JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Israeli civilian doing maintenance work on the border fence between Israel and Egypt was shot and killed.
The worker was later identified as 15-year-old Nimer Bassem Abu Amar, a resident of the Bedouin village of Lakiya.
The bullet fired at noon on Tuesday came from Egypt, but it is not known who fired it, the IDF said. Arab news reports said the bullet was part of a shootout between smugglers and Egyptian border guards.
The teen was doing maintenance work for a civilian contractor on the border fence near Mount Harif, located about halfway between Eilat and Gaza. He was evacuated by the Israeli Air Force, but pronounced dead upon arrival at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian army are investigating the incident.
