Israeli airstrikes leveled a seven-floor building and severely damaged a two-story shopping center in the Gaza Strip today (August 24, 2014), signaling a new escalation in seven weeks of fighting with Hamas, the New York Post website reports.
The strikes in the southern town of Rafah came just hours after Israel bombed an apartment tower in Gaza City, collapsing the 12-story building with 44 apartments. Around 30 people were wounded in the strikes, but no one was killed.
The targeting of large buildings is part of a new military tactic being used by Israel. The Army is now warning Gaza residents in automated phone calls that it will target buildings harboring "terrorist infrastructure" and that they should stay away from them.
A senior military official confirmed that Israel has a policy of striking at buildings containing Hamas operational centers or those from which military activities are launched. The official said each strike required prior approval from military lawyers and is carried out after the local population is warned.
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