33 Palestinians hurt in Gaza blast

33 Palestinians were injured early on Monday by a mystery explosion in Deir al Balah refugee camp south of Gaza City.

Thirty-three Palestinians were injured early on Monday by a mystery explosion in Deir al Balah refugee camp south of Gaza City, Palestinian medics reported.

The blast occurred in a house where an activist of the armed wing of Hamas lives, seriously injuring a woman. The other residents were only slightly injured.

Security services of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said the house had been hit by an Israeli bombardment but an Israeli military spokesman formally denied this, saying the army had not launched any operations.

Israeli warplanes had launched two pre-dawn raids on tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday after a Palestinian rocket struck the southern town of Sderot, damaging a university building without causing casualties.