Operation Shield and Arrow
Israel attacks targets in Gaza Strip – Palestinians report 10 fatalities
A house burns after an explosion in Gaza City. Israel flew airstrikes against Islamic Jihad during the night
© Mohammed Abed / AFP
Violence in the Middle East conflict has increased since the death of Chader Adna in Israeli custody. Now the army has launched Operation Shield and Arrow against three Islamic Jihad leaders.
After heavy rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, Israel said it attacked targets of the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night. At the start of Operation Shield and Arrow, a high-ranking officer of the organization was targeted, the Israeli army said. According to Palestinian sources, at least ten Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, including several high-ranking officials of Islamic Jihad. Ten other Palestinians were injured.
According to the Gaza Strip Health Ministry, women and children are among the dead. The ministry did not provide any further information on the identity of those killed.
Israel’s attack was aimed at three Islamic Jihad leaders
The Israeli army said the attacks targeted three Islamic Jihad leaders. Accordingly, it was Jihad Ghannam and Chalil Al-Bakhtani in the Gaza Strip and Tarek Essdine in the West Bank. In Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, a photographer from the AFP news agency saw the body of a man identified as Ghannam. The attacks continued in the morning. The Israeli military imposed restrictions on communities in the south of the country.
According to Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses, Israeli drones struck two buildings belonging to Islamic Jihad in the cities of Gaza and Rafah early Tuesday. Both buildings were badly damaged and would burn, it said.
Civilians in southern Israel have been ordered to remain near a designated safe area until Wednesday. According to the Jerusalem Post, border crossings to the Gaza Strip have also been closed. Some roads and schools were also closed.
According to the army, militants in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets and several mortar shells at Israel last week after the death of a Palestinian prisoner. Several people were injured.
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The background to the recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians is the death of Chader Adnan. A week ago, the senior member of Islamic Jihad died in Israeli custody after almost three months on a hunger strike. Several militant Palestinian organizations in the Gaza Strip had announced retaliation. According to the prison authorities, Adnan had been imprisoned for suspected membership in a terrorist organization and support for terrorism and hate speech.
Islamic Jihad, a militant group with close ties to Iran, has a strong presence in Gaza. It regularly uses the area for rocket attacks on Israel. Israel describes Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization.