Status: 06.08.2022 20:03
There is no end to the escalation of violence in the Middle East. As Israel launches renewed airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, militant Palestinians fire rockets at Israel. Foreign countries reacted with concern, Egypt apparently wants to arbitrate.
In the Middle East, there has been the worst escalation of violence between Israel and militant Palestinians in more than a year. The Israeli army has been flying airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Friday, killing 15 extremists, including a leader of the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad (PIJ), according to the army. Militant Palestinians, in turn, are shelling southern Israel with rockets.
Apparently Egypt now wants to arbitrate. A delegation is ready to travel to Israel and Gaza to mediate, as the dpa news agency learned from security circles in Cairo. The aim is to prevent the conflict from spreading like it did last year. According to reports from Gaza, the United Nations and Qatar are also trying to mediate.
At least 15 dead, according to Palestinians
Yesterday, after threats of attacks on Israeli civilians, the Israeli military launched the “Dawn” military operation with several airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The target of the attacks was the PIJ, which is the second strongest military force in Gaza after Hamas. Military chief Taisir al-Jabari and other PIJ members were killed. The group, which is closely linked to Israel’s arch-enemy Iran, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. According to the military, al-Jabari was responsible for rocket attacks from the coastal strip and planned attacks on civilians.
According to Palestinian sources, the number of victims of the Israeli air strikes has continued to rise since yesterday. At least 15 people were killed and 125 injured, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Among the dead are a five-year-old girl, a 23-year-old and another woman.
Several arrests in the West Bank
According to information from Palestinian security circles, three residential buildings were hit in the latest attacks. A five-story apartment building west of Gaza City was destroyed. Local residents reported that Israeli drones previously fired a warning missile at the building before fighter jets attacked the building.
The Israeli military said that only weapons production facilities, rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities and other military facilities were destroyed during the military operation. Reports of civilian deaths are known and being investigated, a military official said. During the night there were also several arrests in the West Bank in connection with Islamic Jihad.
Conflict between Israel and militant Palestinians has intensified again
Christian Limpert, ARD Tel Aviv, daily news at 8:00 p.m., August 6, 2022
International football game cancelled
Warning sirens could also be heard in several cities in Israel today. According to a military official, more than 300 rockets have been fired at Israel since Friday evening. They fell on open ground or were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Some of them ended up in the Gaza Strip.
Several cities, including the coastal city of Tel Aviv, opened public air raid shelters out of fear of further attacks. In the south, numerous people spent the night there. A test match between Juventus Turin and Atlético Madrid in Tel Aviv has been canceled due to security concerns. People in the Tel Aviv area were also warned of rockets.
The rockets from the Gaza Strip were clearly visible in the night sky.
Image: dpa
Power cuts in Gaza Strip
In the meantime, the only power plant in Gaza has been shut down due to a lack of fuel. According to the electricity company, the power supply in the coastal area with more than two million inhabitants was reduced from twelve to four hours. Israel stopped importing fuel into the area on Monday, citing fears of attacks after the arrest of a West Bank Islamic Jihad leader, Bassem Saadi.
After Saadi’s arrest, Israel cordoned off areas on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip for several days and increased the state of alert. Before the Israeli airstrikes on Friday, there were reportedly concrete plans to attack Israeli civilians.
End of the conflict not in sight
According to a report, Islamic Jihad does not seem ready for a ceasefire for the time being. “Our top priority now is to resist the occupation, counter the aggression and respond to this terror and these attacks on our people,” spokesman for the organization Dawud Shihab told Al-Majadin TV station. According to experts, it is now crucial how Hamas reacts to the attacks.
Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz said: “Our operational activities against the perpetrators of terrorism will continue and intensify.” The military announced that it was preparing for a week-long operational activity. A security cabinet meeting has been called for the evening.
An EU spokesman said they were following the events with great concern and were calling on all sides to exercise maximum restraint. “While Israel has the right to protect its civilian population, everything must be done to prevent the conflict from escalating.”
Already in the past year fierce conflict
Israel’s armed forces fought an 11-day conflict with militant Palestinians in the Gaza Strip last year. According to Palestinian information, 255 people died at the time, and 13 people died in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. According to Israeli sources, more than 4,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip. Egypt eventually brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, among other things. Hamas seized power by force in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the area, supported by Egypt. Both countries justify the measure with security interests.