- Title: GAZA: Hamas accuses Egypt of using poisonous gas against tunnellers
- Date: 30th April 2010
- Summary: RAFAH, GAZA (APRIL 29, 2010) (REUTERS) HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI HOLDING NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA CREW (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI SAYING: "Hamas movement holds the Egyptian side responsible for the death of the four residents in Rafah, and demands the trial of those responsible for the incident. We are concerned about the latest developments
- Embargoed: 15th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA3WKRDU839URICVLJMZYC27A9X
- Story Text: Hamas officials accused on Thursday (April 29) Egyptian security forces of killing four smugglers from the Gaza Strip and injuring three others by pumping poisonous gas into a cross-border underground tunnel on Wednesday (April 28).
Under pressure from Israel and the United States, Egypt has tried to stem the underground passages from its Sinai peninsula, which have allowed Palestinians in Gaza to import weapons and commercial goods in defiance of an Israeli-led blockade.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters in a news conference that Hamas holds Egypt responsible for the death of the tunnel workers.
"Hamas movement holds the Egyptian authorities responsible for the death of the four residents in Rafah, and demands the trial of those responsible for the incident," he said.
He accused the Egyptian security forces of pumping poisonous gas into the tunnel.
"We are concerned about the latest developments on the Egyptian-Palestinian border which have resulted in the death of four innocent residents in addition to several injured, some of them seriously. This occurred when the Egyptian security forces pumped poisonous gas in one of the cross border tunnels," he said.
Israel has repeatedly bombed the tunnels and Egypt has been constructing a large underground wall in a bid to curb smuggling, which it views as a security problem.
More than 120 Palestinians have died in cave-ins or been killed by Israeli military operations aimed at the tunnels since the Hamas take-over, medics say.
"Actually what we've heard is that the Egyptians pumped gas in the tunnels, and we received gas inhalation cases. Thank God, we treated most of the cases but unfortunately four arrived dead and the rest had minor injuries," doctor Khaled Mansour told Reuters Television about Wednesday's explosion.
Three tunnellers were admitted with injuries to a hospital in Rafah following Wednesday's explosion.
Tunnel owner Khaled Abu Mustafa told Reuters that he believes gas was used in the explosion.
"When the guys went down, we immediately knew that there was an explosion and gas because the gas is so strong, it immediately changes the colour of nails and teeth," he said.
Abu Mustafa pleaded for the Egyptian forces to stop targeting the tunnels.
"I send a message to the Egyptian people and the Egyptian government that they stop this because we are dealing with people's lives, and we are a defeated and a destroyed people," he added.
Egypt, which is currently building an underground wall along the frontier, does not generally discuss its anti-tunnelling efforts. Many Egyptians sympathise with the Palestinians and the Hamas Islamists who rule Gaza and refuse to forswear violence against Israel. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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