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Five killed in Gaza tunnel blast | Five killed in Gaza tunnel blast |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Five Palestinian smugglers died when Egyptian forces blew up two contraband tunnels beneath the Egypt-Gaza border, Palestinian medics say. | |
Two bodies were found immediately after the overnight blast at Rafah, which straddles the heavily guarded border; three more were dug up in the morning. | |
Egyptian officials have not commented on the incident. | Egyptian officials have not commented on the incident. |
Reports say it brings to 45 the number of deaths in 2008 in tunnel accidents and anti-smuggling operations. | Reports say it brings to 45 the number of deaths in 2008 in tunnel accidents and anti-smuggling operations. |
The sandy ground under the border between Egypt and Gaza is riddled with tunnels, and smuggling is one of the few ways of getting goods into the blockaded Gaza Strip. | |
Israel has been pressing Egypt to block off the tunnels because of concern that they are used to smuggle weapons to the militant Islamic group Hamas. | |
Israel, with Egypt's support, has enforced a blockade of Gaza since Hamas's violent take-over of the territory in June 2007. | Israel, with Egypt's support, has enforced a blockade of Gaza since Hamas's violent take-over of the territory in June 2007. |
It has allowed in little more than basic humanitarian aid as a way of isolating Hamas and stopping militant groups from firing rockets into Israel. | It has allowed in little more than basic humanitarian aid as a way of isolating Hamas and stopping militant groups from firing rockets into Israel. |
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