Israel demolishes Gaza building, housing Al Jazeera & other media offices after warning; VIDEOs emerge

New Delhi: Amid the escalating face-off with terror group Hamas in Gaza Strip, Israeli forces on Saturday demolished a sky-rise building that housed offices of Al-Jazeera, Associated Press & other media outlets. This is one of the severest air strike by Israeli forces on Gaza strip.

The 12-storey building collapsed within minutes after getting bombed, releasing gigantic cloud of dust.

⭕ LIVE footage of the moment an Israeli air raid bombed the offices of Al Jazeera and The Associated Press in Gaza City ⬇️

? LIVE updates: https://t.co/RvtP1lEX1x pic.twitter.com/RBO1ZiDAl0

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 15, 2021

Israeli military attacked and razed the structure, however, it issued a warning an hour before the airstrike and asked all to evacuate the building.

Owner of the high-rise building in Gaza strip, where the offices of AP, Al Jazeera and other media outlets were located, reportedly said that he received a call from Israel’s military, who warned him that his building will be targeted by an airstrike.

What a video. Watch the owner of al-Jalaa tower in Gaza pleading with an Israeli officer on live TV to let journalists collect their gear before Israel bombs the media tower, which houses @AP & Aljazeera.pic.twitter.com/S83l6KHJ9Q

— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) May 15, 2021

Hostility between Israel and Hamas is at an all-time high and has been intensifying with each passing day. Intense aerial exchanges that started on Tuesday evening have seen no let off and are continuing with full force from both sides.

VIDEO: IDF airstrike destroys the Al-Jalaa building in Gaza, used as the offices of AP and Al-Jazeera. pic.twitter.com/I1HCr3Ld5k

— Conflict News (@Conflicts) May 15, 2021

139 killed in Gaza, 9 in Israel; clashes in West Bank too

Since Monday night, Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, which has pounded the Gaza Strip with strikes.

In Gaza, at least 139 people have been killed, including 39 children and 22 women; in Israel, eight people have been killed.

The latest outburst of violence began in Jerusalem and has spread across the region, with Jewish-Arab clashes and rioting in mixed cities of Israel. There were also widespread Palestinian protests Friday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces shot and killed 11 people.