GAZA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man in northeast Gaza near the border, medical sources and witnesses said Friday.

The witnesses said that the Israeli troops stationed at the border to the east of Beit Hanoun town opened fire at Ouda Hamad, 22, and killed him when he approached the security fence.

Earlier Friday, four Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in several locations along Gaza's eastern and northern border with Israel.

Israel imposed a buffer zone extending 300 meters into the Gaza Strip along the border after Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the Palestinian coastal enclave in 2007.

Israel eased restrictions in the buffer zone last year following a ceasefire deal that ended eight days of cross-border confrontation with Hamas.

However, according to Palestinian official statistics, nine Palestinians have been killed and 89 injured in the no-go zone since the ceasefire took effect in November 2012.