Israeli troops destroyed the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza on Wednesday, describing the act as part of the war against Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Arabic-language spokesman, Ofir Gendelman, posted a minute-long video of the demolition on X (formerly Twitter). It showed the heavily damaged building exploding in a pillar of smoke and dust, as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in nearby trenches laughed and cheered.
“Today, our ground forces blew up the headquarters of the Hamas Legislative Council in the Gaza Strip as part of destroying the Hamas regime of oppression and terrorism,” wrote Gendelman.
قواتنا البرية فجرت اليوم مقر المجلس التشريعي الحمساوي في قطاع غزة في إطار تدمير نظام القمع والإرهاب الحمساوي. pic.twitter.com/kG9jGNSG9G
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) November 15, 2023
The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) building was located on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in central Gaza City.
On Monday, soldiers of the IDF’s Golani Brigade posed inside with Israeli flags, “after conquering the area,” according to the Israeli news outlet i24NEWS.
Troops of the IDFs Golani Brigade posing with an Israeli flag inside Gaza’s parliament building in Gaza City’s main Omar Al-Mukhtar street, after seizing the site. A clear illustration of Hamas’ loss of control over Gaza. pic.twitter.com/U80Z6tXTM7
— Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) November 13, 2023
The PLC has been largely inactive since 2007, when Hamas took power in Gaza and split from the Fatah movement in the West Bank.
Israel launched a full-scale war against Hamas last month, after the Palestinian group’s raid into Israeli villages and outposts near Gaza that killed an estimated 1,200 people. In addition to the total blockade of the enclave, Israeli artillery and airplanes have bombarded Gaza for over a month. IDF ground troops entered the enclave on November 1.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, more than 11,200 people have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of hostilities, with another 2,700 reported missing. About two-thirds of the casualties are said to be women and children.
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