A series of Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday killed three Islamic Jihad militant group leaders and 12 other people, leaving both sides bracing for an escalation.
Islamic Jihad vowed to “avenge” the deaths, which came in a pre-dawn raid involving 40 Israeli aircraft, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned “our enemies” of a “crushing response” to any escalation.
The first Israeli strike hit targets in the crowded coastal territory for nearly two hours starting just after 2:00 am (2300 GMT Monday).
The Gaza health ministry said four children were among those killed and 20 people were wounded, some in critical condition, in the attacks that left buildings ablaze and reduced others to rubble.
The Israeli army said it had targeted three leaders of Islamic Jihad, which it considers a terrorist group, as well as its “weapon manufacturing sites”.
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari expressed regret over the death of “uninvolved” people but said they were hard to avoid as “we are working against terrorists that conduct their activities day and night among civilians.”
Islamic Jihad confirmed the deaths of three senior members — Jihad Ghannam, Khalil al-Bahtini and Tareq Ezzedine — before their bodies were later carried through the streets in mass funeral processions.
A separate air strike in the late afternoon on the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza killed two men in a car, the health ministry said.
Read the article in the Geelong Advertiser (AFP).