Israel denies hand in fatal blast in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An explosion tore through a house in a popular market Thursday in the Gaza Strip, killing one person and wounding 10, the Palestinian territory’s Interior Ministry said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion. The blast in the Al-Zawiya area collapsed large parts of the house and damaged dozens of buildings and shops nearby, according to the statement. Explosives engineering teams were investigating; civil defense teams and the police were able to control the ensuing fire.

The blast shook the neighborhood on the third day of Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday.

The Israeli army signaled that it wasn’t involved, calling the explosion an “internal” matter in Gaza.

Gaza City already is struggling with heavy damage sustained from an 11-day conflict in May between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers. At least 254 people were killed in Gaza during the fighting, including 67 children, according to the Gaza health ministry. Hamas has acknowledged the deaths of 80 militants. Twelve civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier.