Hamad City Towers Leveled in Recent Airstrikes: Deliberate Strategy or Collateral Damage?
Watan-In the early hours of Saturday, Israeli occupation forces carried out heavy airstrikes in several areas east of Khan Younis, specifically targeting residential towers in the city of Hamad located in the southern Gaza Strip.
It is worth noting that Hamad City, situated in Khan Younis, was generously donated and constructed by the former Qatari Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
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Occupation Targets Residential Towers in Hamad City
The occupation forces carried out airstrikes on the residential towers of Hamad City in Khan Younis. This occurred shortly after the expiration of the temporary humanitarian ceasefire, which came into effect at 7 a.m. on Friday, November 24th, and was initially extended for an additional three days.
Video footage captured from a nearby area revealed the initial moments of the airstrikes, with a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the towers of Hamad City. Civilians were observed running to avoid the aftermath of the bombardment.
Notably, an individual was seen documenting the Israeli airstrikes on the towers, which were constructed through the generosity of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the father of the current Amir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad.
A second clip depicted a missile descending from above onto one of the towers, accompanied by flames and a rising column of black smoke.
Israeli Strikes Precede Attack on Qatari Committee Headquarters for Gaza Reconstruction
Prior to the recent airstrikes on Hamad City, the Israeli forces targeted the headquarters of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza. Activists believe that Israel deliberately attacks structures constructed by Qatar in the Gaza Strip, including offices affiliated with Doha within the besieged territory.
In mid-November, the occupation forces also subjected the headquarters of the Qatari Committee for Gaza Reconstruction to bombardment. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as an “Israeli airstrike” on the committee’s headquarters in Gaza.
بيان| قطر تدين بأشد العبارات قصف الاحتلال الإسرائيلي لمقر اللجنة القطرية لإعادة إعمار غزة#الخارجية_القطرية pic.twitter.com/XaUESlb5om
— الخارجية القطرية (@MofaQatar_AR) November 13, 2023
Qatar’s foreign ministry deemed this attack a blatant violation of international law, an extension of the occupation’s approach in targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, residential areas, and shelters for displaced persons.
In its statement, the ministry highlighted that the bombing of the Qatari Committee’s headquarters aligns with a policy of targeting humanity, particularly as the committee, through its projects, worked to alleviate the suffering of the residents in the beleaguered Gaza Strip, plagued by prolonged blockade and ongoing aggression.
Incendiary Attacks and Intensive Shelling Target Southern Areas of Gaza
On Friday evening, Israeli forces deployed incendiary belts and launched illuminating grenades over central and eastern Khan Younis. The Israeli aircraft targeted various areas within Khan Younis, including Sheikh Nasser, Abu Hameed Roundabout, Licensing area, near Jalal Street, Al-Mahatta neighborhood, the Battalion area, and the central part of Khan Younis.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Interior’s media office in the Gaza Strip reported intense gunfire and artillery shelling in the eastern regions of Khan Younis. The statement, conveyed through Palestinian media outlets, also indicated that Israeli naval warships carried out concentrated shelling along the province’s coastline.
Residents of the Gaza Strip express concern that the escalated bombardment in southern areas might signal the beginning of a ground military operation, potentially commencing in the southern part of the territory.
