PALESTINE Gaza: at least 10 killed by Israeli bombardment

An source says the attack “took us by surprise.” Israel wants to continue the “anti-terrorist” operation for a week, after arresting some members of the Islamic Jihad group. So far there are a dozen victims, including a 5-year-old girl. High risk of further escalation.

Gaza () – The situation in Gaza is “very bad”, the Israeli “attack” last night “took us by surprise”, said an source on the ground after the air strikes by the Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) against the Gaza Strip that killed at least 10 people, including a 5-year-old girl, and injured more than 70. Such an intense escalation had not occurred since the May 2021 clashes, eleven days of conflict in which more than 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis lost their lives.

Jewish state authorities say the attack killed Tayseer Jabari, a commander of Islamic Jihad (Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PIJ), a militant group backed by Iran. The PIJ responded by launching a hundred rockets, almost all intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Israel resumed shelling in the early morning, but army spokesman Ran Kochav said the operation, dubbed “Breaking Down,” could continue for a week.

Israeli authorities also said they had arrested 19 Islamic Jihad members during an attack in the West Bank. According to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid “Israel has carried out a precise counter-terrorist operation against an immediate threat.” The sudden escalation follows the arrest, on the night of August 1, of Bassem Saadi, considered the leader of the PIJ in the West Bank. A 15-year-old teenager also died in the operation. Israeli authorities claimed yesterday’s attack would have thwarted an imminent attack.

The evolution of the situation is difficult to predict: Ziad al Nakhalah, one of the PIJ commanders, has announced the beginning of a “war without quarter to respond to this aggression”, while Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, has know that the armed groups are “united” in battle, but have not yet participated in the clashes.

For its part, Egypt made it known that it had begun negotiations for a ceasefire.