Israeli Airstrike Collapses Gaza Apartment Tower

[Galraedia]

Source: Associated Press

Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a 12-story apartment tower in downtown Gaza City on Saturday, collapsing the building, sending a huge fireball into the sky and wounding at least 22 people, including 11 children, witnesses and Palestinian officials said.

Israel has launched some 5,000 airstrikes against Gaza in nearly seven weeks of fighting with Hamas, but Saturday's strike marked the first time an entire high-rise was toppled. The explosion shook nearby buildings.

The Israeli military said the airstrike targeted a Hamas operations room in the building, but did not explain why the entire tower with 48 apartments was levelled.

Gaza police say Israeli aircraft fired a warning missile at the roof of the tower at dusk, followed five minutes later by two missiles with explosives.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hamas-backs-international-criminal-court-bid-25095502

[hrmjustin]

1. I saw the pictures on twitter. This was a crime!

[Fred Sanders]

2. They target civilians directly, sending them fleeing in terror with a propaganda "knock".

Then destroying their homes and killing or wounding them if they are tardy....criminal.

[alsame]

3. OMG. nt

[Purveyor]

4. 5 minute warning to evacuate a 12 story apartment building. Ok...got it.

[candelista]

24. That's so they could say there was a "warning."

Like the sentry who yells "Halt-halt-halt!" (all one word) before he shoots.

[oberliner]

27. And somehow not a single person was killed in the attack

How'd that happen?

[Purveyor]

30. By the grace of god I suppose. eom

[GeoWilliam750]

5. Interesting strategy

Give the fit and able militants time to get out, but kill the slow and weak.

It sometimes seems that Israel does not really want Hamas to go away, but rather they want constant war to distract people from what the government is doing elsewhere. Corruption, inequality, injustice. "But look over there, Hamas." I also noticed that we have been hearing relatively little lately about the imminent existential threat from Iran.

If a threat did not exist, one would have to be invented. Imagine the domestic discord in Israel if there were no external existential threats.

[BillZBubb]

9. You are correct.

The Israeli right wants Hamas around. They need Hamas. Hamas is the gift that keeps on giving. Using Hamas as the big bad wolf allows Israel to commit whatever crimes it wants. Hamas is always their go to excuse to kill any peace prospects.

[Bragi]

16. Hama's is the new Arafat. /nt

X

[Rhinodawg]

18. True

They both have innocent Israeli blood on their hands.

[FLPanhandle]

19. Hamas is too stupid to figure that out.

The people of Gaza should just hunt all members of Hamas down.

[Purveyor]

6. Video of the "crime"...

[onwardsand upwards]

8. Thanks for showing this.

I'm not sure why you put inverted commas around the word crime, though.

This was a war crime, pure and simple.

Because Israel is an "ally" of the USA, though, this crime will go unpunished ...

[BillZBubb]

10. No quotation marks needed. It is a crime pure and simple.

[SoapBox]

7. ...sick bastards.

[BillZBubb]

11. Par for the course for Israel.

Murdering civilians is not a problem for them. They always know the US will cover for them.

[SnakeEyes]

12. Murdering civilians is not a problem for Hamas

they know significant elements of the international community will cover for them

[WhoWoodaKnew]

17. yeah, both sides have extremely dirty hands.

[oberliner]

28. Not a single person was killed in the attack

Did you not read the article?

[Mosby]

13. Air strike destroys key Hamas command center

The Israel Air Force struck a 13-story building in Gaza City on Saturday evening that housed an enormous Hamas command center, IDF sources said, adding that only combatants were inside at the time.

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/IAF-strike-destroys-residential-tower-block-in-Gaza-372030

[SnakeEyes]

14. Telling that

not even Hamas is claiming many dead from this strike

[AngryAmish]

15. Another vid

لحظة استهداف برج الظافر 4 - تصوير عين ميديا:

[FLPanhandle]

20. How do people know to film that particular building at that time?

Even before the airstrike.

[Galraedia]

21. Israel knocks on the building with a mortar 3 to 10 minutes before they blow it up.

[AngryAmish]

22. iirc, there was a warning somehow

[daleo]

25. Reminds one of WTC, visually speaking.

Though on a smaller scale, of course.

[oberliner]

31. Except without a single person getting killed

Among other differences.

[ManiacJoe]

34. Wow. That building was brought down with

almost the same precision as a demolition team.

[Ash_F]

23. And the ghetto gets that much more crowded and unlivable.

Who will be the first president to say "Mr. Netanyahu, tear down that wall"?

[SnakeEyes]

32. The wall will never come down

Until Israel is certain that palestinian suicide bombers are no longer a threat.

[Ash_F]

33. It will and, as with previous racist regimes, minorities will get some say in that decision. /nt

[quadrature]

26. mud can be substituted for concrete, to construct housing

steel re-bar and concrete and needed
to build tunnels

[oberliner]

29. And not a single person was killed thankfully

That is pretty amazing.

[The Stranger]

35. Baby killers.