Israeli missile strikes against jihadists in Gaza kill three high-ranking terrorists
WASHINGTON (TND) — Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced Monday it was initiating "Operation Shield and Arrow," which according to the IDF began the following day with airstrikes killing three top members of theof the Palestinian Islamic Jihadist (PIJ) terror group.
The missile strikes killed Khalil Bahitini, PIJ's most senior operations officer, Jahed Ahnam, another one of the most senior members of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and Tarek Az Aldin, a senior operative and finance coordinator for the PIJ.
The IDF missiles also killed 10 Palestinian civilians, which included the commanders' family members and neighbors, according to The Times of Israel. The strikes reportedly injured several others.
The operation tonight happened after I talked about targeted assassinations and bringing back [military] might. We have a stake in this operation [Operation Shield and Arrow] but I am not looking for credit. From now on I want offensive initiative," National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir said Tuesday, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Despite widespread political divisions in Israel, Tuesday's strikes received wide-ranging support inside the nation's legislative body known as the Israeli Knesset.
The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip know this morning that the intelligence community and the security forces are following their every move and the reckoning with them will be closed. A strong Israeli response at a place and time that is convenient for us, is the way to deal with the terrorism from Gaza," tweeted Israeli opposition leaderYair Lapid.
Israelis are now bracing for potential retaliation after PIJ reportedly vowed it would seek vengeance for the Tuesday killings. Schools around the Gaza Strip have been closed, and civilians have been warned to stay near bomb shelters for the next few days, Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported from Israel.
Hamas also said Israel would "pay the price for its crime," according to Fox News.
However, before retaliation was able to come to fruition, a fresh Israeli airstrike was carried out again killing two more. The airstrike was used to halt a PIJ squad in Gaza from launching retaliatory missiles, the military said, according to The Times of Israel.