GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli plane struck targets within the Gaza Strip for a second straight day on Wednesday, killing at the least one Palestinian and pushing the area nearer towards a brand new spherical of heavy preventing.
The noon airstrikes got here a day after a collection of lethal assaults concentrating on militant leaders. Tuesday’s strikes killed three senior Islamic Jihad militants and at the least 10 civilians — most of them ladies and kids. Palestinian militants have pledged to retaliate whereas Israel says it’s ready for an additional escalation of hostilities.
The Israeli army stated Tuesday it was bombing Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant infrastructure within the coastal enclave.
The military stated one airstrike focused militants touring to a rocket launcher website within the southern Gaza Strip.
Medics stated the assault killed one man and critically wounded one other. Palestinian officers couldn’t verify whether or not the boys had been militants.
The Israeli army has instructed residents of southern Israel to stay close to bomb shelters, and faculties had been nonetheless closed for a second day as a precaution in opposition to rocket assaults by Palestinian militant teams in Gaza.
Israel says the assaults are a response to a barrage of rocket fireplace launched final week by Islamic Jihad in response to the loss of life of certainly one of its members from a starvation strike whereas in Israeli custody.
Israel says it’s attempting to keep away from battle with Hamas, the extra highly effective militant group that guidelines Gaza, and confine the preventing to Islamic Jihad.
However Hamas has expressed solidarity with its smaller counterpart, and the 2 teams usually coordinate with each other.
If the violence continues, the chance of a full-blown conflict might improve. Israel and Hamas have fought 4 wars for the reason that Islamic group, which opposes Israel’s existence, took management of Gaza in 2007.
Earlier on Wednesday, the army stated that Palestinian gunmen opened fireplace at troops within the Palestinian city of Qabatiya within the northern West Financial institution throughout a military raid. Troops returned fireplace, killing the 2 males, and confiscated their firearms, it stated.
The Palestinian Well being Ministry recognized the slain males as Ahmed Assaf, 19, and Rani Qatanat, 24. The Islamic Jihad militant group later claimed the 2 males as its members.
Israel has been conducting near-daily army raids within the occupied West Financial institution for over a 12 months to detain suspected Palestinian militants, together with many from Islamic Jihad. The northern West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin and its environs have been the frequent goal of such raids because it has emerged as a hub of Palestinian militant exercise.
Israel says the raids within the West Financial institution are supposed to dismantle militant networks and thwart future assaults.
At the very least 107 Palestinians, round half of them militants, have been killed by Israeli fireplace within the occupied West Financial institution for the reason that begin of 2023, based on an Related Press tally. At the very least 20 individuals have been killed in Palestinian assaults concentrating on Israelis.
Israel captured the West Financial institution. east Jerusalem and Gaza within the 1967 Mideast conflict. The Palestinians search all three areas for a future state.