At least 7 killed in Hamas rally truck blast

A PICK-UP truck carrying masked militants blew up at a Hamas rally yesterday, killing at least seven Palestinians and wounding 45.

Witnesses said the truck was carrying homemade weapons, and Palestinian security officials said the blast apparently was caused by the mishandling of weapons. Hamas blamed Israel, saying Israeli aircraft flew overhead during the rally, but Israel denied it was involved.

A large plume of white smoke rose over the crowd. After the blast, men carried body parts and lifeless bodies wrapped in blankets to nearby cars. Some witnesses said they saw at least seven people killed.

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The dead and wounded were taken to nearby hospitals. Thirty-one wounded were treated at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Some doctors were forced to treat patients on the floor of the emergency room because they ran out of beds.

Masked Hamas men wheeled in casualties, including children. An unmanned Israeli aircraft flew over the rally, but the Israeli military denied it was involved in the blast. During the rally, Hamas paraded with homemade weapons and explosives.