Monday, November 11, 2019

Rockets Fired After Assassination In Gaza - IDF Reinforcing Troops


Rockets fired after Islamic Jihad leader Abu al-Ata assassinated in Gaza



The IDF reinforced its troops and prepared for multiple possible situations. Shelters in Ashkelon were opened and school was canceled as a "severe security event." Ashdod is in a state of emergency.

Rocket sirens were sounded in areas surrounding the Gaza Strip and in Ashkelon, Ashdod and Gedera in two barrages of rockets after Israel confirmed that it assassinated Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Leader Bahaa Abu Al-Ata in Gaza early Tuesday morning.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Israel was responsible for the aerial attack against Al-Ata, who it described as a “senior Islamic Jihad commander” who master-minded for “numerous terrorist attacks and rocket attacks against the State of Israel in recent months and who intended to immediately carry out further attacks.” 
 
The operation against Al-Ata was approved by the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the security cabinet. Netanyahu also serves as Israel’s Defense Minister.

The PIJ confirmed that Abu Al-Ata was killed, as well.
The PIJ's Al-Quds Brigade declared that the terrorist group was on the highest level of alert after the assassination.

The Hamas terrorist movement warned as well that the assassination "will not go unpunished."

"We emphasize that the response to this crime will have no limits," said the PIJ in a statement. "Our response will shake the Zionist entity."

Smoke was seen rising from the scene before 5 a.m.

According to the Palestinian Al Quds newspaper's Twitter, terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip attempted to fire a barrage of rockets into Israel after the attack. No sirens have been heard in Israel yet.

The operation was conducted jointly by the IDF and the Shin Bet and was carried out because Abu Al-Ata was preparing to attempt multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, including preparations for sniper and kidnapping attacks, drone launches, and preparations for rocket fire at various ranges. 

The attack on the building he was in was conducted on exact intelligence information as a preventative measure to remove a real threat from the PIJ.

The IDF reinforced its troops and prepared for multiple possible situations Tuesday morning. Shelters in Ashkelon were opened and school was canceled, as the situation has been deemed a "severe security event."

Ashdod declared a state of emergency and the city said it is opening public shelters.

Train service was temporarily canceled between Ashkelon and Beersheba and at the Sderot, Netivot and Ofakim stations.



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