News / Palestine

Israeli military bombards home of senior Hamas leader in east Gaza

Saturday, 15 May 2021 6:18 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 15 May 2021 6:18 PM ]

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, speaks during a press conference in Gaza City, November 27, 2017. (File photo by AP)

The Israeli military has bombarded the house of senior Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya in east Gaza City, hours after destroying a tower in the besieged enclave, which housed some media outlets, in an act widely denounced as a clear targeting of journalists trying to inform the world about the regime’s crimes.

The attack targeted the house of Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas political bureau and the deputy leader in the coastal enclave, who lives in the Shejaiya refugee camp in Gaza City.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the bombardment, according to Al Jazeera, prompted Palestinian resistance groups to fire rockets toward Beer Sheva.

Al-Hayya’s home was once targeted during the 2014 Gaza war, which killed his son. Palestinian sources said al-Hayya was not in the house at the time of the Saturday attack.

Amid Gaza bombardment, Israeli minister seeks Facebook, TikTok blackout

“We are in a moment of social emergency, and we expect your assistance,” Benny Gantz was quoted as saying.

The Israeli military also confirmed bombing of al-Hayya’s house and released a video of the assault. It also said that Israeli fighter jets bombed a number of Hamas rocket launch sites that were targeting the central and southern Israeli-occupied territories.

Israel’s aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip entered its sixth consecutive day on Saturday, with at least 140 Palestinians, including 39 children, killed since the beginning of the attacks. Around 1,000 others have also been injured.

The regime in Tel Aviv escalated the tensions by a pre-dawn airstrike against al-Shati refugee camp, which killed eight children and two women from the Abu Hatab family and injured 15 others.

Israel has a right to defend itself, even against AP https://t.co/PciYVRBA3W
— Jean Bricmont (@JeanBricmont) May 15, 2021

On Saturday afternoon, Israel destroyed Al Jalaa tower in Gaza after giving a one-hour ultimatum for the evacuation of the 12-story building. The tower housed Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, along with Arab and local press.

Meanwhile, Palestinians on Saturday took to the streets in parts of the occupied West Bank to protest against continued Israeli aggression in and around al-Aqsa Mosque, the forced displacement of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood, and the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

In the occupied West Bank, the forces of the occupying regime have killed at least 13 Palestinians and injured hundreds since Monday.

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