Israeli airstrikes on Gaza city killed at least 26 people and crushed three buildings on Sunday, making it the bloodiest day since renewed fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas a week ago. 50 people were wounded in the attack.
According to AP, the home of Gaza’s Hamas chief, Yehya al-Sinwar, was also targeted. So far, 181 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks while 1,225 wounded.
Tensions began in east Jerusalem earlier this month, following Palestinian protests against Israel's forced evictions of residents in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The conflict intensified after Israeli police stormed the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, a frequent flashpoint located on a mount in the Old City that is revered by Muslims and Jews alike.
While several Arab nations have condemned Israel for its airstrikes on Gaza, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the airstrikes would continue.
Since the incident at Al-Aqsa, Israeli cities have been bombarded by rocket attacks fired from the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) responding with airstrikes. Several videos of Israel's Iron Dome air defence system have shown the country intercepting missiles fired by Hamas. On Thursday morning, a passenger on an EI AI flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv captured footage of Israel’s missile-defence system intercepting rockets fired from Gaza.
Chaos has spilt onto other areas of Israel—riots have been breaking out amid scuffles between Arab and Jewish residents. The military, on Sunday, said the home of Sinwar’s brother Muhammed, another senior Hamas member, was also struck.
Hamas' senior leadership has likely gone into hiding and it is unlikely that there was anyone in the homes when the military attacked, AP reported. Top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh divides his time between Turkey and Qatar, both of which provide political support to the group.
Diplomatic efforts
A US diplomat is in the region trying to de-escalate the situation, even as the US blocked a UN Security Council meeting that was scheduled for Friday. Now, the UNSC is scheduled to have an emergency meet on Sunday to discuss what has become one of the worst conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians in recent times.
An attempt to broker a ceasefire may be hindered if the homes of leaders of the Hamas group are targeted.
Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group have acknowledged 20 fighters killed since the fighting broke out Monday. However, Israel says the real number is far higher and has released the names and photos of two dozen alleged operatives it says were eliminated.
An Egyptian diplomat told AP that Cairo is working to broker peace in the region. Egypt, to put pressure on Israel, has threatened to suspend cooperation in various fields.
Turkey too has taken a strong stance, on Sunday telling a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that it recommends the setting up of an "international protection force" with military and financial contributions of willing countries.
With inputs from agencies