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GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian farmer was shot and injured by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip late Sunday, medics and an army spokeswoman said.

Medical sources told Ma'an that Rajab Maarouf, 22, was shot in the foot in northern Beit Lahiya and taken to Kamal Adwan hospital with moderate injuries.

An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the shooting, saying "there were two suspects that approached the security fence" in the area.

Soldiers fired "warning shots in the air and at the lower extremities and then the suspects moved away," the spokeswoman said.

She said she could not provide information about whether hits were confirmed, what the Palestinians were doing in the area, or whether they posed a threat to Israeli forces.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza ended a 50-day war on the Strip on Aug. 26.

The Israeli security buffer zone around Gaza was meant to be reduced following the agreement, with farmers initially reporting that they were able to access their fields 100 meters from the border fence.

Before Operation Protective Edge, Israeli forces routinely opened fire on those who entered the buffer zone, which ranged from 500-1,500 meters from the border and encompassed 17 percent of Gaza's total land area.

Since the signing of the agreement, Israeli forces have also repeatedly opened fire at and arrested Gaza fishermen.

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by Celine Hagbard - IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers stationed at the Gaza border shot a 22-year old farmer who was working his field, on Sunday afternoon, in an area designated by the Israeli military as a 'no-go zone', in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Since the 50-day long Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip that ended on August 27th, Israeli forces have expanded the 'no-go zone' along the Gaza border, thus effectively annexing for Israel 40% of the remaining land area of the already extremely crowded Gaza Strip.

According to the initial ceasefire agreement, the 'no-go zone' was supposed to be reduced to 100 meters of the border fence and, while following the ceasefire farmers were initially able to reach their land, that soon changed, and Israeli soldiers began quickly expanding the 'no go zone', and there is no set distance where Palestinians are sure that they can be safe to farm their land.

Any Palestinian who tries to farm their land or otherwise enter the 'no-go zone' is subjected to being shot by Israeli snipers stationed at the border.

According to local sources, Rajab Marouf, 22, was tending his land near Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, when he was shot in the leg by Israeli snipers. He was taken to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, where his injury was described as moderate.

The Ma'an News Agency reports that the Israeli military spokesperson told their reporters that "there were two suspects that approached the security fence", and that soldiers fired "warning shots in the air and at the lower extremities and then the suspects moved away."