Top Islamic Jihad Leaders Among 13 Killed in Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza
The Israeli Air Force launched surprise attacks on the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning, killing three leaders of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group. Armed groups in the Gaza Strip have vowed to respond swiftly, raising concerns of an impending escalation of violence in the region.
The IDF said the strikes responded to a barrage of 104 rockets fired from Gaza in retaliation for the death of influential Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan, who died in an Israeli prison following an 87-day hunger strike.
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Amid rising concerns of reprisal attacks, Israeli residents living within a 40-kilometer radius of Gaza were directed to enter or remain near bomb shelters.
Health officials in the Hamas-controlled enclave have reported that the bombing runs resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people, including six women and four children. Islamic Jihad has stated that the wives of the three commanders and several children were among those who lost their lives, with an additional 20 reportedly injured.
The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of Khalil al-Bahtini, Jihad Ghanem, and Tareq Izz ed-Din. Al-Bahtini, a senior operational officer of Islamic Jihad, was allegedly responsible for planning, directing, and approving all terrorist activities in northern Gaza. Ghanem was a liaison between Hamas and Islamic Jihad and held various key positions, including heading the Islamic Jihad Southern Gaza Brigade and serving as the secretary of the Military Council. Izz ed-Din, the Israeli military said, moved money between Gaza and the West Bank for terror activities.
