Israeli strike on al-Jalaa tower in Gaza: revelations from Haaretz daily

Aerial view of the al-Jalaa tower in Gaza City, razed to the ground by an Israeli airstrike, May 21, 2021. AFP - MAHMUD HAMS

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It was one of the most impressive bombings of the war in Gaza last May.

Thirteen floors that crumble like a house of cards, following an Israeli airstrike.

Israeli daily

 reveals that Israeli forces did not actually find out that the tower was hosting international media until the last moment.

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From our correspondent in Jerusalem,

As before almost all of its bombings in Gaza, the IDF begins by alerting civilians in the targeted area.

Some residents receive a phone call: " 

 ".

Everyone also

the r

, literally “the knocking on the roof”: one of the techniques used by the Israeli army in Gaza, to signal an impending bombardment. This is a warning bomb, which produces a loud explosion, but no damage. During this warning strike, reports

, journalists from the al-Jalaa tower alerted the Israeli press to their presence in the building. And the information ends up going back to the General Staff of Israel: "the tower houses the premises of international media", namely the American news agency Associated Press, and the television channel Al -Jazeera.

From there, confusion reigned in the ranks of the army.

According to the Israeli army, this building was used for Hamas intelligence.

Some military officials advocate the cancellation of the bombing.

According to them, such an operation would only damage the image of the Hebrew state on the international scene.

But for other senior army officials, the air raid must be carried out.

At 3:17 p.m. on May 15, the al-Jalaa tower was destroyed.

It also housed around thirty apartments, and as many offices.

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