Israeli tank fire at an Islamic Jihad observation post killed two Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, the enclave’s health ministry and sources from the movement said.

The ministry identified those killed as Hussein al-Amour, 25, and Abdul Haleem al-Naqa, 28. The incident happened east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a ministry spokesman said.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the tank fired at the Jihad position shortly after soldiers blew up a machine near the fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip and targeting its troops.

In another incident, the Israeli air force struck Saturday night two positions of Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.

The operation was launched in retaliation for a brief daytime infiltration of Palestinians across the border. These immediately turned back, according to the army.

It was also carried out in retaliation for repeated attempts by Palestinians to damage the separation barrier and “security infrastructure” during recent border demonstrations as part of the “return march”.

At least 118 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the enclave since the beginning of the march on 30 March, according to a report provided by the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The mobilization had its deadliest day on 14 May, the day of the controversial Tel Aviv transfer to Jerusalem from the US embassy in Israel.

Smaller demonstrations have continued since at the border between the Israeli-Egyptian blockade and the Israeli state.

The Israeli army has faced accusations of disproportionate use of force and calls for an independent investigation.

It accuses Hamas, which it has waged three wars since 2008, to have used the Palestinian mobilization to cover attempts to attack Israel.

[Source: Middle East Eye]