Three senior members of the PIJ were assassinated by the sudden attack, meanwhile Israeli officials say they are readying for a ‘great’ response from Gaza
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Israel launched a brutal attack on the Gaza Strip during the early hours of 9 May, killing at least 13 Palestinians, including three Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders and their families.
The Israeli attack targeted several areas of the besieged enclave, including the homes of the PIJ leaders. According to a Palestinian health official, six women and four children are confirmed dead.
At least twenty others have been wounded, some in serious condition.
Jihad Ghannam, a commander of the PIJ Al-Quds Brigades and secretary of its military council, was killed with his wife following air raids on his house in the city of Rafah.
PIJ spokesman Tariq Ezzeddine was also killed alongside his wife and children after Israeli jets targeted his home. Khalil al-Bahtini was the third PIJ member to die during the attack. His six year-old daughter Hajer was killed as well.
“The bodies of … women and children were recovered from the targeted apartments,” Al-Mayadeen’s correspondent reported.
A doctor, Jamal Khadwan, was also killed in the strikes, alongside his wife and son.
The Israeli military operation, dubbed “Shield and Arrow,” began early on 9 May.
According to Israeli army radio, the brutal attacks involved the use of 40 planes, helicopters, and drones.
“The operation was scheduled for last Tuesday, but it was postponed until conditions ripened,” Israeli radio said.
According to Israel’s Channel 7, Tel Aviv informed the US government of its plans for the operation at the end of last week.
In a statement, senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh said: “The assassination of these leaders will bring about even more resistance … the enemy has erred in its estimates and will pay the price for its crime.”
“The occupation’s crime today is a crime against all the Palestinian people,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said.
In a brief statement following the Israeli blitz, the PIJ said: “The Palestinian response to the heinous massacre will not be delayed, and the Al-Quds Brigades and the resistance will not be deterred.”
An unnamed Israeli security official has been quoted as saying that “the response from Gaza will be great.”
Including Tuesday’s casualties, 120 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers since the start of 2023.
By The Cradle News Desk
Published by The Cradle
Republished by The 21st Century
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