Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers opened intensive fire at Palestinian farmers approaching their farms near the fence between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, Hamas police sources said Sunday.

    The sources said Palestinian farmers went on Sunday morning to work at their farms adjacent to the no-go zone in northern Gaza Strip, adding that Israeli soldiers opened intensive gunfire at them. No injuries were reported.

    Israeli media reported earlier that the Israeli army decided to open fire at any Palestinians who approaches a distance of 300 meters into the area of the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

    Egypt brokered a truce between Israel and Gaza militant groups, led by Hamas, which calls on Israel to end military operations and ease the blockade on Gaza in exchange for stopping of rockets attacks on Israel.

    Meanwhile, spokesman of a local initiative to confront the Israeli operations in Gaza, Saber al-Za'aneen, told reporters that the Israel decision to shoot at any Palestinian approaching the border area "is a death sentence to farmers."

    "This decision would of course leaves hundreds of acres of cultivated farms under the mercy of the Israeli soldiers and would affect of course the Palestinian agricultural sector," said al-Za'aneen.

    Israel on Sunday reopened three main Gaza Strip border crossings following three days of closure. The crossings were closed after unknown militants fired a homemade rocket from Gaza at Israel.