GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The militant Islamic group Hamas that rules Gaza says six of its members have been killed in an explosion.

It says the blast occurred Saturday night in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza media reported the explosion was a "work accident," meaning the militants were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

Earlier, a group of Palestinians breached the border fence with Israel and briefly entered its territory.

It came a day after Palestinians staged a sixth weekly mass protest on the border.

The protests are part of a campaign organized by Hamas that is aimed in part at breaking a decade-old blockade imposed since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire.</s>GAZA, Palestinian Territory — Hamas is vowing revenge after blaming Israel for an explosion that killed six of its fighters.

The Islamic militant group, which rules Gaza, said Sunday that Israel “will pay a heavy price” for the explosion the night before.

Gaza media initially reported the blast as a “work accident,” implying the militants were killed while producing or handling explosives.

But Hamas now says the militants, including two commanders, were killed “dismantling booby-trapped spying equipment planted by Israel during the past decade in Gaza.” It did not elaborate or provide any evidence.

Hamas’ supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was among thousands of Palestinians who attended the militants’ funerals.</s>GAZA - An explosion in Gaza killed six Hamas gunmen on Saturday, the group said. It blamed the incident on Israel, which declined comment.

A statement from the Palestinian Islamist group’s armed wing called the incident a “deplorable Zionist crime” perpetrated against its fighters.

“During a complicated security and intelligence operation conducted by Qassam Brigades to investigate a serious and a grave security incident conducted by the Zionist enemy against Palestinian resistance, a deplorable crime took place against our Mujahideen in the area of Zawayda in central Gaza Strip,” it said.

Reuters television captured a pillar of smoke rising above the village of Zawayda near the coast of Gaza, far from the border with Israel where tensions have escalated in recent weeks.

The exact circumstances of the blast were unclear and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, provided no further details.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the incident, although a more junior official had earlier denied the army was involved.

Israel and the West designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. But, citing security concerns, Israel maintains a naval blockade of the coastal territory, keeping tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and goods across the frontier.

Egypt, battling an Islamist insurgency in neighbouring Sinai, keeps its border with Gaza largely closed.

Forty-three Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli forces since March 30, when Gazans began weekly protests dubbed “The Great March of Return” along the border with Israel.

Facing international censure over its use of live fire in the protests, Israel says it is protecting its border and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling fire-bombs and trying to plant explosives, come too close.

As Israel celebrates its 70th birthday, Palestinians mourn what they call the “Nakba” (Catastrophe) of their people’s mass dispossession during the conflict that broke out in 1948.

Two-thirds of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are war refugees or their descendants. The protests have seen thousands gather to demand access to their families’ lost homes or lands, now in Israel.

Israel says Hamas is using the protests as cover to try to carry out attacks. Hamas denies the accusation.</s>At least six people have been killed by an explosion in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

At least three others were wounded by Saturday’s blast, the cause of which remains unclear, the ministry said.

The explosion took place in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.

Hamas’ military wing has said Israel is responsible for the explosion, which it said took place during a “complex security and intelligence operation”, AFP news agency reported.

Israeli officials have denied the allegation and a spokesperson for the Israeli military said:

Saturday’s blast follows weeks of protests along the Israeli-Gaza border as part of the Great March of Return movement.</s>GAZA, May 5 (Reuters) - Hamas's armed wing blamed Israel for an explosion in the Gaza Strip on Saturday that killed six of the group's gunmen.

A statement from the Palestinian Islamist group's armed wing called the incident a "deplorable Zionist crime" perpetrated against its fighters.

"During a complicated security and intelligence operation conducted by Qassam Brigades to investigate a serious and a grave security incident conducted by the Zionist enemy against Palestinian resistance, a deplorable crime took place against our Mujahideen in the area of Zawayda in central Gaza Strip," it said.

Hamas provided no further details. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Kevin Liffey)</s>Hamas has vowed revenge after blaming Israel for an explosion that killed six of its fighters.

The Islamic militant group, which rules Gaza, said Israel “will pay a heavy price” for the explosion on Saturday night.

Gaza media initially reported the blast as a “work accident,” implying the militants were killed while producing or handling explosives.

The funeral of Hamas fighters in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip (Khalil Hamra/AP)

But Hamas now says the militants, including two commanders, were killed “dismantling booby-trapped spying equipment planted by Israel during the past decade in Gaza”. It did not elaborate or provide any evidence.

Hamas’ supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was among thousands of Palestinians who attended the militants’ funerals.</s>The militant Islamic group Hamas that rules Gaza says six of its members have been killed in an explosion.

It says the blast occurred Saturday night in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza media reported the explosion was a “work accident,” meaning the militants were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

Earlier, a group of Palestinians breached the border fence with Israel and briefly entered its territory.

It came a day after Palestinians staged a sixth weekly mass protest on the border.

The protests are part of a campaign organized by Hamas that is aimed in part at breaking a decade-old blockade imposed since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire.</s>GAZA (Reuters) - An explosion in the Gaza Strip killed five Hamas gunmen on Saturday, Palestinian officials and residents said, adding the cause of the blast was unclear.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no information about the incident.

Reuters television captured a pillar of smoke rising above the village of Zawayda near the coast of Gaza, far from the border with Israel where tensions have escalated in recent weeks.

Deadly explosions in Gaza have also been caused by internal Palestinian fighting or by unintentional mishaps among militant groups.

The Gaza Strip is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The militant Islamic group Hamas that rules Gaza says six of its members have been killed in an explosion.

It says the blast occurred Saturday night in the central Gaza Strip.

Gaza media reported the explosion was a "work accident," meaning the militants were killed when explosives they were dealing with went off.

Earlier, a group of Palestinians breached the border fence with Israel and briefly entered its territory.

It came a day after Palestinians staged a sixth weekly mass protest on the border.

The protests are part of a campaign organized by Hamas that is aimed in part at breaking a decade-old blockade imposed since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

Since late March, 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire.</s>Six Hamas militants were killed and three injured on Saturday evening in a mysterious explosion at a house in the town of Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip. A statement from the Palestinian Islamist group's armed wing called the incident a "deplorable Zionist crime" perpetrated against its fighters.

"During a complicated security and intelligence operation conducted by Qassam Brigades to investigate a serious and a grave security incident conducted by the Zionist enemy against Palestinian resistance, a deplorable crime took place against our Mujahideen in the area of Zawayda in central Gaza Strip," it said.

A source close to Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said the six were all militants, who were members of the group's engineering unit.

The exact circumstances of the blast were unclear and Hamas, which is in control of the Gaza Strip, provided no further details. An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the incident, although a more junior official had earlier denied the Israeli army was involved. There was no immediate indication that the explosion was the result of an Israeli strike.

Explosions in the past in the Gaza Strip have resulted from the accidental detonation of explosive materials belonging to militant groups.

Tension between Palestinians and Israelis are once again high, as thousands of Palestinians have been gathering for weekly protests dubbed "The Great March of Return" along the Gaza border on Fridays for the past six weeks, often clashing with authorities and resulting in 43 Palestinian deaths.

The protest campaign is scheduled to run until May 15, when organizers expect a million people to turn out to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel in 1948, which Palestinians call the "nakba" or "catastrophe," marking their displacement during the Arab-Israeli War.

Two-thirds of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are war refugees or their descendants.



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An explosion in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, kills six Palestinians. Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces both deny responsibility and blame each other for the blast.