09 August 2018•Update: 10 August 2018
By Mohamed Majid
GAZA CITY
At least 18 Palestinians were injured Thursday by an Israeli airstrike that targeted a cultural center west of Gaza City, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ministry did not specify the seriousness of the injuries.
According to an Anadolu Agency correspondent based in the area, an Israeli warplane fired at least 10 rockets at the Said Al-Mashal Foundation for Arts and Culture building.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasim said in a statement that the attack on the cultural center was a "brutal act" and an attempt to sabotage Egypt's efforts in Gaza.
Qasim added that the cultural center included a building belonging to the Egyptian community which he said showed that Israel was the enemy of all Arabs.
Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed in a written statement that the targeted building was used by Hamas officials.
In recent days, tension has steadily mounted between Israel and Gaza-based resistance groups.
Earlier Thursday, three Palestinians -- including a woman and her 18-month-old baby -- were martyred by an Israeli airstrike inside Gaza.
In a statement, the Israeli army claimed to have struck at least 140 targets across the Gaza Strip in recent days, going on to assert that Gaza-based resistance groups had fired 80 rockets into southern Israel -- 25 of which were intercepted -- over the same period.
According to reports in the Israeli press, a total of nine Israelis have been injured by rockets recently fired from Gaza.
