In a series of deadly attacks by Israel to the Gaza strip on Tuesday, four Islamic Jihad commanders and their families, including several women and young children, were killed.
In yet another series of deadly airstrikes across the Gaza strip, Israel military targeted houses, flats and vehicles across the Gaza strip, killing at least four Islamic Jihad commanders and their families, including several women and children.
According to the Palestinian health officials, four women and four children were among the dead, and another 22 people were severely injured. The Israeli strikes began in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when 40 warplanes and helicopters attacked in several waves across Gaza, hitting homes and causing panic among residents. Later on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said one of its aircraft struck a “terrorist squad” carrying anti-tank missiles in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Pictures showed at least two apartments with their fronts ripped away and others damaged. Russia also announced that one of its citizens, Dr Jamal Khaswan, a former chairman of the Gaza Dentists’ Association, was killed along with his wife Mervat and their 21-year-old son Youssef.
In an effort to justify the bloody attacks, Israel military issued a statement Tuesday and said that the Islamic Jihad leaders it targeted overnight were involved in recent attacks on Israeli civilians.
Tuesday airstrikes happened as tensions have been rising between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip lately, which is ruled by the militant Hamas group. The tension is linked to increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has been conducting near daily raids for the past months to detain Palestinians suspected in planning or carrying out attacks on Israelis. Israeli security forces have ordered inhabitants of settlements near the Gaza border to ‘take cover’ in anticipation of rocket attacks by Islamic Jihad avenging the deaths of their top commanders.
Israel leaders already in panic for Palestinians’ revenge
Strongly rebuking the attacks on civilians, the Palestinian armed resistance groups vowed that Israel should be expecting a hard revenge soon. “We affirm that the blood of the martyrs will increase our resolve. We will not leave this bloodshed without response, and the resistance will continue, God willing,” said a spokesperson for the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, in a statement on Tuesday.
Already sparking huge fear among the Israeli officials, the statement was reacted by Netanyahu. He warned of a ‘multi-front conflict’ with Iran and its alleged proxies if necessary.
Hours after the statement by the Palestinian armed resistance groups, Netanyahu said the country was “prepared for all possibilities”, adding: “I suggest that our enemies not test us.” Netanyahu also noted on Tuesday that ninety-five per cent of Israel’s security problems come from Iran. This was a reference to an alleged Iranian attempt to start a multi-front campaign against Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister pointed out that Israel will do all it can to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and prevent the government in Tehran from “establishing terror fronts around us.”
“We are dealing with an attempt by Iran to start a multi-front campaign against us. I instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and security forces to be prepared for this fight. … If we need to, we will,” he added.
According to Palestinian figures, at least 123 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2023, while only 19 Israelis have been killed in retaliatory attacks by Palestinians during the same period.
