Israel bombed and destroyed a building housing a cultural center in Gaza City before reportedly agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas late Thursday.

The obliteration of the building in the heart of the densely populated Gaza Strip followed a night of terror for Palestinians in the territory.

Gaza’s health ministry stated that Hayat, the unborn child being carried by Inas Khamash, 23, was “born a martyr.”

The woman was laid to rest in the same coffin together with her toddler daughter, Bayan, and Hayat on Thursday.

Her husband Muhammad was hospitalized after being injured in the bombing that killed his family.

The Israeli military said that it had hit 150 targets in Gaza since Wednesday evening.

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported the military’s claims that 200 rockets were fired from Gaza, more than 30 of them intercepted and most of the remainder landing in open areas.

A foreign laborer working at an Israeli greenhouse was reported to have been “moderately to seriously injured” by a rocket fired from Gaza. Twenty-three Israelis have been hospitalized for injuries as a result of rocket fire since Wednesday, according to Haaretz.

A rocket fired from Gaza hit the city of Beersheba, in southern Israel, on Thursday, causing no injuries or damage.

An Israeli police spokesperson posted photos of a small crater and shrapnel said to be from the rocket:

Israel claimed that the building housed Hamas’ internal security services, describing it as “the operational arm of the political leadership of the Hamas terror group.”

Yet the army also openly admitted to intentionally targeting civilian areas so that civilians would “demand explanations from Hamas”:

A Hamas spokesperson stated that the bombing of the cultural center, which also housed an organization providing services to Egyptian women married to Palestinian men in Gaza, was “barbaric” and “an attempt to sabotage Egyptian efforts in the Gaza Strip.”

That was in reference to indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, facilitated by Egypt and the United Nations, that were said to be at an advanced stage earlier this month.

Adel Abd al-Rahman, president of the Egyptian community in Gaza, stated that services were provided to thousands of Egyptian mothers in the building before it was “destroyed in an ugly and arrogant way.”

The Islamic Jihad faction stated that the attack “reveals attempts to destroy the cultural and national identity of our people.”

Palestinians took to social media to mourn the destruction of one of the few large venues for theater and music performances in besieged and isolated Gaza:

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Comments

Zionism is barbarism

Permalink tom hall replied on Fri, 08/10/2018 - 14:22

By any measure, Israel's targeted destruction of the Said al-Mishal Cultural Center is a war crime. Moreover, it's a war crime admitted to be such by the Israeli state, in an official announcement- "so residents feel the price of the escalation and demand explanations from Hamas." That's a confession of criminal intent and execution. The bombing of this invaluable civic site for the express purpose of forcing the civilian populace to apply pressure on their government constitutes a textbook instance of terrorism. Of course, every bomb that falls, every bullet fired from an Israeli rifle, and every act in service to Gaza's blockade falls under the same definition. Zionism is not merely racism . It's not only fascism. Zionism is barbarism.

.

Permalink hnhn replied on Thu, 08/16/2018 - 22:06

It's not even a war by this point, it's collective torture. Any feeble attempt to resist is met with overwhelming force.

Destruction of cultural centre

Permalink Guy replied on Fri, 08/10/2018 - 17:20

Pure hatred does not get more explicit than this . They will destroy anything that is related to the Palestinians , the true sovereign people of this land.

war crimes, anyone?

Permalink Eric replied on Fri, 08/10/2018 - 19:51

Among the criteria for determining whether genocide is under way is destroying a people's culture.
Plus destroying water and sanitation infrastructure, of course.

correct

Permalink Robert replied on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 20:20

that's correct. this fits into a pattern of Israeli behavior that fits the definition of genocide given by the man who coined the term, lemkin. More on this here:

http://washingtonsblog.com/201...

Gaza

Permalink Mary replied on Sat, 08/11/2018 - 02:02

How does the ADL ignore this but calls for condemnation of others. This is beyond any words.The murders of the Palestinians

in the interests of open discussion

Permalink tom hall replied on Sun, 08/12/2018 - 09:56

And when we call for the cultural boycott of Israel, we are told that these exchanges are sacrosanct and should not be the target of political action. Here we have yet another example of Israel's regard for cultural institutions. The form of exchange couldn't be more explicit: Israel bombs a performance space. The next time somebody tells me that it's better to promote an Israeli dance troupe than to protest the strangulation of Gaza, I may just mention the Mishal Theatre.

The center

Permalink Carol Scheller replied on Sat, 08/11/2018 - 22:14

I will always treasure my memory of the one time I attended an event in the Mishal theatre - a big theatre with its stage and beautiful red curtain and all the people of both sexes, of all ages, all sorts of dress - the place vibrated with modernity and innovation, quite like the film we watched. A young lady was the filmmaker. She addressed the room by microphone in modern attire and with perfect professionalism. Is that maybe what they wanted to destroy ? How foolish - it will only spur more determination to create. The concert given in the ruins of Mishal was a promise !