Status: 05.08.2022 6:25 p.m
At least eight people were killed and more than 55 injured in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, Palestinians report. The militant PIJ is said to have threatened Israel beforehand.
Israel says it has attacked targets in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian sources, at least eight people died, including a five-year-old child, according to the Ministry of Health. At least 55 people were reportedly injured. A Hamas spokesman announced retaliation: The occupation had “crossed the red lines.”
“Due to a direct threat from Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, the military is currently conducting attacks in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army said. No further details were given.
According to the militant Palestinian organization “Islamic Jihad” (PIJ), one of its military chiefs was also killed in the airstrikes. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed his death, citing security sources. The Israeli broadcaster “Channel 12” reported, citing the military, that 15 terrorists had been killed in the operation.
Stronger tensions since Monday
On Monday, the leader of the PIJ, Bassem Saadi, was arrested during an Israeli operation in the West Bank. According to Israeli media reports, there are concrete indications of an attack from Gaza.
The PIJ has close ties to Israel’s arch-enemy Iran and regularly launches 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.
Similar incident in 2019
In 2019, Israel had already specifically killed jihadi military chief Baha Abu al-Ata. This was followed 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 Egypt and the United Nations.
Around two million people live in the Gaza Strip. 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.