Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Israeli Strikes Hit Gaza Tunnels as Diplomats Work for Truce
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
May 17, 2021

Share

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military unleashed a wave of heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Monday, saying it destroyed 15 kilometers (9 miles) of militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders, as international diplomats worked to end the weeklong war that has killed hundreds of people.

The latest attacks killed a top Gaza leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group whom the Israeli military blamed for some of the thousands of rocket attacks launched at Israel in recent days.

Israel has said it intends to press on for now with its attacks against Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and the United States signaled it would not pressure the two sides for a cease-fire.

Casualties Rise as Violence Continues

At least 200 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes, including 59 children and 35 women, with 1,300 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Eight people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel.

Violence has also erupted between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, leaving scores of people injured. On Monday, an Israeli man attacked last week by a group of Arab citizens in the central city of Lod died of his wounds, according to police.

The overnight airstrikes in Gaza on Monday hollowed out one floor of a multistory concrete building. A woman picked through clothing, rubble and splintered furniture in a room that had been destroyed. One strike demolished the wall of one room, leaving untouched an open cabinet filled with bedding inside. Children walked over debris in the road.

A car in the street that witnesses said was hit by an airstrike was bent and torn, its roof ripped back and what was left of the driver’s side door smeared with blood. A beachside cafe the car had just left was splintered and on fire. Rescue workers tried to put out the blaze with a small fire extinguisher. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Extensive Damage to Roads and Infrastructure

Gaza’s mayor, Yahya Sarraj, told Al-Jazeera TV that the strikes had caused extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure. “If the aggression continues, we expect conditions to become worse,” he said.

The U.N. has warned that the territory’s sole power station is at risk of running out of fuel, and Sarraj said Gaza was also low on spare parts. Gaza already experiences daily power outages for between eight and 12 hours, and tap water is undrinkable. Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the territory’s electricity distribution company, said it has fuel to supply Gaza with electricity for two or three days.

The war broke out May 10, when Hamas long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the holy city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The protests were focused on the heavy-handed policing of a flashpoint sacred site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.

More protests were expected across the region Tuesday in response to a call by Palestinian citizens of Israel for a general strike. The protest has the support of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party.

Since the fighting began, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas’ militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,200 rockets into Israel. Israeli military officials said Hamas had stockpiled about 15,000 rockets before the war started. Rocket attacks continued Monday, with one hitting a building in the city of Ashdod that caused injuries, the Israeli police said.

U.S. Not to Pressure a Cease-Fire

U.S. diplomat Hady Amr met with a delegation from the Palestinian Authority on Monday, a day after meeting senior Israeli leaders. But the Biden administration has declined so far to publicly criticize Israel’s part in the fighting or send a top-level envoy to the region.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Denmark, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would support any initiative to stop the fighting, but signaled the country did not intend to put pressure on the two sides to accept a cease-fire.

“Ultimately it is up to the parties to make clear that they want to pursue a cease-fire,” he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasized Germany’s solidarity with Israel, condemned the continued rocket attacks from Gaza and expressed hope for a swift end to the fighting, according to her office.

Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad, said the group has been contacted by the United Nations, Russia, Egypt and Qatar as part of cease-fire efforts but “will not accept a solution that is not up to the sacrifices of the Palestinian people.”

In an interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, he blamed the war on Israel’s actions in Jerusalem and boasted that the rockets were “paralyzing the usurping entity (Israel).”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his government is working to “urgently” end the violence, in his first comments since the war broke out. Egypt, which borders Gaza and Israel, has played a central role in the cease-fires brokered after previous rounds of fighting.

Israel Attacks ‘Metro’ Tunnels and Houses of Commanders

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it struck 35 “terror targets” Monday as well as the tunnels, which it says are part of an elaborate system it refers to as the “Metro,” used by fighters to take cover from airstrikes.

The tunnels extend for hundreds of kilometers (miles), with some more than 20 meters (yards) deep, according to an Israeli Air Force official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations. The official said Israel was not trying to destroy all the tunnels, just chokepoints and major junctions.

The military also said it struck nine houses in different parts of northern Gaza that belonged to “high-ranking commanders” in Hamas. Islamic Jihad said a strike killed Hasam Abu Harbid, the militant group’s commander for the northern Gaza Strip.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130 and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were “eliminated.”

