Israeli Airstrikes Killed 33 Palestinians Sunday as Hamas Fired Morning Rockets into Israel
Israeli airstrikes killed 33 Palestinians on Sunday as Hamas fired a morning barrage of rockets into Israel.
In Gaza, 181 people have died since the fighting began on Monday, Reuters reported. Ten individuals have been killed in Israel by terrorists from more than 2,800 rocket attacks.
Though Israel’s Iron Dome has intercepted most of the rockets in the past six days, the amount fired is “more than half the number fired during 51 days in a 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, the military said, and more intensive even than Hezbollah’s bombardment from Lebanon during the 2006 war between Israel and the Iran-backed Shi’ite group.”
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement Sunday, suggesting the counteroffensive will continue until the job is done.“We continue the operation in Gaza as much as needed to restore calm – it will take time,” he said.
BREAKING: Netanyahu: We continue the operation in Gaza as much as needed to restore calm – it will take time
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 16, 2021
The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to debate the matter Sunday. The Biden administration’s Deputy Assistant Secretary to Israel and Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, arrived on the scene Friday, while the United States Embassy in Israel said the purpose of the journey was “to reinforce the need to work toward a sustainable calm.”
Meanwhile, the White House told Israel on Saturday the security of journalists is important after Israeli forces destroyed a building where journalist worked and Hamas “placed military assets.”
“We have communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted after Israeli Defense Forces destroyed a building that housed the Associated Press and Al Jazeera in Gaza City.
The Israeli Defense Forces defended their counteroffensive due to Hamas utilizing the building for “multiple military purposes such as intelligence gathering, planning attacks, command and control, and communications.”
Associated Press President and CEO Gary Pruitt rejected the attack in a statement, saying, “We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.”
