Israel says Hamas hid explosives in medical supplies

Israel today arrested two sisters who attempted to smuggle explosives hidden in medical supplies from the Gaza Strip into Israel, domestic security agency Shin Bet said.

Officials at the Erez crossing point between Israel and the coastal territory discovered the explosives hidden in tubes of "medical material", it said, without giving further details.

"It is believed that they were to be used in Hamas terrorist attacks in the near future," it said, referring to the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.

One of the sisters was heading for cancer treatment in Israel, while the other was accompanying her, it added.

It said the two were arrested and an investigation was ongoing.

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since the Islamists took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. A fragile ceasefire has largely held since their last confrontation in 2014.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)