Hamas: No connection between Gaza groups and West Bank murdering

Hamas on Sunday denied any connection between the Gaza-based militant groups and the murdering of five Israelis in a West Bank settlement.

Taher Al-Nounou, spokesman for Hamas' government that controls Gaza, said that Israel tries to implicate Gaza in the attack that happened in Itamar settlement "to justify an aggressive act against the Gaza Strip."

Al-Nounou said that the killing might be a result of a criminal act, while some Israeli officials said there was a connection between Hamas and the attackers.

Hamas, which took over Gaza by force, did not condemn the murder, which left parents and three of their children dead. The West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority has condemned the incident strongly.