According to Palestinian sources, a military chief of the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was killed in airstrikes by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip.
Taisir al-Jabari died in the attack, the extremist Palestinian organization said on Friday. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed his death, citing security sources.
The Israeli military had previously attacked several targets in the coastal strip after threats from Islamic Jihad. According to Palestinian sources, at least eight people were killed, including a 5-year-old child. At least 44 people were injured. The Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, citing the military, reported that 15 terrorists had been killed in the operation.
In 2019, Israel had already specifically killed the jihadi military chief, Baha Abu al-Ata. This was followed at the time by massive rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israeli locations and counterattacks by the Israeli Air Force in the coastal strip. After a few days, a ceasefire was agreed with the help of Egyptian and United Nations negotiators.
On Monday, the leader of the PIJ in the West Bank, Bassem Saadi, was arrested during an Israeli anti-terrorist operation. The organisation’s military arm, Saraja al-Quds, then threatened to attack. The jihad is closely linked to Israel’s archenemy Iran and regularly carries out rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military cordoned off areas on the edge of the coastal strip for several days and increased the alert.
Around two million people live in the Gaza Strip under very poor conditions. Hamas, classified by the EU as a terrorist organization, violently seized power in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the area, supported by Egypt. Both countries justify the measure with security interests.
