Palestinians tried to smuggle in bomb-making chemicals by disguising them as a food shipment from the European Union.
Israeli authorities said over the weekend they had intercepted 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate en route to the Gaza Strip. The chemical, which can be used to make explosives or propellant for rockets, was packed in E.U. bags marked “sugar.”
The European Union is the biggest provider of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians. Food and other vital goods are exempt from an international economic blockade imposed on Gaza since Hamas took over the coastal territory.
E.U. officials said they were looking into the Israeli seizure.
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