Israel Gaza strikes kill top militants and 10 civilians
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Loading... - Ruiz Anali
- 09 May 2023
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In a disturbing turn of events, Israeli air strikes have killed top militants and 10 civilians in the Gaza Strip, leaving the region in chaos and mourning. Reports indicate that at least 13 Palestinians, including three commanders of the militant group Islamic Jihad, were killed in the attack, while Palestinian health officials reported that eight women and children were among the dead. An additional 20 people were injured in the strike.
Israel claims that it launched the operation to target militants who posed an imminent threat to its citizens. The militant group Islamic Jihad has vowed revenge, and Gaza-based militants are expected to respond with rocket fire into Israel. The Israeli officials are said to be preparing for days of fighting.
The strikes were the deadliest since the three days of fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad last August. The latest strikes occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when 40 Israeli warplanes and helicopters attacked in several waves across Gaza, hitting homes and causing panic among residents.
The Gaza health ministry said that four children and four women were among those killed. Half of the injured were women and children, and several were in critical condition in hospital. Tragically, one of the casualties was Dr Jamal Khuswan, a former chairman of the Gaza Dentists' Association, along with his wife and their son. Another two of their children survived, including 10-year-old Diala, who was filmed sitting in the front seat of an ambulance and crying out for her father.
Palestinian sources said Dr Khuswan lived in an apartment in Gaza City next to one of the senior militants who was killed. Islamic Jihad's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, confirmed the deaths of three of its commanders, along with their wives and a number of their children.
In the wake of the tragedy, the al-Quds Brigades affirmed that the blood of the martyrs will increase their resolve, and that they will not leave their positions. Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, warned that any terrorist who harms Israeli citizens will be made to regret it.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Bahtini was the senior operational officer of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and that he was responsible for the rocket fire from Gaza in the last month. It added that Ghannam was a senior member of Islamic Jihad's rocket force, and that Ezzedine was in charge of coordination with the group's operatives in the West Bank and planning attacks on Israeli civilians there. The IDF said its aircraft also struck 10 sites used to manufacture weapons and six Islamic Jihad military facilities.
Spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht said the operation had "achieved what we wanted to achieve," according to AFP news agency. When asked about child casualties, he replied: "If there were some tragic deaths, we'll look into it." He also said residents of Israeli communities within 40km (25 miles) of Gaza had been advised to stay close to bomb shelters until Wednesday evening.
The militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is the biggest in Gaza next to Hamas, which controls the territory. It has been responsible for many of the rocket attacks on Israel from the territory in recent years and is sworn to Israel's destruction. The situation in the region remains highly volatile and unpredictable.
