Palestinians Say Israeli Air Strikes Destroyed a Mosque and a Hospital in Gaza
(AWP) - AWP television footage showed on Monday the destruction of a hospital and a mosque in Gaza, which Palestinians say were demolished in Israel’s ongoing air strikes of the city in response to the military operation carried out by Hamas and Palestinian factions inside Israeli towns and territories.
The International Eye Hospital was partly destroyed while an adjacent ophthalmology clinic was completely demolished.
Mohammed Felyona, owner of the destroyed clinic, said, "Those who were at the hospital called me and said that the centre had been destroyed, so I came and found the scene as it is now."
Palestinian factions from the Gaza Strip launched a surprise large-scale attack on Israeli towns and residential communities in the surrounding area on Saturday morning, killing more than 700 Israelis.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Monday that retaliatory Israeli strikes have killed 508 Palestinians and injured more than 2,800.
On Monday morning, a thick cloud of smoke covered the skies over the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood, in eastern Gaza, as the Israeli shelling continued.
In Israel, i24 News TV said that sirens sounded in several settlements around Gaza.
The Times of Israel newspaper reported on Monday an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and members of Hamas in the city of Sderot, southern Israel.
The paper said that there were human casualties on the Israeli side but added that earlier fears of hostage-taking appear to have dissipated.