Palestinian officials say Israeli shelling has killed one person and wounded two others near the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra says the body of 18-year-old Yousef Abu Azra was recovered early Wednesday after shells landed near the border fence separating Gaza and Israel. Two other people were injured in Israeli shelling in Rafah south of the Gaza Strip, he added.

The Israeli military says its forces fired on three suspected militants who had approached the security fence. Local witnesses reported tank shelling and heavy shooting in the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army has yet to comment.

In mid-2014, Israel waged a devastating 51-day military onslaught on the Gaza Strip in which more than 2,300 Palestinians were killed and tens of thousands injured. According to Israeli figures, 68 Israeli soldiers and five Israeli civilians were killed in the conflict, while another 2,522 Israelis -- including 740 soldiers -- were injured.