Convoy of cars that drove through Jewish community yelling ‘f*** their mothers’ were from Bradford

A group of men who shouted anti-Semitic abuse while driving through a Jewish community in North London were part of a convoy that travelled 200 miles from Bradford, it was reported today, as police stepped up patrols at synagogues and Sadiq Khan said there was ‘no excuse’ for racism. 

Onlookers were left horrified after the passengers yelled: ‘F*** the Jews… F*** all of them. F*** their mothers, f*** their daughters and show your support for Palestine. Rape their daughters and we have to send a message like that. Please do it for the poor children in Gaza.’ 

Mr Khan, who was recently re-elected as Mayor of London, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning: ‘Many of us feel quite strongly about what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, what we can’t do is use that as an excuse for any kind of anti-Semitism or hate crime.’ 

The mayor said he has been in contact with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner and there will be an increased police presence in Jewish communities, synagogues and schools with the aim of trying to make people feel safe, but also to alert ‘anybody who is involved in any race crimes that action will be taken’.

He added: ‘It is important for us to realise the impact of this criminal behaviour has a ripple of fear effect on Jewish Londoners and those across the country. It is really important that we don’t bring conflicts 3,000 miles away to the capital city.’

The Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors the security of the Jewish community, said the car rally had travelled down from Bradford on Sunday morning to attend a protest about Israel’s ongoing military actions against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The incident on Finchley Road happened at around 6.30pm. It is not known if the perpetrators of the abuse were themselves from Bradford. 

Earlier on Sunday a rabbi was attacked by two teenagers outside his synagogue in Essex, leaving him requiring hospital treatment. 

Community leaders have offered their support to Rabbi Rafi Goodwin following the attack in Chigwell, Essex shortly after 1.15pm, which police are treating as a hate crime but are not linking to heightened tensions in the Middle East.              

Yesterday saw a series of pro-Palestinian protests taking place across Britain amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Officers engaged with protesters at a planned demonstration on Whitehall during the afternoon. ‘The event passed peacefully and concluded without any arrests,’ police said.  

Convoy of cars shouted the abuse

A convoy of cars bearing the Palestinian flag drove through a Jewish community in north London yesterday while the passengers screamed ‘f*** their mothers, f*** their daughters

The cars carried Palestinian flags

The passengers held Palestinian flags

Onlookers were left horrified after the convoy yelled: ”F*** all of them. F*** their mothers, f*** their daughters and show your support for Palestine. Rape their daughters and we have to send a message like that. Please do it for the poor children in Gaza’

Sadiq Khan, who was recently re-elected as Mayor of London, said this morning: 'Many of us feel quite strongly about what's happened in Israel and Gaza, what we can't do is use that as an excuse for any kind of anti-Semitism or hate crime'

Sadiq Khan, who was recently re-elected as Mayor of London, said this morning: ‘Many of us feel quite strongly about what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, what we can’t do is use that as an excuse for any kind of anti-Semitism or hate crime’

Do you know the men who shouted the anti-Semitic abuse? 

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Essex Police said they believed two teenagers stepped out in front of the Rabbi Goodwin’s vehicle while he was driving. 

The pair then shouted at him and spoke in a derogatory way about his religion before going on to damage his car.

When the victim, aged in his 30s, got out of the car to confront them he was attacked with an unknown object, causing him to require hospital treatment, police said. His phone was also stolen during the attack.

The two boys, believed to be aged between 15 and 18, then ran away on foot. 

The leader of Redbridge Council, Jas Athwal, said on Sunday: ‘Essex Police have confirmed that they are treating today’s attack on Rabbi Rafi as an a anti-Semitic hate crime, however police are not linking the motives of this crime to heightened tensions in the Middle East and the current hostilities in Israel and Palestine.

‘Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and if you have any information about this unprovoked and cowardly attack, please contact the police.

‘We are proud of our community and all parts of the community in Redbridge, we unequivocally condemn this attack and will continue to work together to support each other.’  

