Hamas says killing Palestinian man in Gaza violates ceasefire

Islamic Hamas movement said on Sunday that Israel's killing of a Palestinian man in the northern Gaza Strip violated an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire reached between Israel and Gaza Hamas-led militants.

Hamas' accusation was made after Israeli soldiers stationed at the borderline between Israel and northern Gaza Strip shot dead a 32-year-old Palestinian man who walked near the borders fence.

Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri said in an emailed press statement that the killing of Fadel Halawa "is a serious violation to the ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt on Aug. 26."

"The international community should bear a responsibility towards this crime," said Abu Zuhri, adding that "since the ceasefire was agreed upon, the Israeli occupation kept violating the agreement."

On Sunday, Israeli Radio reported that an Israeli army force noticed a Palestinian man approaching the border fence, adding that the soldiers had fired warning shots before shooting at him.

However, Palestinian witnesses said that Fadel Halawa was searching for songbirds which nest close to the boundary with Israel.

It is the first killing of a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire agreement ended 50 days of a large-scale Israeli air and ground military operation on the Gaza Strip, which left around 2,150 Palestinians dead and more than 11,000 wounded. Enditem