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Israeli forces mistakenly shot and killed a fellow soldier March 22 while looking for three Palestinians who crossed the border from the Gaza Strip, the military said.

The three Palestinians crossed the heavily guarded border after sundown, the military said. Soldiers thought they were under attack and set out on a patrol to find them.

Another group of soldiers looking for the Palestinians mistook the first patrol for armed Palestinian militants and fired on them, killing the soldier. The military appointed a colonel to investigate the “friendly fire” incident. The incident took place near the Kissufim crossing point between Israel and Gaza. — ap