Rabbi Rafi Goodwin's injuries are being assessed in King George's Hospital after he suffered cuts to his head and around one eye, following the attack in the Limes Estate area, Jewish News reports

Rabbi Rafi Goodwin’s injuries are being assessed in King George’s Hospital after he suffered cuts to his head and around one eye, following the attack in the Limes Estate area, Jewish News reports

Essex Police confirmed that the incident was not linked to wider pro-Palestine protests that have occurred over the weekend.   

The Finchley Road footage, along with other incidents of anti-Semitism that have emerged following large pro-Palestine rallies over the weekend, received cross-party criticism. 

Prime Minister Mr Johnson Tweeted: ‘There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society. Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain’s Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today.’   

TORY MP CRITICISED FOR ‘PRIMITIVES’ TWEET

Tory MP Michael Fabricant has been criticised for describing pro-Palestine demonstrators clashing with police as ‘primitives’.

Anti-racism campaign Hope Not Hate called for the Conservative Party to suspend the backbencher on Sunday, accusing him of ‘hateful racism that stirs up division’.

Largely peaceful demonstrations took place across the UK over the weekend in solidarity with the people of Palestine, as Israel and Hamas exchange rocket fire in a deadly conflict.

The MP for Lichfield shared a video of clashes with police outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday.

He tweeted: ‘These primitives are trying to bring to London what they do in the Middle East.’

Mr Fabricant deleted the message after it drew criticism on social media.

Hope Not Hate said: ‘The tense situation requires steady leadership from people who want to bring communities together, not hateful racism that stirs up division. The Conservatives must suspend Michael Fabricant for this disgraceful comment.’

Director of the British Future think-tank Sunder Katwala tweeted: ‘Anybody who realises that it is racist to hold British Jews responsible for Israeli policy should also be able recognise the racism here in Michael Fabricant’s tweet.’

Mr Fabricant sought to justify the comments, saying that ‘attacks on the British police as shown in the video are disgraceful’.

He told the PA news agency: ‘It is primitive behaviour by people who preach anti-Semitism or racism of any kind, whether they be Jewish, Christian or Muslim.

‘And the sort of anti-Semitism displayed by Hamas in the Middle East must not be repeated here in the UK.’

Mr Fabricant’s remarks came as video from a separate demonstration in the capital appeared to show anti-Semitic abuse being shouted from a car on Sunday in footage that drew criticism from across the political spectrum, including from Boris Johnson.

‘There is no place for antisemitism in our society,’ the Prime Minister tweeted.

The Metropolitan Police said nine officers were injured as they attempted to disperse crowds outside the embassy on Saturday and 13 arrests were made.

The Conservative Party is yet to respond to a request for comment.

The Met said in reference to the Finchley Road incident: ‘Four men were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences. They were taken into custody at a west London police station where they remain.’ 

The incident comes after thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to the gates of the Israeli embassy, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

It comes as thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes after a week of sustained conflict.

Since Monday night, Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, whose military responded by barraging the Gaza Strip with tank fire and air strikes.

Mike Freer, MP for Finchley and Golders Green, said: ‘The scenes I’ve witnessed in my constituency today have left me sick to my stomach.

‘The blatant and open anti-Semitism on display today, deliberately targeting areas with large Jewish populations is nothing short of incitement and I have urgently raised the matter with the Home Secretary, Commissioner and Mayor.’

Home Secretary Priti Patel also described the scenes as ‘disgusting anti-Semitism’.

‘There is no place for this hatred in the UK,’ she tweeted.

‘I expect @metpoliceuk to be taking this seriously.’

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq condemned the ‘horrifying’ scenes of anti-Semitism in Finchley, adding that there is ‘no place’ for ‘vile hate speech’. 

Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, tweeted: ‘I have seen the footage of horrifying antisemitic behaviour on the Finchley Road in my constituency. 

‘It has been referred to the police and I hope action can and will be taken. This vile hate speech has no place in Hampstead and Kilburn or anywhere else.’

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, told MailOnline: ‘This convoy and demonstration were utterly predictable and preventable. They have been advertised for a week.

‘Jews have had to witness the shocking reality that in 2021, people can drive through the capital of our country calling for our daughters to be raped, with nobody in sight to protect us or take action.

