Gaza child dies in blast caused by weapons unsafely stored at terrorist’s home: IDF
Hamas-run interior ministry says cause of deadly explosion in Khan Younis still being investigated
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces said a deadly explosion on Tuesday in the southern Gaza Strip was due to improperly stored weapons in the home of a terror group member.
The Hamas-run interior ministry in the Gaza Strip said one Palestinian was killed and a child was wounded in the blast at a home in Khan Younis.
Unverified local media reports claimed a 9-year-old girl, Mira Attal, and the apartment’s owner, Nidal Attal, were killed in the explosion, and several other people were hurt.
“Another tragedy in the Gaza Strip today,” said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, the IDF’s international media spokesperson. “Weapons stored unsafely in the house of a member of a Palestinian terrorist group exploded and killed a young child in the vicinity.”
“These are the sad consequences of militarizing civilian areas for terrorist activity,” Hecht added on Twitter.
The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas and other terror groups of operating within civilian areas in the Gaza Strip.
تغطية صحفية: "انفجار عرضي في محيط منزل غرب خانيونس أسفر عن ارتقاء الشاب نضال العتال وإصابة طفلة وخلف أضراراً مادية في المكان". pic.twitter.com/4Y3zB3qhy2
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) August 23, 2022
The Hamas interior ministry statement, carried by Palestinian media, said the cause of the explosion was still under investigation. The identity of the person killed was not released by the ministry.
Damage was caused to the building in the southern Gaza city, images on social media showed.
There have been numerous incidents of explosions in the Gaza Strip due to improperly stored weapons over the years, according to the IDF.
