Palestinian officials say hundreds of Palestinian security personnel will begin deploying along the Gaza border Friday, in a push to stop militant rocket and mortar fire at Israeli targets in the area.
The move follows late-night negotiations between senior Israeli and Palestinian security and military officials. The resumption of bilateral talks appears to have averted a threatened Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
For its part, Israel says it will reopen the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Rafah crossing was closed last month, after Palestinian militants killed five Israeli soldiers at a nearby army post.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli troops shot and killed a 12-year-old boy near Jenin, after apparently mistaking his toy gun for a real weapon. In southern Gaza, Palestinians say another youth was hit and killed by Israeli gunfire while standing in the street near his house.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.