‘There must be an immediate police crackdown on those responsible for these acts of Jew-hatred, and an inquiry into why the Metropolitan Police Service permitted these protests to go ahead without proper measures in place to stop this criminality, in full knowledge that today’s scenes were likely to the point of certainty.

‘Britain’s Jews will not wait until this persistent antisemitic incitement leads to violence. We pray that it will not take bloodshed on our streets before the authorities realise they have let this go too far. These antisemitic thugs must face the full force of the law.’

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators scuffle with police during a demonstration in London on Sunday

 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators scuffle with police during a demonstration in London on Sunday

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators crowd around a group of police officers who were forced to stand against their van

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators crowd around a group of police officers who were forced to stand against their van

JEWISH COMMUNITY ‘AFRAID ANTI-SEMITIC THREATS COULD TURN INTO ACTIONS’ 

Members of the Jewish community are ‘very afraid’ that ‘threats could turn into actions’, a rabbi has said, in the wake of an anti-Semitic incident in London.

A video, shared on social media, showed a convoy of cars covered with Palestinian flags passing down Finchley Road in north London, with passengers showing offensive language and threats against Jews.

Four men have been arrested, the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday evening.

Rabbi Herschel Gluck told the PA news agency: ‘People are very concerned and very afraid about where this will lead.

‘There is always the fear that threats could turn into actions.’

He added: ‘It is very important to emphasise in London that the Muslim and Jewish communities stand shoulder to shoulder and in a great spirit of solidarity. There aren’t tensions locally, all these tensions are coming from people who have never seen a Jew and they are coming from outside London.

‘I think it is important to stress that the Muslim and Jewish communities in London do not have any issues.

‘The friendship and cooperation between our communities are as strong as ever.’

The Metropolitan Police said the vehicle involved had been identified and the force was making enquiries to locate the occupants.

In Chigwell on Sunday morning, an assistant rabbi was attacked a short distance from his synagogue, suffering blows to the head and face.

Mr Gluck said: ‘Whenever a person is attacked like this, it touches me deeply. The person themselves, their families, their congregation, and their friends are all affected by this. Even though it is an individual, it has much broader and wider ramifications.’

He continued: ‘At the moment, of course, we don’t know what the motives are. But we are living in a time when, because of the situation in the Middle East, everyone is nervous, everyone is scared, everyone is concerned.

‘People feel very insecure at the moment because of the heightened tensions in the world.’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the Finchley incident as ‘utterly disgusting.’

‘Anti-Semitism, misogyny and hate have no place on our streets or in our society,’ he said. ‘There must be consequences.’

Referring to the video of the convoy, Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: ‘This, on the streets of London, is deeply disturbing. Vile, criminal hatred like this must not be tolerated.’

In a statement Mr Jenrick continued: ‘Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there is no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim hatred. The incidents of anti-Semitism we have seen in recent days have been shameful.

‘Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, criminal and racist.

‘We must not tolerate this vile, shameful hate in our country. These actions must stop.’

Cabinet minister Michael Gove described another video appearing to show protesters shouting anti-Semitic abuse as ‘deeply concerning’.

Meanwhile spokesperson for Community Security Trust, a charity providing safety for the Jewish community in the UK, Dave Rich said: ‘This video of vile antisemitism being shouted from a car as it passed through an area of London with a large Jewish community has caused enormous upset and alarm. 

‘It is outrageous and we are working closely with the police to assist in identifying the culprits.’ 

Nigel Farage also condemned the convoy of cars, which were seen filling the roads across north London, as their horns blared and called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to act.

‘This footage from Golders Green is shocking, provocative and dangerous,’ Mr Farage tweeted. ‘The Home Secretary and the police must act right now.’

It came after nine police officers were injured and missiles were thrown amid efforts to disperse pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday. 

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the violence he has seen in the last few days.   

‘Whatever your view of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, there is no justification for inciting anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim hatred. 

‘The incidents of anti-Semitism we have seen in recent days have been shameful. Some of the language used on marches this weekend and in posts on social media is intimidating, criminal and racist.

