Gaza on the brink as Israeli strikes continue

The Gaza Strip, a poverty-stricken Palestinian territory governed by Hamas and crippled by an Israeli blockade, was facing the possibility of a new war on Tuesday.

At least 12 Palestinians were killed and 25 others wounded in the exchange of rocket and missile fire between Gaza militants and Israeli forces during the past two days.

The latest spike in violence was triggered by a botched Israeli undercover operation on Hamas-governed Gaza territory late on Sunday. 

The latest flare up, that followed the deadly incursion, marked the most serious escalation since the Israel-Hamas war in 2014 which saw Gaza’s only power plant destroyed by Tel Aviv’s forces.

But for Gaza's civilians it was not the first time they have been held hostage to violence. Israel's deadly strikes on Gaza have been on the increase this year, leaving behind many civilian casualties.

Over the past few months, the sides have come close to a major escalation several times, only to step back in favour of giving Egyptian mediation a chance.

And this time around the Egypt as well as the United Nations said they are trying to broker a ceasefire.

Later on Tuesday, Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, including Hamas, said they would halt cross-border attacks immediately if Israel did the same. Tel Aviv has yet to comment.

Here is a list of some of the deadly and destructive airstrikes: 

12 November:

Late on Monday, an airstrike leveled seven buildings in Gaza City including the headquarters of the official Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV.

Firing 10 missiles at the Al-Aqsa TV station, Israeli jets destroyed its headquarters, witnesses said. 

The television station broadcasts a wide range of programmes including children’s shows, religiously-inspired entertainment programmes and news bulletins.  

Amid the airstrikes, the station went off the air. Ten minutes later, it resumed broadcasts, airing pre-recorded national songs.

In Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood, a six-story residential building that housed a kindergarten on its ground floor was also destroyed as a result of the Israeli blitz.

11 November:

Tel Aviv's air strikes killed at least seven Palestinians in what appeared to be a targeted hit near the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza near the border with Israel on Sunday.

The violence began with a botched Israeli special forces operation inside Gaza that turned deadly and prompted Hamas to vow revenge.

An Israeli colonel, one Hamas commander and six others were killed in the incident.

The airstrikes are also believed to be carried out to provide cover for the Israeli soldiers to escape.

October 27:

Israel launched airstrikes early on several targets, including Gaza’s Indonesia Hospital, which was built with the assistance and funding of Indonesia and opened in December 2015, in response to more than a dozen rockets it said were fired toward the country.

Fighter jets and helicopters pounded Gaza for more than two hours, including various Hamas sites, the Israeli army said in a press release.

October 17:

A Palestinian man was killed after Israeli forces launched an air assault on Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said the attack targeted at least 20 areas in Gaza, including the northern city of Beit Lahia, where 25-year-old Naji al Zaanin was killed.

Three Palestinians were also injured according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

August 8-9:

Israeli airstrikes targeted the Said Mishal Foundation for Culture and Science in Gaza on August 9, wounding at least 20 people.

And at least three Palestinians were killed and 12 others were wounded after Israel launched air strikes on Gaza a day earlier.

The Gaza Health Ministry said two of the fatalities included a pregnant Palestinian woman and her 18-month-old child, another victim was a Palestinian man.

Twelve others were also injured in the attacks, the ministry said.

July 14:

Two Palestinian teenagers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on, health officials said.

Witnesses said the airstrike hit an empty building in Gaza City and the casualties were passers-by. 

The Israeli military carried out dozens of air strikes in Gaza and Palestinian resistance groups fired dozens of rockets into Israel during in a flare-up of fighting.