Palestinian militants accidentally set off a large blast at a Hamas training base in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing two members of the violent Islamic group and wounding another, a Palestinian medical official said.
"Now watch how I connect these here detonator wires so you don't..."
"Hey! I thought you said the wires went the other--"
[KABOOM!] | Hamas initially blamed Israel for the blast, but later acknowledged that it was caused by a mishandling of explosives, saying its men died while performing a "holy mission." The Israeli military denied involvement.
Hamas security men kept photographers and TV cameramen away from the scene. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official, confirmed the deaths.
"We found enough of each one to make a firm diagnosis." | Also Thursday, Hassanain said Israeli troops killed a 60-year-old Palestinian farmer near the Gaza-Israel border. The Israeli military had no comment. But Israel often shoots at Palestinians near the border, where militants frequently attempt to plant explosives or sneak into Israel. |