Eight people were killed in an explosion in the town of Al-Bureij in central Gaza on Friday night, according to eyewitnesses. Five of the dead have been identified as senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Ayman abu-Fayyad, his wife, and their children Basma, Ali, and Ayoub.
Fayyad’s house was demolished in the explosion, and several neighboring houses were damaged. Dozens of people were wounded, some seriously.
Islamic Jihad and Fatah blamed Israel for the blast, and said that Fayyad and his family were killed in an IAF strike. IDF sources denied the charges. Hamas spokesmen in Gaza said the reason for the explosion remains unclear.