‘We must not tolerate this vile, shameful hate in our country. These actions must stop.’

Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold the Palestian flag during a demonstration on Sunday as police look on

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold the Palestian flag during a demonstration on Sunday as police look on 

Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine

Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine

The Metropolitan Police said nine people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in London, and a further four were arrested on suspicion of breaching the Health Protection Regulations.

The force said small pockets of disorder had followed a largely peaceful demonstration.

Protesters were seen scaling buildings, climbing on the gates of Kensington palace, setting off fireworks and clambering to the top of traffic lights outside the embassy. 

A video showed that some clashed with police, with one officer shown on the ground injured while another man was arrested. A separate video showed people throwing drinks at officers stationed at the palace gates.  

Meanwhile, in Paris protesters defied a strict order against large gatherings to express their anger over the treatment of the Palestinian people. Riot police reacted with force, spraying desperate Parisians with water cannons to try to dispel the crowds.

In Birmingham hundreds of demonstrators descended on the city centre yesterday in support of Palestine amid escalating violence between the Arab state and Israel. 

Organisers in London say ‘immediate action’ is needed by the UK Government to help end the ‘brutal’ violence against the Palestinian people. 

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the crowds international action provides ‘succour, comfort and support’ to those suffering in the conflict. Crowds chanted ‘oh, Jeremy Corbyn’ and threw roses as he took to the stage. 

Nine police officers were injured and missiles were thrown amid efforts to disperse pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday. Pictured: Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021

Nine police officers were injured and missiles were thrown amid efforts to disperse pro-Palestine protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London on Saturday. Pictured: Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021

Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine

Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021. Thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the gates of the embassy in Kensington, while protests took place in other cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine

Nine people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in London, the Metropolitan Police said. Pictured: Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021

Nine people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder in London, the Metropolitan Police said. Pictured: Metropolitan Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator outside the Israeli Embassy in central London on Saturday, May 15, 2021

Dozens of Israeli warplanes ‘bomb Hamas leaders’ homes and underground tunnels’ in Gaza overnight as fighting shows no sign of slowing with death toll rising to 207

By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline

Israeli air strikes hammered the Gaza Strip Monday, after a week of violence between the Jewish state and Palestinian militants left more than 200 people dead despite continuing international calls for de-escalation.

Overnight Sunday to Monday, 54 Israeli jets took 20 minutes to bomb 35 targets largely in and around Gaza City in what witnesses described as the most intense bombardment since fighting broke out on Monday last week.  

The IDF said it had struck the homes of nine ‘high-ranking’ Hamas commanders, some of which were also used to store weapons, along with a nine-mile stretch of underground tunnels which it refers to as ‘the Metro’.  

Meanwhile Hamas fired 70 rockets at Israel, the IDF said, 10 of which fell short in Gaza. Most of the remainder were intercepted by Iron Dome defences but at least one destroyed a synagogue in Ashkelon shortly before prayers.

There was no indication Monday morning of the number of people killed in strikes overnight, but the death toll from the previous week of fighting now stands at 207 – including 197 Palestinians and at least 59 children. 

More than 1,200 Palestinians have been wounded since Israel launched its air campaign against Hamas on May 10 after the group fired rockets. The heaviest exchange of fire in years was sparked by unrest in Jerusalem.

In Israel, 10 people, including one child, have been killed and 294 wounded by rocket fire launched by armed groups in Gaza.

Israeli jets continued their bombardment of Gaza overnight with 54 planes involved in strikes on nine miles of Hamas tunnels and nine homes of senior figures within the group, according to the IDF

Israeli jets continued their bombardment of Gaza overnight with 54 planes involved in strikes on nine miles of Hamas tunnels and nine homes of senior figures within the group, according to the IDF

Palestinians living under nightly threat of bombardment described the raids as the 'most devastating' they had witnessed, exceeding the scale of attacks during the 2014 war

Palestinians living under nightly threat of bombardment described the raids as the ‘most devastating’ they had witnessed, exceeding the scale of attacks during the 2014 war

