Israeli Destroys Gaza Building With Associated Press, Al Jazeera Bureaus

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel slammed the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, in a dramatic escalation that included bombing the home of a senior Hamas leader, killing a family of 10 in a refugee camp most of them children and pulverizing a high-rise that housed The Associated Press and other media.

The Hamas militant group continued a stream of rocket volleys into Israel, including a late-night barrage on Tel Aviv. One man was killed Saturday when a rocket hit his home in a suburb of the seaside metropolis.

BREAKING Israel strike destroys a building that housed AP and Al Jazeera news bureaus in Gaza.

Building was evacuated after Israeli notice

pic.twitter.com/FfcO7rLtUB

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BREAKING Israel strike destroys a building that housed AP and Al Jazeera news bureaus in Gaza.

Building was evacuated after Israeli notice

pic.twitter.com/FfcO7rLtUB
Ragp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 15, 2021

With a U.S. envoy on the ground, calls increased for a cease-fire after five days of mayhem that have left at least 145 Palestinians dead in Gaza including 41 children and 23 women and eight dead on the Israeli side, all but one of them civilians, including a 5-year-old. President Joe Biden , who has called for a de-escalation but has backed Israels campaign, spoke separately by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

A better footage that shows the second Israeli strike that has taken the building down in Gaza 15 minutes ago pic.twitter.com/chhmU7ZIS8

Ragp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 15, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Ragp Soylu","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu","cache_age":86400,"description":"A better footage that shows the second Israeli strike that has taken the building down in Gaza 15 minutes ago pic.twitter.com/chhmU7ZIS8 Ragp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 15, 2021\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_hide_thread":{"label":"Hide previous Tweet in conversation thread","value":true},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Ragp Soylu on 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A better footage that shows the second Israeli strike that has taken the building down in Gaza 15 minutes ago pic.twitter.com/chhmU7ZIS8
Ragp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 15, 2021

Still, Israel stepped up its assault, vowing to shatter the capabilities of Gazas Hamas rulers. The week of deadly violence, set off by a Hamas rocket Monday, came after weeks of mounting tensions and heavy-handed Israeli measures in contested Jerusalem.

Early Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck several buildings and roads in a vital part of Gaza City. Photos circulated by residents and journalists showed the airstrikes created a crater that blocked one of the main roads leading to Shifa, the largest hospital in the strip.

The Health Ministry said the latest airstrikes left at least two dead and 25 wounded, including children and women. There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

On Saturday, Israel bombed the home of Khalil al-Hayeh, a senior figure in Hamas political branch, saying the building served as part of the groups terrorist infrastructure. There was no immediate report on al-Hayehs fate or on any casualties.

The bombing of al-Hayehs home showed Israel was expanding its campaign beyond just the groups military commanders. Israel says it has killed dozens in Hamas military branch, though Hamas and the smaller group Islamic Jihad have only acknowledged 20 dead members.

Since the conflict began, Israel has leveled a number of Gaza Citys tallest office and residential buildings, alleging they house elements of the Hamas military infrastructure. On Saturday, it turned to the 12-story al-Jalaa Building, where the offices of the AP, the TV network Al-Jazeera and other media outlets are located, along with several floors of apartments.

The campaign will continue as long as it is required, Netanyahu said in a televised speech on Saturday evening. He alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building. Israel routinely cites a Hamas presence as a reason for targeting certain locations in airstrikes, including residential buildings. The military also has accused the militant group of using journalists as human shields, but provided no evidence to back up the claims.

The AP has operated from the building for 15 years, including through three previous wars between Israel and Hamas, without being targeted directly. During those conflicts as well as the current one, the news agencys cameras from its top floor office and roof terrace offered 24-hour live shots as militants rockets arched toward Israel and Israeli airstrikes hammered the city and its surroundings.

In the afternoon, the military called the buildings owner and warned a strike would come within an hour. AP staffers and other occupants evacuated safely.