Israel’s airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza City’s tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets. The Israeli military alerted staff and residents before the strike, and all were able to evacuate safely.

Sally Buzbee, the AP’s executive editor, has called for an independent investigation into the airstrike.

Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said Sunday any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. Blinken said he hasn’t yet seen any evidence supporting Israel’s claim.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Wants You to Adopt This Adorable Puppy

DON'T MISS

Fresno Breaks Up with Park Operator Over Alleged Million Dollar Miss

DON'T MISS

Maher Thinks Votes Will Turn His Way Against Costa

DON'T MISS

Dodgers Star Fernando Valenzuela Remembered for Having ‘the Heart of a Lion’ at His Funeral

DON'T MISS

Hundreds of Californians Flee and Homes Burn as Powerful Winds Feed Wildfires

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Slams Democrats for “Hoaxes” and Hypocrisy on Joe Rogan’s Podcast

DON'T MISS

Clovis Unified’s Outdoor Education Employees Seeking Union Representation

DON'T MISS

Harris Says Nation Must Accept Election Results, Urging Supporters to Keep Fighting

DON'T MISS

Democrats Enter a Trump Presidency Without a Plan or a Clear Leader

DON'T MISS

How Harris Lost Will Be Her Legacy

UP NEXT

Lebanon Files Complaint Against Israel at UN Labor Body Over Deadly Pager Explosions

UP NEXT

Despite Trump’s Unpredictability, Netanyahu Sees a More Favorable US President

UP NEXT

Israeli Strikes Target Syria for a Second Day in a Row

UP NEXT

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

UP NEXT

Palestinians in Gaza Fear Neither Candidate in US Election Will Help Them

UP NEXT

Ukrainian Troops Have Engaged With North Korean Units for the 1st Time in Russia, an Official Says

UP NEXT

Middle East Latest: Dozens Killed in Gaza as Israel Says It Targeted a Weapons Facility

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

UP NEXT

Israel Ends Agreement With UN Agency Providing Aid in Gaza

UP NEXT

US Confirms Reports That Iran Arrested an Iranian-American Citizen

Dodgers Star Fernando Valenzuela Remembered for Having ‘the Heart of a Lion’ at His Funeral

13 hours ago

Hundreds of Californians Flee and Homes Burn as Powerful Winds Feed Wildfires

13 hours ago

Elon Musk Slams Democrats for “Hoaxes” and Hypocrisy on Joe Rogan’s Podcast

14 hours ago

Clovis Unified’s Outdoor Education Employees Seeking Union Representation

14 hours ago

Harris Says Nation Must Accept Election Results, Urging Supporters to Keep Fighting

15 hours ago

Democrats Enter a Trump Presidency Without a Plan or a Clear Leader

15 hours ago

How Harris Lost Will Be Her Legacy

15 hours ago

Henry Ellard Jr., Son of Former NFL Star, Pleads Guilty in COVID Relief Theft

16 hours ago

Wired Wednesday – Hikers, Off-Roaders React to Proposed Change to Sierra National Forest

17 hours ago

Black Women Notch Historic Senate Wins in an Election Year Defined by Potential Firsts

17 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Wants You to Adopt This Adorable Puppy

Ramona is one of those great pups at just 5 months old who is just so very curious and interested in what people are doing! Seriously, she a...

35 mins ago

35 mins ago

Cat House on the Kings Wants You to Adopt This Adorable Puppy

12 hours ago

Fresno Breaks Up with Park Operator Over Alleged Million Dollar Miss

12 hours ago

Maher Thinks Votes Will Turn His Way Against Costa

13 hours ago

Dodgers Star Fernando Valenzuela Remembered for Having ‘the Heart of a Lion’ at His Funeral

Firefighters spray water on a burning structure during the Mountain Fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP/Ethan Swope)
13 hours ago

Hundreds of Californians Flee and Homes Burn as Powerful Winds Feed Wildfires

14 hours ago

Elon Musk Slams Democrats for “Hoaxes” and Hypocrisy on Joe Rogan’s Podcast

14 hours ago

Clovis Unified’s Outdoor Education Employees Seeking Union Representation

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech for the 2024 presidential election on the campus of Howard University in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP/Ben Curtis)
15 hours ago

Harris Says Nation Must Accept Election Results, Urging Supporters to Keep Fighting

Search

Send this to a friend