Geolocation
Airwars assessment
At least three civilians were injured in an alleged Israeli strike on the Islamic National Bank on Salah El-Din Street on May 12, 2021.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that “at approximately 11:50, Israeli warplanes launched 2 missiles; the first launched by a drone, at the Islamic National Bank on Salah al-Deen Street, south of al-Bureij refugee camp’s entrance. As a result, the Bank’s 2-storey building (500 sqms) was completely destroyed while the nearby shops and houses sustained partial damage in addition to the electricity network, causing power outage in the area. Moreover, 3 passers-by sustained various injuries and were taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.” Al Haq also referenced three casualties in relation to this incident.
A tweet from @najireyad pointed out that “the bombing that targeted the Islamic National Bank on Salah El-Din Street in the central Gaza Strip, caused significant damage to the homes of neighboring citizens.”
While the majority of the sources refer to the building as containing the Islamic National Bank, a tweet from @lebel_or referred to it as a “HAMAS finance building”.
Mohammed Abu Jayab, economist and editor of the economic newspaper Al-Eqtesadia in Gaza, speaking to Al-Monitor, downplayed the importance of Hamas losing some of its headquarters and financial facilities. He said the “destruction of the financial institutions, namely the Finance Ministry that collects taxes, does not mean that Hamas’ financial sources will be negatively affected, as these headquarters can easily be replaced by other places after this Israeli aggression ends.”
All of the sources that attributed the strikes to a responsible party identified Israel as carrying out the strikes. A tweet from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, @IsraelMFA, verified that they carried out the strike, tweeting “the Islamic National Bank in Gaza served as a terrorist vault for Hamas, directly funding its rocket production operation. Israel is shutting down Hamas’s terror infrastructure”.
A press statement released by the IDF on the 13th May included a picture stating the damage caused to the Islamic National Bank in Khan Younis (a city just south of where this event took place), alongside a statement that also referenced another building damaged. The statement was as follows: “The IDF struck an additional multi-story building belonging to the Hamas terror organization. A short while ago IDF jets and aircraft struck intelligence offices used by the Hamas terror organization in the Rimal neighborhood. Prior to the strike, the IDF provided advance warning to civilians in the building and allowed sufficient time for them to evacuate the site. The IDF continues to strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip”.
According to Al Haq, multiple Islamic Bank sites were hit on the 12th May – it is unclear if this statement relates specifically to this event.
The incident occured at 23:50:00 local time.
Geolocation notes (3) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention the Islamic Bank building (مبنى البنك الوطني الإسلامي). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources we have narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 31.441726, 34.396771.
Summary
Sources (23) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (13) [ collapse]
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @najireyad)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @9aza0)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
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Rescue crews arrive at the Islamic National Bank building and surrounding buildings following alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @ShehabAgency)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @paltimes2015)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @paltimes2015)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @paltimes2015)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @paltimes2015)
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Damage to the Islamic National Bank building caused by alleged Israeli strikes on May 12, 2021. (Image posted by @AuroraIntel)
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Image of the Islamic National Bank before the strikes. (Image posted by @MarioLeb79)
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An IDF Press release admits to the destruction of the Islamic Bank on 12th May 2021.
Israeli Military Assessment:
Original strike reports
[08:43, 5/13/2021] IDF News Desk: IDF:
The IDF struck an additional multi-story building belonging to the Hamas terror organization
A short while ago IDF jets and aircraft struck intelligence offices used by the Hamas terror organization in the Rimal neighborhood.
Prior to the strike, the IDF provided advance warning to civilians in the building and allowed sufficient time for them to evacuate the site.
The IDF continues to strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip.
Please find attached an aerial photo of the building that was struck: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC1305202107
Please find attached a photo of the Islamic National Bank that was struck previously: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/anc13052021034