An Israeli air strike has destroyed much of one of Gaza’s tallest apartment and office buildings, setting off explosions and wounding 20 people, Gaza health officials said.
Israel had no immediate comment on Tuesday’s attack.
Seventy families lived in the building, which also housed offices and a shopping complex. It was known as the Italian Compound.
Al Jazeera said that the IAF fired three warning missiles before the nighttime air strike.
The 13-story building, contained 11 floors of residential units and two floors of commercial offices and a coffee shop. Those floors also host the offices of the Ministry of Public Works and offices belonging to the political wing of Hamas movement, reported Al Jazeera.
It is not clear if the building collapsed completely or only partially. A photograph published Tuesday morning showed about half of the building shaved off, vertically, with the other half still standing. Residents of nearby homes have reportedly evacuated their residences, in fear that the tower will collapse.
Two days ago, an IAF strike destroyed the Zafer Tower 4 in Gaza, described as being 12 stories tall.
Leave a Reply