¡¡¡¡GAZA, Oct. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 4 people, among them three US diplomats, were killed Wednesday when a US diplomatic convoy hit a roadside bomb near the northern Gaza Strip village of Beit Hanon,Palestinian eyewitnesses and medical sources said.

¡¡¡¡The witnesses said that they heard a huge explosion as the US convoy of cars and CIA Security bodyguards, who was accompanying US Middle East envoy John Wolf, was passing a crossroad near a gas station between the northern Gaza Strip villages of Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahya.

¡¡¡¡Medical sources said that four Americans, members of the CIA,were killed in the explosion, and another was wounded, adding that Wolf was injured in the blast and taken to the hospital.  

    The witnesses said that they saw two cars turning into pieces and flying in the air, and dust, flames of fire and black smoke was coming out of the two cars. A third car in the area turned around.  

    They said that dozens of people rushed to the spot where the explosion took place, trying to rescue survivals, while Palestinian ambulances, security forces, police and firefighters arrived in thearea. 

¡¡¡¡the Islamic resistance movement Hamas leader in the West Bank,Adnan Asfour, denied that his movement is involved in the attack,adding that Hamas has been always rejecting to expand or enlarge the cycle of conflict with the Israelis.

¡¡¡¡"Our strategy was always clear that we reject to target anybody except the Zionist occupation, the first and the last enemy. This is the strict stance of Hamas," said Asfour.

¡¡¡¡A Palestinian security official who asked not to be identified said that the roadside bomb was apparently planted in the area totarget the convoy of US diplomats.

¡¡¡¡US diplomatic convoys usually cross Erez Crossing on thenorthern borders between Gaza Strip and Israel every day, where they meet different political and social Palestinian figures.  

    The official said that John Wolf was on his way to meet with former Palestinian Minister of Security Affairs Mohamed Dahlan andother Palestinian figures as part of his mission to help the Israelis and the Palestinians end their ongoing conflict and resume peace talks.

¡¡¡¡However, the Palestinian security official said that the Palestinian security forces are also studying the possibility that it could be a roadside bomb planted in the area against the Israeli army tanks and armored vehicles which carry out ground military incursions into that area.

¡¡¡¡The witnesses said that the area where the blast took place is aplace that usually Israeli army tanks reach to prevent Palestinian militants from firing rockets from the area at southern Israel.  

    The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had strongly condemned the blast and said that the attack is harming the highest interests of the Palestinian people.

¡¡¡¡Saeb Erekat, a minister in Ahmed Qurei's government, called for forming an urgent US-Palestinian investigation committee to look into the circumstances of the explosion.

¡¡¡¡Palestinian witnesses in the area said that the attack on the US diplomatic convoy was a natural reaction to the US veto against a UN resolution to ask Israel for stopping building the security separation fence in the West Bank. Enditem