Israel bombs TV station in Gaza amid massive border flare-up

12 Nov, 2018

The Israeli military has bombed the studios of the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television station, Palestinian officials and witnesses have confirmed. Footage of a huge blast has appeared online.

A video posted on Twitter shows huge flames erupting over the Al-Aqsa TV station. Screams can also be heard in the background.

The station was targeted as part of a series of airstrikes on Gaza by Israel on Monday. Those strikes were in response to a barrage of rockets launched from Gaza, and follow several days of tense cross-border flare-ups.

Al-Aqsa is the official Hamas-run television channel. Its programming includes news promoting Hamas, as well as children’s programming and religiously inspired entertainment.

The bombing happened after the Israeli military launched at least five non-exploding missiles nearby, warning Palestinians to evacuate, according to sources cited by Reuters.

More than 300 rockets were fired towards Israel by Gaza on Monday, 60 of which were intercepted, according to the IDF. A bus which had been used to carry Israeli soldiers was struck by an anti-tank missile from Gaza, critically injuring one.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) says it responded by striking over 70 targets in the Gaza Strip. At least two Palestinian civilians were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. One person was injured.

The Monday tensions come after days of flare-ups between the two sides. On Sunday, an Israeli special forces raid in the Gaza Strip saw at least two Hamas commanders and four other Palestinians killed. One Israeli soldier was also killed and another wounded.

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https://www.rt.com/news/443792-israel-bombs-tv-station-gaza/

IDF sends tanks to Gaza border, bracing for potential full-fledged ground offensive – reports

13 Nov, 2018

Tel Aviv has reportedly deployed additional ground forces, including tanks, to the Gaza Strip border after more than 300 rockets were fired at Israel, triggering airstrikes against some 70 targets across the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli military began reinforcing its positions along the Gaza border on Monday night after the army was reportedly given a green light to act against Hamas militants if the rocket fire against southern Israeli communities continues. Columns of trucks carrying armored vehicles were recorded heading to the border just as the IDF warned Hamas of an “iron fist” response to the most rigorous shelling of Israel since the 2014 Gaza war.

“Residents of Gaza, look closely at the pictures from Protective Edge in 2014: A picture is worth a thousand words,” Major General Kamil Abu Rokon, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), wrote on the Arabic-language Facebook page, stating that Hamas has “crossed a red line” with their attacks on Israel.

Read more at https://www.rt.com/news/443810-israel-tanks-gaza-border/