'Hamas member dies in Gaza tunnel'

Palestinian group Hamas said on Saturday that one of its members had died in an underground tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said Shaker Dabbour, 29, from the city of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, was injured while working in a cross-border tunnel weeks ago and succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

The statement, however, did not provide any further details about how the Hamas member was injured.

Many in Gaza have resorted to a sophisticated network of cross-border tunnels connecting Gaza and Egypt to smuggle in basic commodities, including food, fuel, and medicine in an attempt to circumvent a crippling Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory.

Home to more than 2.4 million Palestinians, the Gaza Strip has been reeling under a years-long Israeli siege since 2007, badly affecting livelihood in the seaside enclave.