Gaza City - An explosion in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia killed a Palestinian man and wounded five others, hospital officials told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Monday.

The cause of the explosion in the al-Atatrah neighbourhood was not immediately clear. Some residents said it was caused by an Israeli tank shell, while other reports said it was a "work accident," a euphemism for an accidental blast caused by militants handling explosives.

Hospital officials identified the dead man as Rajab Sabbah. They said three of the wounded were in critical condition.

An Israeli military spokesman in Tel Aviv denied any army activity in the area.

A second Palestinian, a militant from the Popular Resistance Committees, also died of wounds sustained in an Israeli strike three days ago in the village of Abbassan, east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.

Gaza emergency services chief Moaweya Hassanein confirmed the two fatalities. (dpa)