Israel-Gaza violence spirals after killing of top Palestinian militant

  • 2019-11-12 19:49:13
Israel has carried out fresh strikes on targets in Gaza as militants there stepped up rocket attacks following the killing of one of its leaders. Israel says air and ground forces hit sites used by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group. More than 150 rockets have been fired at Israel. Violence escalated after Israel killed PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata. Four more Palestinians were also killed. One Israeli man was injured by a rocket, Israeli medical services say. What is the latest? The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out waves of attacks throughout the day on what it said were PIJ targets. Among the sites the IDF said it hit was what it called a "terror tunnel", which it said the PIJ planned to use to attack Israeli civilians. It said it also hit training compounds and weapons factories and storage facilities. Three Palestinians were killed in air strikes in northern Gaza, one of which targeted a group preparing to launch a rocket, Israel said. In Israel, air raid sirens sounded across the country as volleys of rockets were fired from Gaza since the early morning. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken shelter in bomb-proof rooms, and schools and businesses were ordered closed. Dozens of Israelis have been treated for injuries as an indirect result of rocket-fire, Israeli medics say. Gaza's health ministry says about 30 Palestinians were wounded by the Israeli attacks. Baha Abu al-Ata came to prominence in Gaza this year, commanding fighters of Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigade in the north and east of the strip. But he acted increasingly outside of the control of the dominant militant faction Hamas, ordering rocket attacks seemingly without approval after Israeli soldiers shot and injured dozens of Palestinians during regular protests at the perimeter fence earlier this month. A Palestinian TV presenter even warned on-air recently that his actions might see the Israelis trying to kill him. A serious escalation in hostilities is now likely, despite Israel's efforts to signal to Hamas that it has not returned to a wider strategy of so-called targeted killings.

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