Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday morning targeted three senior Islamic Jihad commanders in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of 13 people, including the commanders, their families, and other nearby civilians. Twenty people were injured in the strikes, sparking outrage among Palestinians and condemnation from the militant group. The incident is likely to further strain the already tense relations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Posts tagged as “Israeli”
Khader Adnan, a leader of the militant Islamic Jihad group, died in Israeli custody after a hunger strike of nearly three months. In response, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired 22 rockets toward populated areas in southern Israel, wounding three people. Adnan's death has sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights groups, who have called for an investigation into his death and the conditions of his detention.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will meet with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a trade mission, as DeSantis considers a presidential bid. Netanyahu has also addressed the backlash sparked by his government's controversial judicial reforms, saying that the criticism is an "internal matter" and that there is a "broad consensus" that corrections need to be made. The reforms include an "override clause" which has been criticized as undemocratic, and Netanyahu has said he will meet with both Republican and Democratic governors to maintain bipartisan support.
On Sunday, tensions between Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem reached a peak, with simultaneous religious rituals at a volatile shrine and Israeli warplanes and artillery striking targets in Syria in response to rare rocket fire. The IDF reported that six rockets had been launched from Syria, three of which were intercepted, and hundreds of Jews visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard. Simultaneously, thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the Western Wall for a mass priestly benediction prayer service. The events have further heightened the tension between Israel and Syria, and between Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem.
Pope Francis celebrated Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square, decorated with 38,000 flowers from the Netherlands, and was joined by prelates and thousands of worshippers. His message of hope and peace invoked prayers for the Ukrainian and Russian people, and called for Israelis and Palestinians to forge a “climate of trust”.
Tensions remain high in the Middle East after two Israeli sisters were shot dead in the West Bank and an Italian tourist was killed in a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. Israel responded with its biggest airstrikes on Lebanon in 17 years, and three rockets were launched from Syria towards Israeli territory, with one landing in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordanian territory near the Syrian border. The recent violence has raised concerns of a possible escalation of tensions, with the Israeli military monitoring the situation and deploying additional forces.
Two women were killed in a suspected terror attack near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Friday, prompting Israel to launch its biggest airstrikes on Lebanon in 17 years. In response to the attack, Israel targeted installations of Hamas in southern Lebanon and Gaza, while the Palestinian militant group has yet to comment. The violence has raised fears of a wider conflict in the region, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of further action.
The Israel Defense Forces have announced that they will not allow Hamas to operate from Lebanon and hold the state responsible for any directed fire. This announcement follows retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza after rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. The IDF has stated that they are prepared to take all necessary steps to protect Israeli citizens and have called on the international community to condemn the rocket fire and take action to prevent further escalation.