Hamas Warns of Israeli Military Escalation as Gaza Explosion Kills 11 Palestinians

Palestinian group Hamas has decried Israel's recent bombing of a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into Israel as a “dangerous escalation” directed against the Palestinian people. A total of 11 people were killed in the attack.

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Hamas officials noted that the targeted attack was an attempt to “sabotage efforts to restore Palestinian unity” and urged caution and consultation with Egypt in order to stave off heightening tensions in the region. They also noted that the attack was the deadliest incident since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, according to Xinhua.

The attack takes place only days after Hamas and Fatah agreed to a Palestinian unity deal, the final details of which will be hashed out over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Forces released a statement which said, in part, that they believe the tunnel was made sometime after 2014, according to Xinhua. It added that the tunnel ran from Khan Younis in Gaza city to Kibbutz Kissufum in Israel.

Local Israeli news media reported that 11 Palestinians were killed and 12 others wounded in the explosion.

Fatah and Hamas agreed to political reconciliation earlier this month, according to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. While the full extent of the agreement's details have not been officially reported, it's believed that it also covers issues related to administration and security.