Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander and militants in Gaza
During a pre-dawn operation, an Israeli airstrike targeted an apartment on the fifth floor of a building near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, resulting in the death of a top commander from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and two other militants.
The Israeli military launched the strike in response to ongoing rocket attacks from militants in Gaza, with over 500 rockets fired at Israel on Wednesday. In retaliation, the Israeli military conducted strikes on more than 130 militant targets in Gaza, marking the most intense fighting in nine months.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the operation has resulted in the death of 25 people, including at least 10 civilians and three other PIJ commanders. The Israeli military stated that four people, including three children, in Gaza, were killed by rockets that fell short, although this has not been independently confirmed.
No fatalities have been reported in Israel, although some rockets have caused damage to buildings and homes. Most of the rockets launched from Gaza have either landed in open areas or have been intercepted.
The missile unit commander of the PIJ, Ali Hassan Ghali, also known as Abu Muhammad, was confirmed by the group’s armed wing to have been killed in the Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military acknowledged targeting Ghali, describing him as a significant figure responsible for recent rocket barrages against Israel. The PIJ is the second largest militant group in Gaza, following Hamas, and has been involved in numerous rocket attacks on Israel in recent years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the country’s military operation is not yet over, following a pre-dawn air strike on a building in Gaza that killed a top commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and two other militants.
The Israeli military claims that the building targeted was used by PIJ for “research and development of weapons”. This attack comes after militants in Gaza fired more than 500 rockets into Israel earlier in the week, resulting in more than 130 militant targets being hit by Israeli military forces.
The current hostilities are the deadliest since last August when 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza. It is reported that Egypt is working to secure a truce between the two sides.
Last week, tensions escalated significantly as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other groups launched over 100 rockets into Israel in response to the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison.
In retaliation, the Israeli military conducted air strikes on locations they claimed were connected to Hamas. The situation remained tense in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces carried out arrest raids.
Tragically, three Palestinians were killed in Qabatiya during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces, who stated that the Palestinians had opened fire on them.
In a separate incident in Tubas, an Israeli soldier was seriously injured during an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen. The region continues to experience heightened tensions and violence.
