Gaza Strip: Early Saturday, after a wave of Israeli airstrikes on a coastal enclave that killed at least 11 people, including a senior terrorist and a 5-year-old girl, rockets were fired over southern Israel as Israeli jets struck terrorist targets in Gaza
Clashes between the two sides intensified overnight after Israel dramatically targeted and killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander on Friday.
However, the intensity of the conflict was temporarily halted by the fact that the Hamas rulers of the region lived out of it. Over the past 15 years, there have been four wars and several smaller conflicts between Israel and Hamas, greatly costing the 2 million Palestinians living in the region.
The arrest of a senior Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank this week as part of a months-long Israeli military operation in the region acted as a catalyst for recent rounds of violence between Israel and Gaza. Israel then closed roads around the Gaza Strip, citing a security threat, and the militant leader was killed in a targeted attack on Friday.
There was an explosion in Gaza City and smoke was coming out of the seventh floor of a tall building. The attacks destroyed three guard towers that were believed to be housing terrorists, as seen in a video released by the Israeli military.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid claimed his nation launched the attacks in response to "concrete threats" in a nationally broadcast speech on Friday.
According to Lapid, this government has a "zero-tolerance policy" for any attempted attack from Gaza in Israeli territory. Israel will not remain silent when people try to harm its citizens.
Israel will not shy away from a major conflict in Gaza, but does not want one, he continued.
Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of the election in November when he is expected to retain office, faces a preliminary test as a result of violence.
Lapid, the centrist author and former TV presenter, has a weak background in security, but has the experience of diplomacy to serve as the foreign minister of the outgoing government. As he competes with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a security hawk who oversaw the nation during three of its four wars with Hamas, a conflict with Gaza could bolster and boost his prestige. could.
A year after the last war, which resulted in widespread destruction, Hamas must also decide whether to engage in a new conflict. Since then, there has not been much reconstruction, and remote coastal areas have been mired in poverty, with an unemployment rate of around 50%.
Without distinguishing between civilian and terrorist casualties, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two of those killed in Gaza were a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman. According to the Israeli military, initial estimates put the number of fighters killed at around 15.
Taisir al-Jabri, the commander of Islamic Jihad in northern Gaza, was reportedly among those killed. He replaced a terrorist killed in an airstrike in 2019. This resulted in a crucial round of fighting between Israel and the terrorist group.
According to an Israeli military spokesman, two terrorist squads carrying anti-tank missiles posed an "imminent threat" that prompted the attacks. According to the spokesman, who spoke to reporters under condition of anonymity, al-Jabri was deliberately targeted. He also admitted to launching "multiple attacks" against Israel.
Hundreds of bereaved people waved Palestinian and Islamic Jihad flags demanding vengeance as they took out a funeral procession for him and other victims.
Israeli media showed rockets and interceptors from Israel's Iron Dome missile-defense system lighting up the skies over southern and central Israel. There were no immediate reports of Israeli casualties, and it was not clear how many rockets were launched.
Israel attacked Islamic Jihad targets, rocket launchers and rocket manufacturing facilities over the course of one night. According to the military, it also detained 19 Islamic Jihad terrorists in the West Bank.
"The launch of the rocket must cease immediately, and I call on all parties to refrain from proceeding further," declared the UN special envoy for the region, Tor Venesland.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza City's main Shifa hospital after initial Israeli attacks. Some people entered in search of their loved ones and later shed tears.
One shouted, referring to Palestinian informers aiding Israel, "God take exact revenge against the spies.
The military declared a "special situation" on the home front, with schools closed and activities banned in communities within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of the border. Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved the order to call in 25,000 reserve troops if needed.
Israel closed streets around Gaza earlier this week as Israel prepared for a retaliatory strike following Monday's arrest of Bassam al-Sadi, a leader of Islamic Jihad, in a military operation in the occupied West Bank. Sent reinforcements to the border. A teenage group member was killed in an encounter between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian extremists.
In 2007, Hamas ousted competing Palestinian forces in the coastal strip from power. May 2021 saw its most recent conflict with Israel. Tensions escalated once again earlier this year, following a wave of attacks inside Israel, nearly daily military operations in the West Bank, and tensions at a Flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem. In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza.
Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhlah said in an interview with the Iranian al-Mayadeen TV network that "the fighters of the Palestinian resistance must stand together to confront this aggression." He promised "no red lines" and blamed Israel for the violence.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said: "The enemy of Israel, which launched an escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, will have to pay the price and take full responsibility."
Islamic Jihad, which is backed by Iran, is less powerful than Hamas but largely shares its ideology.
Both organizations oppose Israel's existence and have carried out several violent attacks, including rocket firing into Israel over the years. There remains uncertainty about the extent of Hamas's control over Islamic Jihad, and Israel blames Hamas for all attacks from Gaza.
Since the capture of Hamas, Israel and Egypt have maintained a strict blockade on the region. According to Israel, it is necessary to shut down Hamas to prevent it from advancing its military capabilities. According to critics, the policy equates to collective punishment.
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