The Israeli occupation air forces launched a series of violent raids on the Gaza Strip during the night without prior warning, which led to the destruction of a number of residential buildings, and the civil defense teams began their work to rescue families still under the rubble.
Al-Jazeera correspondent in the Gaza Strip, Hisham Zaqout, said that after midnight, the occupation warplanes fired about 10 missiles at about 5 residential buildings in Al-Wahda Street in Al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City, which led to their complete or partial destruction.
The correspondent quoted some families and eyewitnesses that the residents of the area did not receive any prior warning, and that the Israeli reconnaissance planes did not fire any warning missiles before bombing the buildings.
He added that there are a number of families under the rubble, and that the civil defense teams are making unremitting efforts to rescue the stranded, while their cries are heard among the rubble.
And the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced the death of 3 Palestinians and the wounding of 25 others - most of them children and women - as a result of the recent strikes.
Violent shelling on Al-Wehda Street in the city of # Gaza. # Gaza_Under_Attack pic.twitter.com/mD2zC2p1jP
- Sawa News Agency (@palsawa) May 15, 2021
The raids also targeted a house in the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Strip, and a house in Al-Sinaa Street, south of Gaza City, as well as major roads and junctions. The bombing also extended to Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip and to separate areas in the northern Gaza Strip.
Al-Jazeera camera monitored the arrival of a number of injured women and children to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City with their families in a state of panic.
Targeting Hamas leaders
The Al-Jazeera correspondent indicated that the raids targeted the house and office of the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, and the house of his brother, the leader of the movement, Muhammad Sinwar, and one of the raids targeted a government headquarters belonging to the Palestinian Crossings Authority on the border with Egypt.
Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats continued to bombard the Gaza City beach with a number of rockets.
For its part, Israeli media said that the Israeli warplanes launched more than 100 raids on the Gaza Strip within one hour.
At a press conference late on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow "our Jewish community" to be threatened by attacks.
"Not easy days await us, and we must remain vigilant and united ... We will do whatever is required to restore calm to the streets of Israel," Netanyahu added.
The occupation air forces launched successive raids on Al-Wehda Street in Gaza, damaging the sidewalks and the street. # Palestine # Hamas terrorpic.twitter.com/BfcewmqDCi
- Nidal - Palestine Videos Now 🇵🇸 (@ th3war) May 15, 2021
Commenting on the recent raids, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that "targeting civilians will not limit the resistance's strikes, and every crime committed by the enemy will pay its price before the blood dries up."
The Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip entered its seventh day today, Sunday, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the total number of victims during the 6 days of the aggression in Gaza reached 145 martyrs, including 41 children and 23 women, in addition to 1100 injuries.
Qassam bombed Greater Tel Aviv
Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - dealt a major missile strike to what is known as the greater Tel Aviv area and other Israeli areas after midnight in response to the bombing of homes in Gaza.
Al-Jazeera correspondent Shirin Abu Aqleh quoted Israeli sources as saying that 42 rockets fell on Tel Aviv and central Israel after midnight, while the sirens sounded 3 times.
רמלה, ג׳ועריש🚀👇 pic.twitter.com/ZVPcw6xSKt
- Real News IL (@RealNewsIL) May 15, 2021
The correspondent added that a missile fell on the main street No. 6 in Tel Aviv, and rockets fell in 3 locations in the city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv.
Israeli media said that 10 Israelis were wounded while fleeing to shelters after rockets were fired from Gaza, but no direct injuries were recorded.
בת ים🚀👇 pic.twitter.com/Mo26E0zhD8
- Real News IL (@RealNewsIL) May 15, 2021
Al-Jazeera correspondent Elias Karam said that a barrage of rockets was launched from the Gaza Strip from several directions towards Tel Aviv and its northern, southern and eastern suburbs.
The bombing targeted the cities of Rishon Lezion, Herzliya and Ptah Tikva in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, and there were reports that rockets had reached the Hasharon area, north of Tel Aviv, which means an expansion of the target areas.
About two hours after this strike, the Palestinian factions launched new batches of rockets towards the Negev region and the city of Beersheba and its environs.