This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Explosions at two police checkpoints run by Hamas in Gaza have killed three officers and wounded several other Palestinians, in an apparent attack that has so far been unclaimed.

The Hamas-run interior ministry declared a state of emergency across the coastal enclave after the blasts, with authorities searching for perpetrators. Witnesses said the blasts appeared to have been suicide bombings, which are rare in Gaza and suggest an attack might have been carried out by a rival faction.

After taking control of Gaza in a 2007 civil war with the Palestinian Authority, Hamas has been locked in an on-off conflict with Israel.

Israel’s military said it had not carried out any strikes in Gaza overnight.

Hamas has also faced internal opposition from other armed factions operating in Gaza, which include militants aligned with al-Qaida or Islamic State. This has led to short rounds of bloody infighting between Hamas and other Islamist groups.

“The sinful hands that carried out this crime will not escape punishment,” said an interior ministry spokesman, Eyad Al-Bozom.

Witnesses said the first blast destroyed a motorcycle at a police checkpoint, killing two officers. Less than an hour later, a second explosion killed another police officer at a separate checkpoint in Gaza City along the coastal road.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, said the territory could “absorb” such incidents.

“We are certain things will be controlled and all sides involved in these bombings will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008 and multiple short battles during the past two years. A recently agreed truce between the two sides has faltered following outgoing rocket fire from Gaza and infiltration attempts against Israel that have not been claimed by Hamas.

Other militant groups, possibly angered by the truce with Israel, are suspected of carrying out those attacks.