Egypt denies pumping gas into Gaza smuggling tunnel

Egypt on Thursday denied pumping poisonous gas into a smuggling tunnel under Gaza's border which led to the death of four Palestinians, following accusations from the Islamist Hamas movement.

It is "entirely false of course," foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki told AFP, without elaborating.

Earlier Hamas accused Egyptian security forces of pumping gas into the tunnel. Palestinian medics working for the Hamas-run health ministry said the four had died from suffocation and that there was evidence of toxic gas.

"Hamas holds the Egyptian side responsible for the killing of four innocent workers after Egyptian security forces pumped poisonous gas into one of the tunnels," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters in Gaza.

Following the incident on Wednesday night, Egyptian security officials said their forces had destroyed four smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border but were not aware of any casualties.

The impoverished territory of 1.5 million people has largely relied on the vast network of tunnels on the border since Israel and Egypt sealed Gaza off to all but vital aid after the Islamist movement Hamas seized power in June 2007.

Cairo has stepped up its controversial fight against smuggling into Gaza underground and by sea, under pressure from Israel and the United States, to prevent Palestinian militants being supplied with arms.