Middle East Conflict
Israel kills more jihadists – rocket fire
After heavy rocket fire, Israel’s air force has again attacked targets of the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. photo
© Hatem Moussa/AP/dpa
While negotiations on a ceasefire stalled, Islamic Jihad threatened Israel with a further escalation.
Fighting between Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s army continues. Israeli media reported in the evening that no breakthrough had yet been achieved in the ceasefire negotiations mediated by Egypt.
Earlier it was said that Israel had put the talks on hold because of the heavy rocket fire at the militant Palestinians. There was initially no official confirmation of this.
Israel’s air force says it has bombed more than 250 Islamic Jihad positions in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday. The army also specifically killed several high-ranking members of the group, which is closely linked to Iran and is considered a terrorist organization in the United States, Europe and Israel. Targeted killings are controversial among experts. The United Nations considers them a violation of international law.
Since the start of the Israeli military offensive, 33 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including six children. More than 100 were injured. According to Palestinian information, at least 17 of the dead were civilians. Israel’s army said four civilian casualties were killed by misguided jihadi missiles. This could not initially be verified independently.
According to the army, militant Palestinians have so far fired more than 970 rockets and mortar shells towards Israel, 760 of which crossed the border. An 80-year-old woman was killed in a rocket attack on a house in the Israeli city of Rehovot on Thursday. Since the attacks began, 22 people have also been injured in Israel. Islamic Jihad threatened further escalation on Friday.
Demonstration against judicial reform canceled
Because of the fighting, the rally against judicial reform planned for the weekend was also canceled. The organizers fear for the safety of the demonstrators, as announced on Friday evening.
The mass protests against the controversial project have been taking place every Saturday for four months. It’s the first time they’ve failed. With the judicial reform, the government wants to curtail the influence of the Supreme Court and expand its own position of power.
After an open-air concert by the Israeli musician Aviv Geffen took place despite rocket threats and caused criticism, several other performances were cancelled. So also a concert of the Backstreet Boys near Tel Aviv planned for Saturday.
According to experts, what matters most for the further course of the conflict is whether the Palestinian organization Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, will take part in it. According to Israeli information, Hamas has significantly more and longer-range missiles than jihad. According to the army, it is not yet involved in the recent conflict.
Yesterday, the Bundestag honored the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel and a large majority of the voters acknowledged the Jewish state’s right to exist.