RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has begun work on a buffer zone along Gaza's border with Egypt, the Islamic militant group said Wednesday, as part of an effort to assure Cairo that it's serious about preventing the cross-border flow of weapons and militants. Hamas officials hope the creation of the buffer will lead to an easing of the crippling decade-long blockade of the coastal territory. Egypt has long accused Hamas of fueling unrest in North Sinai, where its army has been battling increasing Islamic insurgency since the toppling of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi after a year in office in 2013. On Wednesday, bulldozers worked on the land, leveling and clearing it from bushes — flattening the ground and makeshift structures that had protected entry points for underground smuggling tunnels.