Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    7,523 violators of residency, labor, and border security laws deported in a week    Video contradicts Israeli army account of deadly March 23 strike on Gaza paramedics    Saudi Arabia spends over $241 million to implement de-mining projects in 3 countries    Italy's Meloni government approves controversial security decree expanding police protections and penalties    Egypt submits new Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal: Report    'Everything is possible' — Ronaldo focused on titles, not 1,000-goal milestone after Riyadh Derby win    Saudi, US military leaders discuss enhanced defense cooperation in Riyadh    King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launches program with Indiana University    Ronaldo brace powers Al Nassr past Al Hilal in Riyadh derby thriller    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Al-Jadaan: Crown Prince's directives confirm government's ability to bring back balance to real estate market    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Foreign investors are allowed to engage in real estate business outside Makkah and Madinah Commercial speculation should not be the purpose of real estate transaction    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



At least 35 killed as Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 12 - 05 - 2021

Israeli bombing raids across Gaza have killed at least 35 people, including 12 children, according to Palestinian health officials, who also said 220 people have been injured, as of Tuesday evening.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have escalated recently following the clashes between the Israeli soldier and Palestinian demonstrations in Jerusalem and the unrest has spread to cities and towns beyond the holy city.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation from Tel Aviv, saying, "We are in the midst of a significant operation" as fighters from Gaza fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel
Rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Sirens could be heard warning of an impending attack around 3 a.m. local time. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
In the town of Ashkelon, two people were killed by rocket fire on Tuesday, according to an Israeli military spokesman. A third person died in the town of Rishon Lezion, south of Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening after a rocket attack, Israeli media reported citing the ZAKA emergency service.
A CNN team heard at least 50 explosions in the coastal town near Gaza, and rocket fire was also reported in the city of Ashdod. At least 17 Israeli civilians have been treated for injuries from rocket attacks, the military said.
On Wednesday, Israel declared a state of emergency in the central city of Lod and dispatched border police battalions to the area for reinforcements, according to the government press office. The mixed Jewish-Arab city has seen protests escalate into riots this week.
A CNN team driving through Lod early Wednesday saw roads strewn with rocks and burned out cars. Overnight, a rocket hit a house in Dahamesh, just outside the city, killing a 52-year-old man and his daughter, both Israeli-Arab citizens.
The Israeli military said in a morning briefing on Wednesday that a total of five Israeli civilians have now been killed since the start of the violent exchange of rocket fire and airstrikes between Gaza and Israel earlier this week.
A 13-story building collapse
A 13-story tower block in Gaza city collapsed on Tuesday night after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, drawing vows of retaliation from Gaza fighters.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the building contained offices used by Hamas across several floors, including intelligence offices of its military wing, and a research and development unit working on rockets.
The IDF also said it provided "advance warning to civilians in the building and provided sufficient time for them to evacuate the site."
There are reports that one person on a nearby street was injured in the building's collapse.
Separately, in the early hours of Wednesday, two separate buildings were hit, a three-floor residential building in which three people were killed, Gaza health officials said, and a 10-story building which suffered major damage but saw no fatalities. The larger building, known as the al-Jawahera building, houses media network companies and other offices.
Following the Israeli strike on the tower, a barrage of more than 200 rockets was then fired from Gaza into Israel.
Earlier Hamas had warned if residential tower buildings in Gaza were targeted, they would not sit idle and would respond with rocket fire.
The Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, says it responded with 210 rockets fired toward Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv.
Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesman in Gaza Ashraf Al-Qidra, said many Gaza residents are now in a state of panic due to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
"The deliberate targeting of civilian houses and crowded residential neighborhoods puts more than half of the population of the Gaza Strip, including women and children, in a state of panic," Al-Qidra said in a post to Twitter on Wednesday.
He said the ongoing Israeli airstrikes have "dangerous psychological repercussions due to frightening and successive sounds of explosions, scenes of destruction and victims."
Al Qidra also said 43 percent of the victims in Gaza are children and women.
Gaza's Interior Ministry's spokesman Iyad Al-Bazam also said in a statement released on Wednesday that dozens of Israeli airstrikes hit several areas in Gaza. Most airstrikes hit Gaza City and Khan Yunis in the southern portion of Gaza.
No signs of de-escalation
In the past two days, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza have fired at least 500 rockets into Israel, forcing the closure of Israel's main international airport, Ben Gurion, about fifteen kilometers east of Tel Aviv.
The fighters say it is a response to the actions of Israeli police who fired stun grenades inside the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem — one of the city's holiest sites — on Monday morning.
Hundreds of Palestinians went to hospitals for treatment after ensuing clashes with Israeli police, in the most serious violence seen in the city in weeks.
"We have the right to respond to the Israeli offensive and protect the interests of our people as long as the Israeli occupation continues the escalation," Hamas said in a statement.
The Israeli military has conducted more than 150 strikes in Gaza as of Tuesday afternoon, according to a military spokesman, who said Israel had also called up 5,000 reserve troops to active duty to "enhance" its operation in Gaza.
A number of deaths were reported in strikes in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. Among them were Amira Abdel-Fattah, 57, who was killed in her apartment along with her son who has special needs, Ibrahim Al-Masri, 11, and his brother Marwan, 7, the Palestinian health ministry said. The Israeli army says it is investigating.
A Palestinian man in Gaza told CNN over the phone that the sounds of Israeli strikes throughout Monday night, as well as the sound of outgoing rocket fire, had been "horrifying."
The man, who declined to be named, described a mood of anger in Gaza over recent events in Jerusalem. "It's the fact the Israelis targeted Al Aqsa, during Ramadan, while people were praying" that has so riled people, he said.
The man added that Israel's actions would only embolden support for Hamas, and that he believed fighters should continue firing rockets. — CNN


Clic here to read the story from its source.