Israeli army razes pizzeria in West Bank over ad

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army has destroyed a pizzeria in the northern West Bank for using a photo of an elderly Israeli women held by the Palestinian Hamas group in the Gaza Strip in an ad on Facebook.

“The commander of the Central Region (of the Israeli army, Yehuda Fuchs), ordered the immediate closure of the pizza restaurant in Huwara,” the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said early Friday.

The owner of the pizzeria was detained.

Videos on social media showed an Israeli bulldozer destroying the restaurant

Hamas and gunmen from other Palestinian factions captured dozens of Israelis, including soldiers, during a large-scale infiltration of settlements around the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

The exact count of the Israeli prisoners who are currently in Gaza remains vague.

Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood early Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets and infiltrating Israel by land, air and sea.

It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence against Palestinians.

In retaliation, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat