Five Palestinians and one Italian photojournalist were killed on Wednesday when an engineering police unit dismantled an Israeli missile in northern Gaza Strip, medic and security officials said.

An Israeli missile detonated when an engineering police unit tried to move it from a populated area in northern Gaza to an empty place to blow it up, said Iyad al-Bozom, spokesman of the Interior Ministry in Gaza.

"The unit headed to the populated area in northern Gaza where local residents informed the police that a suspected missile was located," the spokesman said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said six people, including five Palestinians and one Italian photojournalist who works for the Associated Press, were killed.

"Six others, including a local photographer working for the Associated Press, were wounded," al-Qedra noted.

For his part, al-Bozom added that the five dead Palestinians included Maj. Tayseeer al-Hoom, the commander of the engineering police unit and four policemen.

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