Palestinian officials say a Gaza man has been killed after a cross-border smuggling tunnel collapsed on him.
The Gaza Health Ministry says five more people were wounded in Monday's collapse and one is still missing. Security officials say the tunnel was under construction at the time.
Such collapses are common along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt. Smuggling tunnels in the area have become an important route for goods and a lucrative business. Palestinian smugglers use the tunnels to move weapons and contraband into Gaza,
Israel and Egypt are blockading the territory in an attempt to weaken the Hamas government and end ongoing rocket fire at Israeli towns. The blockade has increased demand for smuggled goods.
Last month Egyptian security authorities rescued a Palestinian who had fallen into a coma after being trapped for several hours inside a smuggling tunnel. A second man was killed in the incident.
Egypt has been trying to combat with increased smuggling operations on its border with Rafah, which did not stop even after the border fence was breached and thousands stormed into Egypt.
IDF forces have recently located and demolished six such tunnels, which defense officials say are dug from agricultural fields and residential areas in Egypt.
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