GAZA CITY Two Palestinians were killed on Thursday when a smuggling tunnel linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt collapsed, Palestinian medics said. Three other people who were in the tunnel at the time of the collapse were still missing, they added.

The Palestinians have been using hundreds of tunnels to ferry food supplies and other necessities into the Gaza Strip, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since June 2007, when Hamas assumed power in the territory.

The network of tunnels was extensively bombed by Israel during its 22-day war against Hamas in December-January, but many of the tunnels were quickly rebuilt following the offensive.—AFP