GAZA CITY, Aug 11: The bodies of three Palestinians have been recovered from a smuggling tunnel between Egypt and the Gaza Strip which collapsed at the weekend, while six people are missing, medics said on Monday.

The tunnel near the Rafah border crossing caved in on Saturday, burying the nine Palestinians, the medics said.

Several Palestinians have died in recent months in the tunnels, which are used to smuggle arms, fuel, and other supplies into the Gaza Strip, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for nearly a year.

Israel, which sealed Gaza off from all but vital humanitarian aid after the Hamas movement seized power in June 2007, has accused Egypt of not doing enough to shut down the extensive tunnel network, charges Cairo denies.

Egyptian security forces last week began destroying or blocking 20 tunnels where they seized large amounts of fuel, food and cigarettes, an Egyptian security official said on Thursday.—AFP