The Palestinian woman killed
on Sunday evening at the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza was shot by IDF soldiers, the army confirmed on Monday. The military initially said its troops had not fired on a group of Palestinian pilgrims returning to Gaza after completing the annual haj trip to Mecca.
| Pilgrim's Plight |
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| Stranded Palestinian pilgrims allowed back into Gaza / Ali Waked |
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Israel, Egypt and PA craft accord to enable stranded Palestinians returning from Mecca to re-enter Gaza; Egypt to perform security inspection at border, report any suspected smuggling attempts to Israel - both countries fear Hamas militants hiding amongst pilgrims may try to bring large amounts of cash into Gaza |
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But the preliminary findings of the probe indicate that the soldiers manning the crossing felt threatened by the volume of the crowd amassed at the scene and fired warning shots that had not been intended to cause injury. Some 700 Palestinians attempted to cross through Erez that evening.
Palestinian reports claimed that several more pilgrims were wounded in the incident, the IDF report maintains they were hit by ricochets.
High ranking military officials stressed that it is clear that it was not the troops' intent to target innocent civilians and said investigators would continue to pursue the case until the circumstances surrounding the
incident are brought to light.
In the past, soldiers who have violated the army's rules of engagement have stood trial in a court of law.
According to defense officials, Saudi Arabia grants some 1,400 permits to Palestinian pilgrims seeking to travel to Mecca on an annual basis.
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