Gaza violence escalates as Israel and militants trade heavy fire

Overnight, Israel’s army and Gaza militants exchanged heavy cross-border fire, resulting in at least 22 Palestinians killed over two days. This marks the worst escalation of violence to impact the coastal territory in months.

In response to incoming rocket attacks, sirens blared in the Tel Aviv area and Israel’s south. There were reports of launches from Gaza, while Israeli officials mentioned that Egypt was working on a potential truce with the Islamic Jihad militant group.

After a pre-dawn strike on Thursday by Israeli forces, Islamic Jihad stated that one of its military leaders, along with others, had been killed. Consequently, smoke filled the air in the heavily populated coastal area as Israel announced it was targeting the group’s rocket launch sites.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant noted over 400 launches from Gaza late on Wednesday, and Islamic Jihad confirmed that Palestinian “resistance” continued its fire. A home and a car were struck by rockets in the southern Israeli towns of Ashkelon and Sderot, and the army announced a series of new strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s health ministry revealed that seven individuals were killed on Wednesday, in addition to 15 who died the previous day due to Israeli strikes on Palestinian territories. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that “no Israeli civilian has been wounded up to now.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has worsened since Netanyahu’s coalition, including far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, took office in December. The current crisis follows now-shelved judicial reforms proposed by Netanyahu’s government, with Netanyahu himself being on trial for corruption charges that he denies.

Egyptian efforts to facilitate a ceasefire were underway, according to an anonymous Israeli official. Sources in Gaza linked to Islamic Jihad and Hamas confirmed these efforts but did not elaborate further.

In response to the latest violence, which resulted in the deaths of three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others, the group vowed to retaliate, prompting Israel to warn its residents near the border to stay close to bomb shelters.

As the tense situation escalates, residents in Gaza and Tel Aviv have expressed concern and fear for their safety.

The renewed violence occurs on the second anniversary of a devastating 11-day war fought between Gaza militants and Israel. Israel and the United States consider both Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, reports Bangkok Post.