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Israeli occupation soldiers have shot and killed a three-year-old girl inside her home in central Gaza, eyewitnesses and medical sources said. Rahma Ibrahim Abu Shamas was reportedly inside her home in Dair al-Balah in central Gaza on Wednesday when a bullet struck her in the head, killing her instantly. Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers manning an army watchtower at the nearby colony of Kfar Darom opened machinegun fire randomly on Palestinian homes around dawn on Wednesday. An Israeli army spokesman acknowledged the killings, saying the army was looking into the "incident". The spokesman said soldiers thought that Palestinian resistance activists were present in the neighbourhood. However, the Israeli-state run radio, Cal Yisrael,said no Palestinian fighters were present in the area when the shooting took place. PA security officials in the Gaza Strip condemned the killing, calling it "another hideous crime". "Imagine that a Jewish child was killed and how Israel would react. They are killing our children in cold blood," Abu Muammar, a Palestinian security official in Dair al-Balah, said. [more]

The new Palestinian leadership on Thursday banned civilians from carrying weapons and indicated it will appoint a new security minister known for his tough stance against militants - clear signs of seriousness about reining in violence, an Israeli precondition for peace talks. [more]