GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Dec 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Hamas on
Saturday denounced as “barbaric” overnight strikes it said damaged a Gaza
children’s hospital, while Israel’s army said it was responding to rocket
fire from the enclave.
The Israeli army said it struck three Hamas targets, including a rocket
manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post, after two
rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip.
But Gaza’s ruling Hamas in a statement said a “barbaric” Israeli strike had
damaged a children’s hospital and a centre for people with special needs.
Medical sources in Gaza said the strikes “lightly wounded” two civilians,
including a child.
The Israeli army, however, insisted on Saturday afternoon that it did not
hit the hospital.
“Secondary explosions, which were identified from the strike on the Hamas
rocket manufacturing site, are suspected of causing the damage to the nearby
located hospital,” an army statement said.
Hamas “deliberately places military targets at the heart of densely
populated areas”, while the Israeli army “takes all possible precautions to
avoid harming civilians and civilian buildings”, the statement added.
Sirens had sounded on Friday night in the southern port city of Ashkelon
and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, according to an earlier army
statement.
“Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory,” the
statement said, adding that they were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial
Defence System.
There were no reports of damage as a result of the interceptions.
Israeli emergency medical services said several people were treated for
shock.
The latest fire from the Palestinian enclave came over a month after one
rocket was launched from the coastal strip into Israel.
Islamist group Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organisation,
seized control of Gaza from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 in a
near civil war.
Since then, Hamas has fought three devastating wars with Israel in the
territory, where about two million Palestinians live.
Israel has since maintained a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip to
prevent Hamas from arming.