Geolocation
Airwars assessment
Two people were reported injured in a strike on the Al-Jinnah neighbourhood of Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip, in the early hours of May 16th 2021.
Various news outlets – including Al Kolfiya, SND Palestine, @News__Online – reported two injured in the Israeli strike on Awni Duhair Street, one of which was serious. Some English-language reporting – including @DaysofPalestine – noted that the location of the strike was a house on George Street in Rafah’s Al-Jinnah neighbourhood, with one source indicating that the house belonged to the Abdel-Al family.
Ahmad Abdel-Al, to whom the house may have belonged, has been designated as a Hamas military operative by the IDF. The IDF admitted to striking his house in the Rafah area on this date: “the home of Ahmad’ Abd al-‘al in Rafah, a leader in smuggling and holding a Hamas military portfolio, [was] attacked.” There is no evidence that Ahmad Abdel-Al was himself a casualty.
A single source – Omar Ashkar, who purportedly lives in Rafah – contested both the strike and the reports of civilian casualties, denying that there had been any targeting of Awni Duhair Street. In addition, those sources reporting the strike differed on the mode of delivery, with Al Kolfiya describing it as a reconnaissance missile, and Days of Palestine noting the use of drones, but both identifying Israel.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (7) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention Awni Daheer Street (بشارع عوني ضهير), in Rafah (رفح), for which the generic coordinates are: 31.280990, 34.265038. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Israeli Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
IDF website system | 16.05.2021
19:25 - As of 19:00: As of 7:00 this morning, about 190 shipments from Gaza to Israel have been identified. About 20 launches fell in the Gaza Strip. Air defense fighters intercepted dozens of rockets according to the interception policy.
18:43 - Forces attacked a Hamas weapons depot in the center of the Gaza Strip, as part of an effort to thwart the terrorist organization's fire capabilities, while closing intelligence and fire brigades of the Gaza Division.
18:33 - Fighter jets attack the Ministry of Homeland Security's Hamas terrorist organization, which serves as a military infrastructure, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Attack on the Hamas terrorist organization's Ministry of Internal Security
18:20 - Aircraft attacked an underground launch site of the terrorist organization GAP, in the southern Gaza Strip. In addition, a post of the terrorist organization Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip was attacked.
17:41 - Sea Arm fighters have thwarted about 80 targets since the beginning of the operation - watch as soon as the missile launcher was aimed at the center of the country.
16:45 - Fighter jets attacked the operational apartment of a Hamas military intelligence operative with an anti-tank missile position in the northern Gaza Strip.
16:33 - Fighters and aircraft attacked three more Hamas rocket launchers in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, they thwarted six activists who were involved in preparing the launch.
15:07 - Aircraft attacked a weapons depot located in the home of a Hamas operative in the center of the Gaza Strip. In addition, aircraft of the organization attacked the organization's naval weapons depot in the southern Gaza Strip.
Attack on warehouses for the production of ammunition in the homes of Hamas operatives
14:02 - Fighters and aircraft attacked three more Hamas launch positions in the Gaza Strip.
11:58 - Fighter jets attacked military assets at Hamas intelligence headquarters in the northern Gaza Strip. The building employs intelligence activists from the organization, who formulate a snapshot for it. This attack constitutes damage to key infrastructure in Hamas.
Attack on military assets at Hamas intelligence headquarters
In the photo: military assets at Hamas' intelligence headquarters
11:31 - A fighter jet attacked the home of the commander of the Kfar Jabalya battalion in Hamas, from which military combat infrastructure operated.
Attack on the house of the commander of the Jabalya battalion in Hamas
11:20 - IDF fighter jets and aircraft attacked 11 rocket launchers in Sajaiya and Khan Yunis and a squad of terrorist operatives in Khan Yunis while launching rockets at Israeli territory.
11:10 - Fighter jets and aircraft attack a weapons depot in the central camp in Gaza, located in the home of a Hamas operative.
08:46 - As of 07:00: As of 19:00 last night, about 120 launches were identified from the Gaza Strip to Israeli territory. About 11 launches fell in the Gaza Strip. Air defense fighters intercepted many dozens of rockets under the interception policy.
07:00 - In the last 24 hours, IDF fighter jets and aircraft attacked more than 90 targets of the Hamas and GAP terrorist organizations throughout the Gaza Strip.
Attack on the house of Yahya Sinwar
In the photo: the house of Yahya Sanwar, head of the Hamas Politburo in Gaza
Among the targets attacked were the homes of Hamas Politburo Chairman Yahya Sinwar and his brother Muhammad Sinwar, who is in charge of the organization's supply and manpower in Khan Yunis. The houses served as a significant terrorist infrastructure.
In the photo: the home of Yahya Sanwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip
In addition, the office of Samah Saragh, head of planning and development at the organization's political bureau, the home of Yusuf 'Abd al-Wahab, commander of the Hamas olive battalion in Gaza City, and the home of Ahmad' Abd al-'al in Rafah, a leader in smuggling and holding a Hamas military portfolio, were attacked.
The operation against Hamas' "metro" project continues, in phase two, about thirty targets were attacked by fighter jets and using about 100 precision weapons. Tonight, the attacks focused on the northeast and center of the Gaza Strip. Fear among activists and senior members of the terrorist organization. "Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in the excavation of the tunnels, each meter of tunnel costs about $ 500," clarifies IDF spokesman Brigadier General Hedi Zilberman. ground. Nobody wants to take the metro anymore. "
Attack on the "Metro" Phase II
An important emphasis in the operation is the erosion of Hamas' rocket array, which is very important to the organization. In the last 36 hours, IDF forces have been able to attack about 40 multi-barreled launchers, including 4-9 barrels, and high barrage launch capabilities. The attacks were carried out successfully thanks to a new idea developed by officers during the fighting, And also in the launch squads.
Attack on rocket launchers in Gaza
In addition, dozens of weapons production and storage sites were attacked in Sabra Tel Aloha, Sheikh Umdan and Gaza City, some of which were stored in the homes of Hamas naval and airborne operatives, anti-tank squads and cyber-offensive units.