04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

BEIT HANUN, July 3: Three Palestinians, one a nine-year-old boy, were shot dead in the Gaza Strip and West Bank on Saturday when Israeli troops opened fire towards stonethrowers.

Two of the victims were shot dead in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun as troops pressed on with a six-day incursion there, in what the Israeli army said was a bid to stop militants from using the area as a launchpad for firing Qassam rockets at Israel.

During the morning, nine-year-old Ihab Shakat was killed and a second child wounded when troops opened fire on stonethrowing youths, medics and witnesses said.

Witnesses said the youths were protesting the ongoing military incursion that was launched on Monday after a Palestinian rocket left two dead in the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

Several hours later, a second youngster was shot dead in a similar incident on the outskirts of the town.

Dr Mahmud al Asali, head of the hospital in the nearby Jabalya refugee camp, said the boy died after being hit by gunfire in the back and stomach.

The boy's identity and his exact age were not immediately clear as he was not carrying an identity card, but al Asali said he was in his early teens.

In both incidents, an Israeli military source said troops had come under attack by stonethrowers and had fired warning shots in the air.

In the second incident, however, the source said troops had fired at "a person who was about to throw a cement block".

Medics also said two Palestinian teenagers were moderately wounded in Beit Hanun.

A third Palestinian was shot dead in the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank town of Nablus.

Mahmud Lehawani, 18, died after being hit by a bullet in the chest when soldiers opened fire towards a group of stonethrowers, they said.

Two other Palestinian youths also sustained gunshot wounds in the incident, one of whom was said to be in serious condition.-AFP