Did Israel target the headquarters of a disabled rights organization in Rafah?

The Guardian writes:

Rafah, Gaza

Staff inspect damage to the Confederation of Disabled People’s building, which was the only centre to serve people with disabilities in Rafah, after Tuesday’s Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Photograph: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The implication is that Israel was indiscriminately targeting buildings including the Confederation of Disabled People building. One can imagine that reader believes that this center housed rehab facilities, enrichment programs and similar programs to help disabled people.

Immediately, stories appeared in Palestinian media about how disabled people in Gaza had their "dreams destroyed" by the bombing.

The reality is that the target was a six-story building with both offices and apartments as well as a cafe. The building was known as the Zurob Tower. 

Three Fatah operatives were killed in the bombing, and no civilians.

The Confederation of Disabled People was one office of many in the building.

The Facebook page of the Confederation of Disabled People has not been updated since February, so it is hardly a hotbed of activity. In fact, its purpose is to fight for the rights of disabled persons, but there is no indication that it housed anything else to help the disabled. Any photos from inside the office shows it is sparse, most of the Facebook page has photos of demonstrations outside the offices.

To say that Israel bombed the headquarters of the Confederation of Disabled People is technically accurate, and highly misleading. It was not the target, it was only in a single office in the building, and the target was (at least) Fatah operatives, and possibly other terror related spaces in the building.

(h/t Adam Levick)

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