Mystery blast kills four in Gaza

A mysterious blast levelled a building in Gaza city, killing four people and wounding at least 30, residents and hospital officials said.

Hamas blamed Israel, but the Israeli military said it was not involved.

Last night’s blast came hours after Palestinian security forces got their first look at demolished Gaza settlements, touring the area ahead of Israel’s formal handover in mid-September.

The joint tour by Palestinian commanders and Israeli military officials marked the first time Palestinian officials were allowed into the settlements, which were evacuated two weeks ago.

The blast in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shajaiyeh destroyed a house where known Hamas members lived.

Hamas claimed an Israeli missile hit the house, with spokesman Munir al-Masri saying Israel was continuing its “dirty assassination policy, which gives us the right to respond and to defend ourselves”.

The Israeli military said it had nothing to do with the blast. Some residents said it was apparently a case of explosives in the house detonating prematurely as Hamas militants worked on a bomb.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called the explosion ”regrettable” and said “security is investigating the cause”.

Israeli aircraft have often raided the neighbourhood, targeting Palestinian militants, but the raids have all but stopped since a cease-fire went into effect in February.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official said Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was planning to visit in November – another diplomatic dividend from Israel’s Gaza pullout. But, Mubarak’s spokesman said he had no such plans.

Palestinians are not happy with Israel’s recent successes in courting the Muslim nations and have urged them to freeze ties with Israel until a final peace deal is reached.

Mubarak would travel to Israel in November to attend a service marking 10 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the official said.

But Mubarak’s spokesman Suleiman Awad said: “I can assure you that the president doesn’t have any plans to go anywhere outside Egypt until the end of this year,” adding, “He is quite busy with so many things, the presidential and legislative elections.”

The Egyptian leader has not visited Israel since Rabin’s funeral in 1995, and Israeli officials interpreted his planned visit as sending a message to other Arab and Muslim countries that Israel should be rewarded for evacuating 21 settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank.

Jordan’s King Abdullah is also planning to visit Israel, Israeli government officials have said, but Jordanian officials have not confirmed that.