GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike has destroyed a high-rise building that housed The Associated Press’ offices in the Gaza Strip.
The airstrike Saturday came roughly an hour after the Israeli military ordered people to evacuate the building.
There was no immediate explanation for why the building was targeted.
The building housed The Associated Press, Al-Jazeera and a number of offices and apartments.
“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today,” AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement. “We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza.”
Hours later, Israel bombed the home of Khalil al-Hayeh, a top leader of Gaza’s ruling militant Hamas group.
The Israeli military said Al-Hayeh’s home served as part of what it said was the militant group’s “terrorist infrastructure.”
Al-Hayeh is a senior figure in the Hamas political leadership in Gaza, and the attack marked a further escalation, signaling that Israel is going after Hamas’ top leadership, and not just military commanders. His fate after the strike was not immediately known.
The strikes happened hours after another Israeli air raid on a densely populated refugee camp in Gaza City killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children.
Both Israel and the militant group Hamas have pressed for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gathered strength.