A Palestinian man walks through the ruins in the aftermath of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City

A Palestinian man walks through the ruins in the aftermath of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City

Palestinian firefighters attempt to put out a blaze at a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday

Palestinian firefighters attempt to put out a blaze at a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday

Palestinian firefighters douse a huge fire at the Foamco mattrss factory east of Jabalia in the northren Gaza Strip

Palestinian firefighters douse a huge fire at the Foamco mattrss factory east of Jabalia in the northren Gaza Strip

Flames rip through a warehouse belonging to a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip early on Monday

Flames rip through a warehouse belonging to a sponge factory in the northern Gaza Strip early on Monday

Flames rise from the rubble of destroyed factories in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning

Flames rise from the rubble of destroyed factories in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu defends Gaza air strikes 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended his attacks on the Gaza strip, saying a country has a right to defend itself, and argued the United States knows ‘d**n well’ it would do the same thing.

In a defiant interview on CBS’ Face the Nation, Netanyahu denied any political motivation for the attacks that have left 174 Palestinians dead, including 47 children. In Israel, 10 people have been killed in total, including two children, with barrages of rockets fired from Gaza.

‘I think any country has to defend itself, and we’ll do whatever it takes to restore order and the security of our people,’ he said.

He argued he was fighting Hamas, a terrorist organization that hid behind civilians, as tensions rose between Israelis and Palestinians to levels not seen since a 2014 war.

 

‘Frankly, if Hamas thought that they could just fire on our rockets and then sit back and enjoy immunity, that’s false. We are targeting a terrorist organization that is targeting our civilians and hiding behind their civilians, using them as human shields. 

‘We’re doing everything we can to hit the terrorists themselves, their rockets their rocket caches and their arms, but we’re not going to just let them get away with it,’ he said.

And, when pressed on the issue, he snapped back to interviewer John Dickinson.

‘What would you do if it happened to Washington and New York? You know d**n well what you’d do,’ Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, denied his actions were about staying in power.

‘That’s preposterous,’ he said.

‘Anybody who knows me knows that I’ve never, ever subordinated security concerns, the life of our soldiers the life of our citizens for political interests, that’s just hogwash,’ he added.

‘I’ll do what I have to do to protect the lives of Israeli citizens and to restore peace and make peace with for our countries. 

‘I’m glad that we have a restoration of some considerable calm within Israel. That’s my goal to restore peace and quiet and to assure tranquility.’

 

The night of strikes began when Hamas rockets were fired at the cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon, with one slamming into a synagogue hours before evening services for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, Israeli emergency services said. No injuries were reported. 

Israeli aircraft then launched their own raids, with the IDF saying that nine residences belonging to high-ranking Hamas commanders were hit. Some of the homes were used for weapons storage, it said.

Later in the morning, Palestinian media reported that Israel had struck a factory in northern Gaza. Video on social media showed a column of thick black smoke rising into the air.

West Gaza resident Mad Abed Rabbo, 39, expressed ‘horror and fear’ at the intensity of the onslaught.

‘There have never been strikes of this magnitude,’ he said. 

Gazan Mani Qazaat said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘should realise we’re civilians, not fighters’, adding ‘I felt like I was dying’. 

The renewed strikes come a day after 42 Palestinians in Gaza – including at least eight children and two doctors, according to the health ministry – were killed in the worst daily death toll in the enclave since the bombardments began. 

Israel’s army said about 3,100 rockets had been fired since last Monday from Gaza – the highest rate ever recorded – but added its Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted over 1,000.

Netanyahu said in a televised address Sunday that Israel’s ‘campaign against the terrorist organisations is continuing with full force’ and would ‘take time’ to finish.

The Israeli army said it had targeted the infrastructure of Hamas and armed group Islamic Jihad, weapons factories and storage sites.

Israeli air strikes also hit the home of Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas’s political wing in Gaza, the army said, releasing footage of plumes of smoke and intense damage, but without saying if he was killed.

On Saturday, Israel gave journalists from Al Jazeera and AP news agency an hour to evacuate their offices before launching air strikes, turning their tower block into piles of smoking rubble.

