Israeli airstrikes and rocket fire continue the fighting in Gaza into a second day

In a surprise daylight airstrike on a tall structure in Gaza City, Israel stated on Friday that it had initiated a special operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation, killing one of its senior commanders.

During violence that continued into the next day on Saturday, which put an end to more than a year of comparatively calm along the border, Israeli planes hit in Gaza and Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israeli cities.

In a surprise daylight airstrike on a tall structure in Gaza City, Israel stated on Friday that it had initiated a special operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation, killing one of its senior commanders.

Advertisement

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of nine additional Palestinians, including at least four terrorists from the Islamic Jihad and a child, as well as 79 injuries.

The Israeli military claimed to have arrested 19 Islamic Jihad militants in the occupied West Bank during nocturnal arrest raids.

According to the military, Palestinian militants launched at least 160 rockets across the border, some of which landed in Israel’s capital Tel Aviv. A few persons suffered minor injuries while rushing to shelters from the majority of the missiles that were launched at them.

According to a Palestinian official with knowledge of the attempts, Egypt, the UN, and Qatar had started mediating a stop to the violence, “but no breakthrough yet,” the official claimed.

Israeli attacks were denounced by a Palestinian Authority official with Western support.

“We call on the international community to intervene and provide protection for our people,” Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh said on Twitter.

The decision of Hamas, the Islamic terrorist organisation in charge of Gaza, to join the conflict would determine how far the conflict escalated.

Tensions increased this week after an Islamic Jihad commander was detained by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, prompting threats of vengeance from the organisation.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Friday’s attacks prevented Islamic Jihad from launching an immediate and direct assault.

Since May 2021, when Israel and terrorists engaged in 11 days of violent combat that left at least 250 people dead in Gaza and 13 in Israel, the border has been fairly quiet.