GAZA CITY — A Palestinian human rights group said Israel has carved out a one-kilometer area along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip.   

The center, in a statement supported by Palestinian sources, said the Israel Army has prevented Palestinians from entering within one kilometer of the border with the Jewish state. The sources said army snipers have been firing on those who entered the no-go zone in 2010.

"This [zone] will have serious implications on the lives of the people in the area, given that the land is agricultural and represents a significant portion of farmland in the Gaza Strip," Al Mizan said.

Al Mizan said the Israeli buffer zone has been maintained along 45 kilometers of the eastern Gaza border. The center said Israel has also carved out a 10-kilometer security zone along the northern Gaza border with the Jewish state.

The statement was issued on Feb. 21 amid clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the eastern Gaza Strip. At one point, the sources said, Israel opened artillery fire toward Palestinian laborers and at least five were injured.

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