Hamas leader visits rubble of HQ after IDF destroyed it in airstrike

Ismail Haniyeh visited site of Gaza city office which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this week.

An explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes is seen from the offices of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in Gaza City, Monday, March 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hamas’ supreme leader has made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week.

Ismail Haniyeh has visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.

Mr Haniyeh had been in hiding during the two-day flare-up of violence, which ended with an unofficial Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

The fighting broke out after a rocket fired from Gaza struck a home in central Israel and wounded seven people.

Israel responded with dozens of airstrikes in Gaza, while Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel.

Mr Haniyeh said: “The Israeli occupation got the message.”

He also urged Gazans to participate in mass protests along the Israel-Gaza frontier on Saturday marking the first anniversary of a movement aimed at ending an Israeli-Egyptian blockade.

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