Palestinian prime minister: PM Hamdallah ,survives roadside bomb blast on convoy

An explosion struck the convoy of the Palestinian prime minister Tuesday as he was visiting Gaza, in what his Fatah party is calling an attack against Palestinian unity.

The blast occurred after the convoy travelled through the Erez crossing with Israel for a visit to a sewage plant project in the northern part of Gaza.

The bombing that seemed to target the Western-backed leader, who is spearheading the authority's reconciliation efforts with Gaza's dominant group, Hamas, happened on the day the White House is due to hold a meeting on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast and Hamas condemned the attack.

The attack on the Western-backed leader, who is spearheading the Authority's reconciliation efforts with Gaza's dominant group, Hamas, took place as the White House prepared to hold a meeting on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what one Palestinian Authority security official in Gaza said was a roadside bomb. A second device failed to explode, the official said.

Six security guards had been wounded, Hamdallah said shortly after the attack.

Hamas, which condemned the attack, and the Authority said they viewed the incident as an attempt to prevent implementation of a unity agreement signed in October that has raised hopes of improving economic conditions in the territory of two million people.

Minutes after the explosion, the 59-year-old prime minister, apparently unhurt, delivered a speech at the inauguration of an internationally-funded wastewater treatment plant and pledged to continue to pursue Palestinian unity.

He said three vehicles had been damaged in the explosion, which blew out the windows of one of them. The blast sent debris hurtling dozens of meters (yards) away and left a crater by the roadside.

The Authority said it held Hamas responsible for the attack near the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, stopping short of directly accusing the group of carrying out the assault, but suggesting it had failed to provide adequate security.

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