Medics: Explosion in car kills Gaza militant

A car exploded in the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing a militant and wounding two, witnesses and medical workers said.

The blast was caused by explosives within the car, according to Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain.

The incident, in the Shati refugee camp next to Gaza City, appeared to be an accident involving militants. However, witnesses said Israeli warplanes were flying overhead at the time.

An Israeli military spokeswoman denied Israel was involved, saying "there was no Israeli army activity in the area" in the Hamas-ruled enclave at the time of the blast.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Fatah said one of its members was killed and another was wounded. But no militant group accused Israel of staging an attack, and media reports said the blast may have been an accidental explosion of ammunition inside the vehicle.

An Israeli military spokeswoman had no immediate comment.

On Friday, the Israel Air Force bombed a rocket-launching squad in Gaza, killing one person and seriously wounding three others.

A military source said the dead gunman belonged to a radical, previously unknown Palestinian armed faction inspired by al-Qaida, calling itself "Jaljalat."