Israel destroys Gaza tunnel used to smuggle weapons

JERUSALEM - Israel destroyed a weapons-smuggling tunnel in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, hours after a British journalist was killed filming the operation. A Palestinian youth was also shot after troops returned fire at a crowd throwing hand grenades and firebombs, the army said.

Meanwhile, a militant group that claimed partial responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv last week said it would not obey the new Palestinian prime minister's demands to end its violence.

Israel's top military chief, in turn, said the military would not halt its raids against Palestinian militants until Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas disarms them.

A crowd of Palestinians threw grenades and gasoline bombs at armored bulldozers preparing to destroy a weapons-smuggling tunnel discovered during Friday night's operation, the army said. The army returned fire, shooting a 17-year-old Palestinian youth.

Palestinian hospital officials said the youth was shot in the abdomen and was moderately wounded. The army said he was shot in the leg.

The incident took place just hours after a freelance British video journalist James Miller was shot and killed by Israeli troops as his crew filmed the troops' search for weapons-smuggling tunnels in Rafah late Friday.

Witnesses said an Israeli tank opened fire on the journalists, but the army denied tanks were in the area.

Also Saturday, British police arrested six people in central England and London in connection with the Tel Aviv suicide bombing believed to have been carried out by a British man.

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