In its biggest military operation since last August, Israel launched major airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing at least 15 Palestinians, among them eight civilians and three senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commanders, according to statements of Palestinian officials.
Last week witnessed over 100 rockets fired on southern Israel by Islamic militant factions in the strip following the news of the death of prominent Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan, who did last Tuesday after an 87-day hunger strike in Israeli prison. Israeli officials are calling this new operation 'retaliation' for last week's rocket launches.
Adnan is being treated as a martyr, and widespread protests began throughout the West Bank and Gaza.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted 10 different PIJ military facilities in Gaza, especially those used for producing rockets or weapons storage.
The IDF additionally stated that Khalil Bahatini, the PIJ commander in the northern Gaza Strip, is a prime target given his role in last week's rocket bombardment. The operation has been dubbed 'Shield and Arrow'.
Interestingly, it appears Israel is specifically conveying to Palestinian officials that it doesn't wish for a wider war, and is seeking to avoid targeting Hamas, instead taking aim only at PIJ:
A senior Israeli official said Israel conveyed messages to Hamas via private channels through mediators that Tuesday's operation was only against the Islamic Jihad group and Israel wouldn't target Hamas if it doesn’t get involved in the fighting.
However,
the Israeli military is warning that it's prepared for a protracted
conflict if need be, but that this is the choice of the militant
factions.
VIDEO: Israel launches deadly pre-dawn air strikes on Gaz.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 9, 2023
The Israeli army says it launched pre-dawn air strikes Tuesday against the militant group Islamic Jihad in Gaza. The strikes killed 12 people according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/IwMLgLdhAd
Israeli schools in the south of the country have been closed ahead of Wednesday, with the education ministry announcing, "Schools within a 25 mile (ca. 40 km) radius from the Gaza Strip will not open tomorrow, meaning some 300,000 children will not be in school."
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Tuesday that more rocket fire could come, "to areas near the Gaza border and far from it, and with significant intensity."
WATCH: @IDF strikes #Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets throughout the #Gaza Strip as part of Operation Shield and Arrow.
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 9, 2023
👉More here: https://t.co/d2vSALkpTO pic.twitter.com/36dsQjwezP
He emphasized: "The defense establishment is prepared for any scenario, including a prolonged campaign."
(Article by Tyler Durden republished from ZeroHedge.com)
