By DPA
Gaza : Eight Palestinians were killed and 40 wounded in an explosion in the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, medics and witnesses said.
Ten of the wounded were in serious condition, according to Mo’aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance service in the Palestinian health ministry, who confirmed the deaths and injuries.
There were conflicting reports on the origin of Friday night’s explosion. Witnesses said that an Israeli F16 warplane struck the two-storey house of a senior Islamic Jihad militant in the refugee camp, causing a high number of casualties.
However, an Israeli army spokesman said in statements that the Israeli army air forces were not involved Friday night in any Israeli air attack on any target in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian witnesses said that among the eight killed was Ayman al-Fayed, a senior militant in the Islamic Jihad movement’s armed wing al-Quds Brigades.
The witnesses said that an Israeli warplane struck the house of al-Fayed, which was apparently full of explosives. They added that severe destruction was caused to his house and at least to four other neighbouring houses.