Israel admits 'mistake' in killing Gaza family

Israeli army claims it assessed the building in the Deir al-Balah neighborhood was empty

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Thursday acknowledged that it “made a mistake” in targeting a building in the Gaza City on Wednesday, which led to the killing of eight members of a family.

Quoting an Israeli army spokesman, the daily Haaretz reported: “The army assessed the building in the Deir al-Balah neighborhood was empty.”

The spokesperson said the army is investigating the airstrike that took place a few hours before the ceasefire came into effect on Thursday morning.

Following the airstrike, the Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee had claimed that the airstrike targeted Rasmi Asoarka, a prominent Islamic Jihad figure.

Israeli airstrike kills Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza

The two-day escalation left 34 Palestinians dead -- most of them civilians -- and hundreds of others injured.

The military escalation started after Israel assassinated a prominent Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta. The Palestinian resistance groups fired hundreds of rockets in response to the Israeli escalation.

'Israel attacks damaged over 500 houses'

At least 530 houses in the Gaza Strip were damaged by the recent Israeli aggression on the coastal enclave, Palestine's Public Works Ministry said on Thursday.

"In Israeli airstrikes against Gaza, 30 houses were completely destroyed and 500 houses were partially damaged," the ministry said in a statement.

The estimated value of the damages was about $2 million, according to the ministry.

It also called on "donors" to provide financial support to reconstruct the damaged houses for the families, who have lost their homes.

The international community should provide "protection to residential and civilian facilities and handle their responsibilities by intervening urgently to end the imposed siege on the Gaza Strip," the ministry said.