Hamas blames Israel for deadly Gaza blast, vows revenge

Hamas on Sunday blamed Israel for a deadly explosion which killed six of its fighters overnight, vowing revenge.

Local media initially reported the blast in central Gaza as a "work accident," implying the militants were killed while producing or handling explosives.

But Hamas now says the militants, including two commanders, were killed "dismantling booby-trapped spying equipment planted by Israel during the past decade in Gaza."

It did not elaborate or provide any evidence. Israel's military declined to comment.

Hamas said Israel "will pay a heavy price" for the explosion the night before.

Hamas' political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was among thousands of Palestinians who attended the militants' funerals.

The blast comes after weeks of deadly protests along the border between Gaza and Israel, but there was no indication the explosion was the result of an Israeli strike.

Some explosions in the past in the Gaza Strip have resulted from the accidental detonation of explosive materials belonging to militant groups.

Forty-nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since protests began along the Gaza border on 30 March, and hundreds of others have been wounded by gunfire.