Gaza blast kills five Hamas gunmen, cause unclear: health officials

GAZA (Reuters) - An explosion in the Gaza Strip killed five Hamas gunmen on Saturday, Palestinian officials and residents said, adding the cause of the blast was unclear.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no information about the incident.

Reuters television captured a pillar of smoke rising above the village of Zawayda near the coast of Gaza, far from the border with Israel where tensions have escalated in recent weeks.

Deadly explosions in Gaza have also been caused by internal Palestinian fighting or by unintentional mishaps among militant groups.

The Gaza Strip is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Stephen Powell)