Reports indicated that these buildings were being used by Hamas’ senior members to plan and execute terrorist operations.
Israel retaliated with an airstrike on Saturday in response to the surprise early morning attack by Hamas, involving thousands of rockets and dozens of fighters targeting Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip resulting in massive casualties. This airstrike flattened a high-rise building suspected to house Hamas’ offices.
The surprise attack by Hamas, ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’, involved a relentless barrage of 3,000 rockets and an unparalleled infiltration into Israel’s southern towns. The conflict escalated to gunfights and hostage situations as Hamas’ attack extended to approximately 22 locations spanning up to 15 miles from the Gaza border. In response, Israel launched a formidable airstrike on Gaza’s coastal enclave, dubbed ‘Operation Iron Swords.’
Israel Strikes Back
Israel’s counterattack significantly increased the Palestinian death toll to at least 232, as confirmed by officials. The Israeli Air Force targeted two high-rise buildings housing military infrastructures used by senior members of the Hamas terrorist organization.
Reports indicated that these buildings were being used by Hamas’ senior members to plan and execute terrorist operations.
Video footage shows a missile hitting the two high-rise buildings. Within seconds the buildings collapse and are razed to the ground.
It is still unclear if the airstrike killed any of the top Hamas leaders.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to demolish Hamas’ hideouts in Gaza, aiming to reduce them to “rubble.”
In a late-night briefing, the Israeli military said that the ongoing conflict’s trajectory would be influenced by the number of civilian and military personnel taken hostage by Hamas, underlining the gravity of the situation.
