An Islamic Hamas movement militant died on Saturday when he was in a tunnel that collapsed in southeast of Gaza city, the group confirmed and medics said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of Gaza health ministry, said Khaled al-Hour, 23, arrived dead at a central Gaza hospital after he was taken out from underneath a collapsed tunnel.

Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas armed wing in Gaza, said in an emailed leaflet that al-Hour died as he was in a mission in one of the tunnels in Gaza.

Hamas armed wing and other military groups have been digging and building up tunnels used for military purposes.

Since January this year, more than 20 militants died in tunnels while digging underground.

In the summer of 2014, Israel waged a large-scale military offensive on the Gaza Strip that lasted for 50 days to destroy dozens of tunnels Hamas militants used in carrying out attacks from Gaza into Israel.

Israel prevented the shipment of cements and raw materials to the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas and other groups are using the cements in building up tunnels underneath the borders to attack Israel.

Source : XINHUA