Palestinian fighters opened fire early Wednesday on Israeli soldiers at the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza Strip. Troops returned fire, killing two fighters.
Reports said the Palestinians also set off an explosive charge and threw grenades at an Israeli officer. Occupation soldiers exchanged fire with the Palestinians, and three Palestinian police officers were wounded.
Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades released a joint statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
Palestinian security officials said the exchange of fire took place as Palestinians were about to cross through the checkpoint to travel to Mecca for the Islamic hajj pilgrimage.
Later, at least 12 Israeli troops were wounded Wednesday, two moderately to seriously, when Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket at an Israeli base near the Gaza Strip-Israel border.
Meanwhile, three Palestinian groups have rebuked the leading candidate in the Palestinian pfresidential elections, Mahmoud Abbas, for calling to stop rocket and mortar attacks on Israel.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a leader in Hamas, said Tuesday that Abbas's position served the interests of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "These statements are not in the right direction," Abu Marzouk told The AP.
A Damascus representative of Islamic Jihad, Zeyad Nakhal, also criticized Abbas's remark, saying that "resistance is the right response to the (Israeli) occupation and to the occupying troops' practices against the Palestinian people."
An official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, described Abbas's statement as harmful.
