GAZA CITY — A 13-year-old Palestinian was shot and wounded by Israeli forces on Wednesday as he was collecting scrap metal near the heavily guarded Gaza border, medics said.

Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services, said Ahmad Obeid was in moderate condition and being treated for gunshot wounds.

An Israeli military spokesman said troops had fired warning shots at someone approaching the border wall near where the incident took place but did not identify hitting anyone.

The no-man's land along Gaza's border is often the site of violence, with militants carrying out attacks along the border and Israeli troops firing at Palestinians who approach the fence.

Palestinians frequently brave Israeli gunfire to collect construction materials and scrap metal from ruins of buildings close to the border wall near the Erez crossing with Israel.