A Palestinian Islamic Jihad squad in the Gaza Strip that sought to carry out an anti-tank guided missile attack against targets on the Israeli border was targeted in an airstrike on Tuesday afternoon, according to the military.
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out the airstrike against the squad near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, as its members were taking missiles by car to a launch site.
“IDF soldiers monitored the activity of the squad and struck it while they were on their way to the launch pad,” the military said.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said two men were killed and two were wounded in the strike. They were not immediately named. The strike brought the death toll since the military launched its operationagainst Islamic Jihad early Tuesday morning to 15.
Images published by media outlets showed a burnt-out car after the attack. The IDF published drone footage of the strike.
Shortly after, Palestinian media outlets reported a second airstrike against a “resistance site” in central Gaza. The IDF did not immediately comment on the reports.
The strikes came as Islamic Jihad was seeking to carry out reprisal attacks against Israel, after the IDF assassinated three senior members of the terror group in a series of strikes early Tuesday morning.
Earlier in the day, the IDF blocked access to some roads running near the enclave, over fears of anti-tank missile fire or sniper attacks.
The airstrikes in the pre-dawn hours came days after a short-lived but fiery flareup of violence set the restive region on edge. Islamic Jihad fired 104 rockets toward Israel on May 2 and 3, in response to the death of a member of the group who had been on hunger strike in Israeli prison.
Hamas health officials said 13 people were killed in the bombing runs early Tuesday. Islamic Jihad said the wives of the three commanders and a number of their children were among the dead. Some 20 people were reported injured in the strikes.
Israeli residents of areas within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Gaza were instructed to enter or stay near bomb shelters amid fears of reprisal attacks.
The IDF said it assassinated Khalil Bahtini, who commands Islamic Jihad in northern Gaza; Jihad Ghanem, a top official in the group’s military council; and Tareq Izz ed-Din, who it said directed Islamic Jihad terror activities in the West Bank from a base in Gaza.
Islamic Jihad confirmed that the three were among the dead. The spokesman for the terror group’s military wing later vowed to respond to their deaths in a video statement.
“The Al-Quds Brigades and the resistance affirms we will abide by our commitment and duty toward the martyrs, and will confront the aggression with steadfastness and courage,” said the spokesman, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Hamza.
The army dubbed the campaign Operation Shield and Arrow.
Islamic Jihad had yet to successfully respond as of 6 p.m., likely a result of Israel catching the group off-guard, though the coming hours were likely to see intense volleys at Israeli cities.
The IDF’s Home Front Command gave the go-ahead for towns bordering Gaza to begin evacuating residents to other parts of the country, with the military estimating that fighting could last several days.
Anticipating a spiraling conflict lasting several days at least, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant okayed the army to call up reserve troops as needed. The IDF was to call up several hundred reservists in the coming day, mostly in the Air Force, Southern Command, and intelligence units.
Initial strikes achieved objective, attacks may ramp up — IDF spokesman
Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says the Israel Defense Forces achieved its goals with the opening strikes on the Gaza Strip against senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.
“At this stage, we achieved what we set for ourselves, we hit those needed, and if necessary we will deepen the attacks more. We are prepared for any scenario,” Hagari tells reporters.
He says 40 aircraft, including fighter jets, carried out the main strikes within seconds of each other, at three different locations in the Gaza Strip.
“The operation was carried out with professionalism and precision in planning and execution,” Hagari says.
He says the IDF is expected to call up several hundred reservists in the coming day, mostly in the Air Force, Southern Command, and intelligence units.
IDF says it bombed rocket factory, weapons stores
The IDF says it bombed 10 sites belonging to Islamic Jihad overnight, including factories, armories and a military post.
A statement says the army struck a rocket factory in Khan Younis, along with another facility where it alleges Islamic Jihad produced concrete for bolstering tunnels used to attack inside Israel.
“As well, we struck six Palestinian Islamic Jihad military compounds, most of them used to store weapons of logistical infrastructure,” the IDF says in a statement, which also includes grainy video of the attacks.
Hamas head Haniyeh: Israel will pay the price, resistance unified
Hamas politburo head Ismail Hanieyh says Israel’s actions won’t bring it security, but rather more violence.
“The enemy made a mistake in its estimations and will pay the price for its crime,” he says.
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