Terrorist group leader accidentally blows himself up while 'preparing equipment

A former senior leader for the terrorist group Hamas has died after accidentally blowing himself up.

Muhammad Hemada Walid al-Quqa, 37, died Sunday while "preparing equipment" on explosive devices presumably intended to kill others. Other reports indicated he was 41, the Times of Israel reported.

The Palestinian news website Al-Resalah reported that Al-Quqa was taken to the hospital with his arms and legs blown right off his body.

Hamas' military unit, Qassam Brigades, confirmed the death in a statement posted to its official website, saying the incident happened in the northern region of the Palestinian-controlled Gaza territory. Al-Quqa also lived in Gaza's northern region.

Al-Quqa was the head of the terrorist organization's explosives division. The group said he was responsible, in part, for “manufacturing and assembling explosives," the Times reported.

Palestinian media posted a picture of Al-Quqa on Twitter the same day the incident occurred.

The U.S. designated Hamas in 1997 as a terrorist group. The organization's stated goal is to establish an Islamic Palestinian state.

The group has launched rocket attacks on Israel for years between periodic ceasefires. It publicly advocates for the destruction of the Middle East country, CNN reported.

Tensions between Israel and Hamas reached a peak in July 2014 when Israel went on a full-out offensive to destroy the terrorists' passageways across its borders, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Since the Israeli-led strikes, Hamas has been re-establishing its sophisticated Middle East network, even boasting of its brazen actions in some instances, according to the Times of Israel.