Netanyahu on Sunday said the building also hosted a Palestinian ‘terrorist’ intelligence office.

‘It is a perfectly legitimate target,’ he said. 

In the Israeli air assault early Sunday, families were buried under piles of cement rubble and twisted rebar. A yellow canary lay crushed on the ground. 

Shards of glass and debris covered streets blocks away from the major downtown thoroughfare where the three buildings were hit over the course of five minutes around 1 a.m.

The hostilities have repeatedly escalated over the past week, marking the worst fighting in the territory that is home to 2 million Palestinians since Israel and Hamas’ devastating 2014 war.

‘I have not seen this level of destruction through my 14 years of work,’ said Samir al-Khatib, an emergency rescue official in Gaza. ‘Not even in the 2014 war.’

Rescuers furiously dug through the rubble using excavators and bulldozers amid clouds of heavy dust. One shouted, ‘Can you hear me?’ into a hole. Minutes later, first responders pulled a survivor out. 

The Gaza Health Ministry said 16 women and 10 children were among those killed, with more than 50 wounded.

Haya Abdelal, 21, who lives in a building next to one that was destroyed, said she was sleeping when the airstrikes sent her fleeing into the street. 

She accused Israel of not giving its usual warning to residents to leave before launching such an attack.

‘We are tired,’ she said, ‘We need a truce. We can´t bear it anymore.’

The Israeli army spokesperson´s office said the strike targeted Hamas ‘underground military infrastructure.’

As a result of the strike, ‘the underground facility collapsed, causing the civilian houses’ foundations above them to collapse as well, leading to unintended casualties,’ it said.

Among those reported killed was Dr. Ayman Abu Al-Ouf, the head of the internal medicine department at Shifa Hospital and a senior member of the hospital’s coronavirus management committee. Two of Abu Al-Ouf´s teenage children and two other family members were also buried under the rubble. 

Israeli soldiers fire a 155mm self-propelled howitzer towards the Gaza Strip on Monday as fighting continues

Israeli soldiers fire a 155mm self-propelled howitzer towards the Gaza Strip on Monday as fighting continues

Israel has defied international calls for a ceasefire and continues to bombard targets within Gaza today

Israel has defied international calls for a ceasefire and continues to bombard targets within Gaza today

Bombs explode in Gaza

Bombs explode in Gaza

The death toll now stands at 207 since fighting began on Monday last week, with 197 Palestinians killed including at least 58 children, while 10 Israelis have lost their lives including one child

Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli warplanes target the Palestinian enclave

Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli warplanes target the Palestinian enclave

It is unclear how many people were killed or injured in the strikes overnight, but the death toll of a week of fighting now stands at 207 - with at least 197 Palestinians in the total

It is unclear how many people were killed or injured in the strikes overnight, but the death toll of a week of fighting now stands at 207 – with at least 197 Palestinians in the total

Israel's Iron Dome defence system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza overnight, as Hamas targeted the cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon with one synagogue destroyed

Israel’s Iron Dome defence system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza overnight, as Hamas targeted the cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon with one synagogue destroyed

Rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza City at targets in southern Israel are seen streaking into the sky overnight

Rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza City at targets in southern Israel are seen streaking into the sky overnight

Flares fired by Israeli fighter jets as they pass over Gaza City during overnight raids fall towards the ocean

Flares fired by Israeli fighter jets as they pass over Gaza City during overnight raids fall towards the ocean 

AP editor demands answers after building destroyed

The Associated Press’ top editor is calling for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrike that targeted and destroyed a Gaza City building housing the AP, broadcaster Al-Jazeera and other media, saying the public deserves to know the facts.

Separately, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel’s bombing of a building housing the media organizations as a possible war crime.

Sally Buzbee, AP’s executive editor, said Sunday that the Israeli government has yet to provide clear evidence supporting its attack, which leveled the 12-story al-Jalaa tower.

The Israeli military, which gave AP journalists and other tenants about an hour to evacuate, claimed Hamas used the building for a military intelligence office and weapons development. 

