Palestinian officials denied on Thursday an Israeli allegation that its army discovered a tunnel stretching some 150 meters between Gaza and Israel which was to be used by Palestinian militants to attack the crossing.

Palestinian officials said that it was just an excuse to cover their acts of killing Palestinians and destroying their farms and houses as well as to keep on the ongoing mutual conflict in the area.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army said its troops discovered a large smuggling tunnel stretching some 150 meters from a house toward the Karni cargo crossing between Gaza and Israel, adding that the tunnel was to be used by Palestinian militants to attack the crossing.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army withdrew from the eastern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning after five days of military operation during which 21 Palestinians were killed, witnesses and Israeli sources said.

Israeli sources said the operation thwarted a potential attack by Palestinian militants who dig a tunnel to reach Israeli targets at the Israeli side near Karni crossing.

Before pulling back, the Israeli troops opened machinegun fire at houses, said the witnesses, adding that the troops damaged the infrastructure and a number of houses in Shaja'ya neighborhood.

Earlier this week, U.S. security coordinator in the West Bank and Gaza Keith Dayton put forward a plan to deploy international observers at Karni crossing which has been closed for much of this year due to warnings of possible attacks.

Israel and Palestinian officials were deliberating the plan.

Source: Xinhua