Israeli airstrikes leveled a house in the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning leaving seven dead, including three children aged between 12 and 13 years old, Palestinian medical sources told NBC News. The attack left more than 30 others injured and reduced the home to a pile of rubble. Locals said the army fired a "warning" shot before the airstrike began to warn residents to leave the house. In response, family members and others in the area gathered on the roof in an attempt to prevent the army from striking the property.
The victims were taken to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis as a search continued for more people feared trapped under the ruins. The house belonged to the Kawarea family, one of whom is believed locally to be a member of Hamas. In total, Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning struck about 50 targets, killing 12 people and injuring 80 others. The campaign, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is intended to end Palestinian rocket fire as tensions escalate.
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