Palestinian militants fireplace rockets at Israel after Gaza air strikes By Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) -Palestinian militants in Gaza fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Friday in response to Israeli airstrikes which killed a minimum of 10 folks, together with a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad motion.

As darkness fell, Israeli authorities mentioned sirens had been sounded in southern and central areas, whereas photos broadcast by Israeli tv stations appeared to point out a variety of missiles being shot down by air defence methods. In Tel Aviv, Israel’s financial centre, witnesses mentioned they may hear booms however there have been no stories of sirens.

Islamic Jihad, a militant group with the same ideology to Hamas, the Islamist motion accountable for Gaza, mentioned it had fired greater than 100 rockets on Friday into Israeli cities, together with Tel Aviv. Israel’s ambulance service mentioned there have been no stories of casualties.

The strikes got here a bit of greater than a yr after an 11-day warfare between Israel and Hamas in Might 2021, which killed a minimum of 250 folks in Gaza and 13 in Israel and left the blockaded enclave’s financial system shattered.

Earlier, native well being officers in Gaza mentioned a minimum of 10 folks, together with a five-year-old baby, had been killed and 55 wounded within the Israeli airstrikes, which got here after days of escalating tensions following the arrest of a Palestinian militant chief throughout the week.

An Israeli spokesperson mentioned the strikes had killed Islamic Jihad commander Tayseer al-Jaabari and round 15 “terrorists” however mentioned the army didn’t have a last casualty complete.

“Israel carried out a exact counterterror operation in opposition to a direct risk,” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid mentioned in a televised assertion through which he pledged to do “no matter it takes to defend our folks”.

“Our battle isn’t with the folks of Gaza. Islamic Jihad is an Iranian proxy that desires to destroy the State of Israel and kill harmless Israelis,” he mentioned.

The Israeli army mentioned in a Twitter (NYSE:) put up that its warfare planes focused Islamic Jihad websites in Gaza that “severely have an effect on the organisation’s means to develop army capabilities.”

An Islamic Jihad official confirmed that al-Jaabari, whom the Israeli army described as the primary coordinator between Islamic Jihad and Hamas, had been killed within the strikes, which hit a number of targets across the densely populated strip.

Smoke rose from a constructing the place al-Jaabari was apparently killed and glass and rubble had been strewn throughout the road amid the sound of ambulances racing to different websites.

As mourners ready to carry funerals for these killed within the assaults, a whole bunch, some holding Palestinian flags, marched by way of the streets of Gaza, whereas queues fashioned outdoors bakeries and supermarkets as folks stocked up on meals and staples.

The strikes got here after Israel arrested Bassam al-Saadi, a senior chief of the Islamic Jihad group, throughout a raid within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin earlier this week.

It subsequently closed off all Gaza crossings and a few close by roads over fears of retaliation from the group, which has a stronghold in Gaza, additional proscribing Palestinian motion.

Israel’s army mentioned Defence Minister Benny Gantz had authorized plans to name up 25,000 reservists following the strikes, signalling that Israel anticipated an prolonged confrontation.

‘NO RED LINES’

In an interview on Al Mayadeen tv, a pro-Iranian Lebanese channel, Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala vowed retaliation for the strikes.

“There are not any purple strains on this battle and Tel Aviv will fall below the rockets of resistance, in addition to all Israeli cities,” he mentioned.

Hamas’ armed wing issued an announcement saying: “The blood of our folks and our mujahideen is not going to go in useless.”

United Nations Particular Coordinator for the Center East Peace Course of, Tor Wennesland, warned that the “harmful” escalation risked creating the necessity for extra help at a time when world sources had been stretched by different conflicts.

“The launching of rockets should stop instantly, and I name on all sides to keep away from additional escalation,” he mentioned.

Egypt mentioned it was mediating between Israel and the Palestinians.

Islamic Jihad, one among a cluster of Palestinian militant teams, was based in Gaza within the Nineteen Eighties and opposes political dialogue with Israel. Thought of near Iran, it’s separate from Hamas however typically cooperates intently with the motion.

The Israeli army spokesperson mentioned authorities anticipated there can be rocket assaults in opposition to the centre of Israel however mentioned Iron Dome anti-missile batteries had been operational. He mentioned particular measures had been imposed in Israeli areas 80 kilometres round Gaza.

He mentioned plans to permit gas vehicles into Gaza to maintain the realm’s sole energy plant operational had been dropped on the final minute as intelligence picked up actions that indicated assaults on Israeli targets had been imminent.

The dearth of gas is ready to result in extra energy cuts in Gaza, the place residents have already got simply 10 hours of electrical energy a day, and additional hit the financial system of a area that is dependent upon international help and nonetheless struggles to get better from previous wars.

A slim strip of land the place some 2.3 million folks stay on a patch of 365 sq. kilometres (140 sq. miles), Gaza has been a relentless level of battle ever since Hamas took management. Israel has fought 5 conflicts with Gaza since 2009.

The world has since been below blockade, with Israel and Egypt tightly proscribing motion of individuals and items out and in.

“We now have not but been capable of reconstruct what Israel had destroyed a yr in the past. Folks did not have the prospect to breathe, and right here Israel is attacking once more with none purpose,” mentioned Mansour Mohammad-Ahmed, 43, a farmer from central Gaza.