ISRAELI military has blown up a Gaza government building just days after vowing there was “no hiding” place for the terror group.
Dramatic footage posted to social media shows an explosion at the building before it becomes engulfed in a raging blaze, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
Footage on social media shows the moment the IDF blew up a government building in Gaza
Thick plumes of smoke filled the sky following the explosion
The parliament building was located in Gaza City
It comes just two days after Israeli troops were pictured inside a Gaza parliamentary building, located in Gaza City.
Striking images showed the IDF troops proudly waving Israeli flags inside the building after capturing the site.
The smiling soldiers were seen inside the bullet-ridden building behind rows of seats and a table where Hamas leaders once sat.
The building was captured by the 7th Armored Brigade and Golani Infantry Brigade.
Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas from Gaza and is continuing its ground offensive in the enclave’s north.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said there was “no hiding” place for the terror group in the territory.
“They told us we wouldn’t reach the outskirts of Gaza City and we did, they told us we wouldn’t enter Al-Shifa (hospital) and we did,” he said hours after troops raided the territory’s biggest hospital.
“There is no place in Gaza that we won’t reach.”
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also declared that Hamas no longer maintained control over Gaza.
In a statement, he said: “There is no power of Hamas capable of stopping the IDF. The IDF is advancing to every point.
“The Hamas organization has lost control of Gaza, terrorists are fleeing south, civilians are looting Hamas bases, they have no confidence in the government.”
On November 13, the IDF said it raided Gaza City’s Al Rantisi children’s hospital after claiming Hamas operatives were holed up inside.
It released footage of what appeared to be an underground terror nest littered with babies’ nappies and bottles – possibly indicating hostages could have been held there.
Troops said they found many weapons in the hospital basement, including explosive belts, grenades, weapons, and RPG missiles.
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “Underneath the hospital, in the basement, we found a Hamas command and control center, suicide-bomb vests, grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, explosive devices, RPGs, and other weapons.”
“This is a kind of gear used for a major fight,” he added.
Last night, Israeli special forces launched a “precise and targeted” raid inside al Shifa – which the IDF today called a “military necessity” to root out Hamas.
A witness told the BBC that they saw tanks and hundreds of commandos advance on the medical facility.
The IDF said the operation continued this morning as they engaged in gun battles with Hamas militants and found weapons inside.
It said: “Before entering the hospital our forces were confronted by explosive devices and terrorist squads, fighting ensued in which terrorists were killed.”
In recent days, Israeli troops have targeted and surrounded the al Shifa hospital – convinced that Hamas militants are hiding out in a bunker located beneath the base, and using patients as human shields.
As a result, the hospital has become a stark symbol of the widespread suffering of Palestinian civilians as patients, including newborn babies, have been dying from dwindling supplies and no electricity.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that power had completely run out and 36 newborn babies were fighting for their lives after having to be removed from defunct incubators.
The WHO stated that the facility is “nearly a cemetery” as bodies piled up inside and outside.
The IDF today said it was in the process of coordinating the transfer of incubators to Gaza to help save newborns.
Over 11,000 people – including 4,500 children – are said to have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its retaliatory strikes and ground operations, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel’s bombardment and siege of the Strip was sparked by Hamas’s bloody cross-border killing spree on Israel, which saw 1,200 slaughtered and some 230 hostages dragged into Gaza.
XIsraeli troops were photographed inside Gaza’s parliament two days ago waving flags[/caption]
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