Explosion damages Gaza church office

GAZA, Sep 15 (Reuters) A youth centre run by the Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip was slightly damaged by a small explosion today, witnesses said.

It was unclear if the blast was connected to comments made by Pope Benedict about Islam that have sparked a backlash from Muslim leaders.

The explosion around sunrise targeted the church's youth centre in Gaza City. The blast broke doors and shattered glass.

The church itself was not damaged and there were no injuries.

''We woke up to the sound of an explosion and when we went down we saw that the door to the office of the youth centre was damaged,'' a priest at the church said.

Muslim leaders in Gaza have called on Palestinians to rally today to protest the comments made by the Pope.

The Vatican issued a statement to say the Pope had never meant to offend Islam.

Reuters AB DS1655