Hamas said a military compound was destroyed by an explosion in the Gaza
Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. Hamas said several civilians were injured in the blast in the
southern town of Rafah, but did not elaborate.
"Five children, three women and five others were lightly injured," Hamas
said on Oct. 20.
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This marked the second major explosion of a Hamas military facility in
as many months. In August, 58 people were injured and seven houses were
destroyed in a Hamas explosion in what was later attributed to the suspected
testing of a missile warhead in the central Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said it was not responsible for the Oct. 20
explosion. The Israel Air Force has frequently conducted air strikes on
suspected Hamas tunnels in Rafah.
Palestinian sources said the explosion took place at a training facility
of Hamas's Izzedin Kassam Brigade. They said the explosion was huge and
rocked Rafah's Tel Sultan neighborhood along the border with Egypt.