In an incident in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, one Arab died and five others were wounded in a blast that Hamas claimed was caused by IDF tank fire. Military spokesmen noted that no troops were operating in the area. Foreign media reported that the 25-year-old casualty died after inadvertently throwing an explosive device into a fire that was melting down scrap metal, often used to manufacture Kassam rockets but also used as building material.
The Bethlehem-based Maan news agency, closely associated with the Palestinian Authority, referred to the blast as "a mysterious explosion" without blaming Israel or noting the recycling. Elsewhere in Gaza, citizens continued to be the victims of terrorists, according to Maan. A 46-year-old woman died form a bullet wound in her chest while terrorists were training on the grounds of the destroyed Jewish community of Netzarim in central Gaza.