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Israel was compiling evidence for the U.S. but declined to commit to providing it within the next two days.

‘We’re in the middle of fighting,’ Conricus said Sunday. ‘That’s in process and I’m sure in due time that information will be presented.’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would share any evidence of Hamas’ presence in the targeted building through intelligence channels. But neither the White House nor the State Department would say if any American official had seen it.

Buzbee said the AP has had offices in al-Jalaa tower for 15 years and never was informed or had any indication that Hamas might be in the building. She said the facts must be laid out.

‘We are in a conflict situation,’ Buzbee said. ‘We do not take sides in that conflict. We heard Israelis say they have evidence; we don’t know what that evidence is.’

‘We think it’s appropriate at this point for there to be an independent look at what happened yesterday – an independent investigation,’ she added

The death of the 51-year-old physician ‘was a huge loss at a very sensitive time,’ said Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa.

Gaza´s health care system, already gutted by an Israeli and Egyptian blockade imposed in 2007 after Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces, had been struggling with a surge in coronavirus infections even before the latest conflict. 

Israel’s airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza City´s tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.

The violence between Hamas and Israel is the worst since 2014, when Israel launched a military operation on the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of ending rocket fire and destroying tunnels used for smuggling.

The war left 2,251 dead on the Palestinian side, mostly civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.

Opening the first session of the UN Security Council on the renewed violence on Sunday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the fighting ‘utterly appalling’.

‘It must stop immediately,’ he said.

But the UN talks, already delayed by Israel’s ally the United States, resulted in little action, with Washington opposing a resolution.

U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration is working with all parties towards achieving a sustained calm.

‘We also believe Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security and enjoy equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy,’ he said in a pre-taped video aired at an event marking the Muslim Eid holiday on Sunday.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that the United Nations was ‘actively engaging all sides toward an immediate ceasefire’ and urged them ‘to allow mediation efforts to intensify and succeed.’ U.N. envoys have helped to mediate past truces between Israel and Hamas.

Washington, a strong ally of Israel, has been isolated at the United Nations over its objection to a public statement by the Security Council on the violence because it worries it could harm behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

Jordan’s King Abdullah said his kingdom was involved in intensive diplomacy to halt the bloodshed, but did not elaborate.

Israel is also trying to contain inter-communal violence between Jews and Arab-Israelis, as well as deadly clashes in the occupied West Bank, where 19 Palestinians have been killed since May 10, according to a toll from Palestinian authorities.

Major clashes broke out at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound – one of Islam’s holiest sites – on May 7 following a crackdown against protests over planned expulsions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Sheikh Jarrah has been at the heart of the flareup, seeing weeks of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

On Sunday, a car-ramming attack in Sheikh Jarrah wounded seven police officers, police said, adding that the attacker had been killed.

Police also said ‘a number of suspects’ had been arrested during clashes in another east Jerusalem neighbourhood overnight Sunday to Monday.

Guterres warned the fighting could have far-reaching consequences if not stopped immediately.

‘It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole.’

Israel was unable to give an estimate of the death toll from last night's raids, a day after the deadliest 24 hours of the conflict so far, with 42 Palestinians killed

Israel was unable to give an estimate of the death toll from last night’s raids, a day after the deadliest 24 hours of the conflict so far, with 42 Palestinians killed

Smoke and flames rise above a building as Gaza was hit by bombs dropped by 54 Israeli jets during airstrikes overnight

Smoke and flames rise above a building as Gaza was hit by bombs dropped by 54 Israeli jets during airstrikes overnight

Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli warplanes target the Palestinian enclave

Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza City as Israeli warplanes target the Palestinian enclave

Israel says the bombing is targeted at networks of Hamas tunnels that run under the city and the homes of group leaders, but at least 58 children have been killed in the raids so far

Israel says the bombing is targeted at networks of Hamas tunnels that run under the city and the homes of group leaders, but at least 58 children have been killed in the raids so far

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike hits Gaza City during overnight raids targeting Hamas tunnels

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike hits Gaza City during overnight raids targeting Hamas tunnels