Five Palestinians killed in Gaza-Egypt tunnel blast

Gaza security officials says Egyptian authorities blew up tunnel, claim men were smuggling contraband goods.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Five bodies were pulled from a tunnel blown up by Egyptian authorities along the Gaza-Egypt border, Gaza security officials said Wednesday. The officials said the men were Palestinian smugglers who were bringing contraband goods from Egypt into Gaza. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been cleared for publication. Two bodies were located shortly after the explosion Tuesday, and the rest were removed early Wednesday. Israel has been pressing Egypt to close the dozens of smuggling tunnels along the border because of concern that weapons were reaching Hamas. Israel has enforced a blockade of Gaza since Hamas overran the territory last year. Since the beginning of the year 45 people have been killed in accidental tunnel collapses and Egyptian anti-tunnel operations.