Israeli army kills six Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank

GAZA/NABLUS, West Bank, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, including three militants, in two attacks early Saturday in northern Gaza Strip and West Bank city of Nablus, witnesses and local sources said.

Israeli soldiers walk in the street to take positions during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Dec. 26, 2009.(Xinhua/Ayman Nobani)

In the first raid, the Israeli troops invaded Nablus city and killed three activists affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party.

Ra'ed al-Sarkaji, 38, Ghassan Abu Sharekh, in his 30s, and Anan Soboh were all killed in separated incidents in the city.

Dr. Ghassan Hamdan from the city's hospital told reporters that the Israeli soldier broke into al-Sarkaji's house, killed him in front of his wife who was injured, and they shot dead Abu Sharekh after arresting him.

In another building, the troops killed Soboh who is also a member of pro-Abbas Preventive Security Forces. Anan had got an Israeli amnesty on his previous activities during his service in Fatah's military wing that Abbas had dismantled in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers killed three civilians near a crossing point in northern Gaza Strip.

Witnesses said that four people were trying to infiltrate into Israel through the security fence near Erez crossing but the army spotted them and opened fire, killing three and wounding the fourth.

Bedouins who live in northern Gaza Strip approached the area on donkey-pulled cars, trying to evacuate the bodies but the Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to force them back.

The injury of the fourth Palestinian is still unclear.