Vancouver Sun ePaper

GAZA MILITANT CHIEF KILLED

Islamic Jihad launches rockets in response

JAMES ROTHWELL AND SIHAM SHAMALAKH

Israel was on the brink of renewed conflict with militants in Gaza after it launched airstrikes on Friday that killed a senior Palestinian commander.

The first strike on an apartment block in Gaza City, which was carried out Friday afternoon, killed Tayseer al-jabari, the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement.

Palestinian officials in Gaza said that 10 people, including a five-year-old girl, were killed, and dozens had been injured.

Israeli military officials said they had carried out a pre-emptive attack after several days of threats from militant groups in Gaza, who were angered by the arrest of a senior PIJ figure in the West Bank this week.

The Israeli Defense Forces announced that airstrikes were continuing overnight, targeting military positions.

Video footage from the aftermath of the airstrike showed black smoke billowing from an apartment block in Gaza City. PIJ leaders issued a furious response to the attack, accusing Israel of “starting a war.”

The Islamic Jihad group said it fired more than 100 rockets at Israel Friday, as an “initial response” to deadly Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

In a nationally televised speech Friday night, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said his country had launched the attacks based on “concrete threats.”

“This government has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempted attacks — of any kind — from Gaza towards Israeli territory,” Lapid said. “Israel will not sit idly by when there are those who are trying to harm its civilians.”

He also added that “Israel isn't interested in a broader conflict in Gaza, but will not shy away from one either.”

The violence poses an early test for Lapid, who assumed the role of caretaker prime minister ahead of elections in November in which he hopes to keep the position.

He has experience in diplomacy, having served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, but his security credentials are thin.

Benny Gantz, Israel's defence minister, said after the airstrikes: “The goal is to protect the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel — we will not allow anyone to threaten or harm the citizens of Israel. Whoever tries to do so — will get hurt.”

Israeli military officials said last night that their operation, Breaking Dawn, was ongoing and that they were braced for a barrage of rocket fire from Gaza on central Israel.

They estimated that between 10 and 20 Palestinian fighters were killed in the airstrike, which was launched at 2:16 p.m. local time.

In a statement, PIJ accused Israel of “starting a war against our people.”

Tensions between Israel and Gaza intensified this week after Israeli forces arrested a senior PIJ figure in the West Bank, which prompted its leaders in Gaza to issue threats of a military response.

Earlier Friday, a couple of hundred Israelis protested near the Gaza Strip to demand the return of captive Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, and the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas.

The protesters were led by the family of Hadar Goldin, who along with Oron Shaul was killed in the 2014 Gaza war.

Hamas is still holding their remains, as well as two Israeli civilians who strayed into Gaza and are believed to be mentally ill, in the hope of exchanging them for some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The protesters pushed through two police checkpoints on a road near the heavily guarded Gaza frontier before stopping at a third checkpoint.

An Israeli military spokesman said the army acted pre-emptively after a number of Palestinian anti-tank squads were seen “on the move” near the border with Israel.

Friday's escalation evoked bitter memories of the Gaza conflict in May last year in which some 260 Palestinians and 15 Israelis were killed.

Later Friday evening, Israel launched a second series of airstrikes on Gaza targeting PIJ positions.

A White House spokesman said it was monitoring the situation closely.

They said: “We urge all sides for calm. We firmly believe that Israel has the right to protect itself.”

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2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://vancouversun.pressreader.com/article/281925956780735

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