BICOM

A large explosion yesterday in Rafah, situated in the southern Gaza Strip, killed four people and injured at least 30.

The four dead men, including a father and son, were all from the Abu Naqira family, which the Guardian says is closely linked to Hamas, with one of the family members having worked in the Damascus office of exiled leader Khaled Mashaal.

The cause of yesterday’s explosion, which also damaged around ten houses remains unclear. Some have suggested that the source was unexploded Israeli ordnance from Operation Protective Edge last summer. However, masked armed men from Hamas’s military wing were quick to seal off the scene of the blast, blocking access to area for journalists. As a result, a number of reports have suggested that the site was a storage facility for Hamas rockets and weaponry. A spokesman from the Gaza Interior Ministry, operated by Hamas, said that an investigation was underway but that, “We can’t give a clear reason for what happened.”

Meanwhile, last night three rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel. However, all three failed to reach their target and landed in Gaza instead. It follows a similar incident on Saturday night in which two rockets were fired from Gaza, exploding on the Palestinian side of the border fence. During the past two months, southern Israel has been struck by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on at least six occasions, including a Grad rocket which landed near Ashdod.

Since last summer’s conflict, Hamas is thought to have determinedly restocked its arsenal of rockets and there have been widespread reports that it has test-fired new models into the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, Hamas is also reported to be rebuilding its sophisticated network of tunnels, which were a major feature of Operation Protective Edge. Earlier this year, the Telegraph reported that Iran had transferred millions of pounds to enable Hamas to rebuild its underground network and replenish its rocket supplies.