On the night of Tuesday, May 9, the Israeli army launched the "Shield and Arrow" operation, striking the facilities of the radical Palestinian group "Islamic Jihad" in the Gaza Strip. Three high-ranking commanders who were responsible for the recent rocket attack on Israel have been killed. This is stated in the message of the Israel Defense Forces.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of Operation Shield and Arrow on the night of May 9. Civilians living in the Gaza Strip were ordered to remain in shelters until Wednesday.
The Israeli military said the airstrikes targeted the residences of three senior commanders of the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad group.
We have just eliminated Khalil Bakhitini, the senior operational officer of the terrorist organization "Islamic Jihad". Tarek Az Aldin," the Israel Defense Forces said on Twitter.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosion occurred on the top floor of an apartment building in Gaza City and a house in the southern city of Rafah. Airstrikes continued in the morning at training sites of militants, writes France24. "Islamic Jihad" confirmed the death of three people.
"The IDF will continue to act to protect the Israeli civilian population. Terrorism threatens civilians everywhere. Islamic Jihad and its leaders have threatened the security of Israelis for too long," the Israel Defense Forces added.
The airstrikes come amid heightened tensions between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the militant group Hamas. As previously reported by UNN, on May 2 the Israel Defense Forces reported that the Palestinians had launched 22 rockets from the Gaza Strip. The next day, Israel said it would retaliate with airstrikes. At the same time, Hamas noted that they launched surface-to-air missiles at Israeli fighter jets that were striking the Gaza Strip. The exchange of fire ended with a shaky truce brokered by Egypt, the UN and Qatar.
So far, 105 Palestinians, about half of whom are militants or suspected attackers, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the start of 2023, according to the Associated Press.
