Gaza: 2 youths killed in blast

Palestinian sources reported Monday afternoon that two youths were killed in an explosion that occurred near the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The casualties were identified as two brothers, 14-year-old Alam Abu-Saud and 15-year-old Nidal Abu-Saud. The two were apparently handling an explosive device, inside a car or next to it. 

IDF officials said that the army had nothing to do with the blast.

At first, the Palestinians assumed that the blast was the result of an IDF targeted killing launched in response to the large number of Qassam rockets fired at Istael in the past few days.

Later, it was proven beyond any doubt that the two were playing with an explosive device near their homes. However, Palestinian sources still blamed Israel, charging that an IDF shell or a bomb placed by soldiers in the area caused the blast. Palestinian police are also looking into the possibility the explosion was a result of a device placed by Palestinians who planned an attack in Israel.

Five rockets were launched toward the western Negev on Sunday, and on Friday the Islamic Jihad fired a rocket that hit a strategic facility in southern Israel.  

Members of various Palestinian groups have been killed in the past on several occasions in "work accidents" while handling explosives. Last week, a commander in the Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigades was killed after his vehicle exploded.

The IDF has strongly denied any Israeli involvement in the explosion.