number of Palestinians approaching the security fence," she said.

"They fired warning shots in the air in an attempt to drive them away from the fence and when the Palestinians did not consent, the soldiers aimed at their lower bodies and identified two hits."

Building materials are scarce in the Gaza Strip, which remains under an Israeli embargo that limits the entry of goods.

Each day dozens of Palestinian men and teenagers sift through the rubble of buildings along Gaza's borders with Israel, trying to collect construction material like gravel for sale.