Israel Gaza live news: ‘Credible reports’ say Rafah crossing may …
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Tuesday's air strike onJabalia is remarkably similar to an episode on 16 May 2021, during which manycivilians died.
Early that morning, a series ofdevastating air strikes on Gaza's al-Rimal neighbourhood brought three residential buildings crashing to theground.
Forty-two people were killed.
It wasthe deadliest single Israeli attack in just over two weeks of Israeliair strikes.
Israel blamed Hamas and what one officercalled "this crazy underground infrastructure".
The buildings were not the target, heinsisted.
But when part of the tunnel network collapsed, nearby foundations collapsed too.
"That was very unfortunate," the officersaid. "We're trying to learn what happened."
Tonight, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt Col JonathanConricus spoke of a "vast underground tunnel complex" that had been targeted.
He said the IDF had struck inbetween buildings, aiming to destroy the tunnels underneath.
But once again, the effect hadbeen to bring down nearby buildings.
This, Conricus said,"cannot be avoided".
Both episodes highlight therisks - and the moral and legal implications - of Israel's determination todestroy Hamas' underground infrastructure, some of which lies beneath denselypopulated civilian areas.