- Title: GAZA: An explosion rocks northern Gaza
- Date: 12th June 2008
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS SPOKESMAN MUSHIR AL-MASRI SAYING: "This is an ugly massacre, a stupidity, that was committed by the Zionist enemy who destroyed a house over the heads of its inhabitants and targeted civilians including children, women and elderly. We say that it is impossible to speak of a truce under the shadow of massacres that are being committed against the
- Embargoed: 27th June 2008 13:00
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- Reuters ID: LVA4W0I3ZPI5SD3U996FYL1SHTYF
- Story Text: An explosion destroys a Hamas building in northern Gaza, killing at least four Palestinians, including a baby and wounding scores more. Hamas said the blast was caused by an Israeli air strike but the military denies responsibility.
An explosion destroyed a Hamas bomb-maker's house in the Gaza Strip on Thursday (June 12), killing at least four people, including a baby, according to medical workers.
The explosion, which also wounded about 25 people, destroyed a two-storey dwelling and damaged several other homes in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, an area from which militants frequently fire rockets into southern Israel.
Hamas said an Israeli aircraft attacked the house belonging to Hamas bomb maker Ahmed Hamouda, whom it described as one of its senior bomb-makers.
An Israeli military spokeswoman denied any Israeli involvement in the explosion.
"This is an ugly massacre, a stupidity, that was committed by the Zionist enemy who destroyed a house on the heads of its inhabitants and targeted civilians including children, women and elderly. We say that it is impossible to speak of a truce under the shadow of massacres that are being committed against the Palestinian people. The enemy should know that each stupidity has its price and that the resistance will not stand by in the face of this heinous crime, and the enemy should not dream of any calm as long as crimes are being committed against our people," said a spokesman for Hamas Mushir al-Masri at the site of the explosion.
Hamouda's fate was not immediately known.
Hamas fired more than 20 rockets and mortar bombs at Israel after the explosion. There were no reports of casualties.
On Wednesday (June 11), Israel's Security Cabinet decided to give Egypt more time to try to broker a ceasefire under which militants would cease rocket salvoes and Israeli forces would halt Gaza operations.
The Security Cabinet said it had instructed the military to prepare for a possible broad operation in the Hamas-controlled territory should truce efforts fail. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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