Israel - Gaza: Exchange of fire between IDF and Islamic Jihad

(Patria) – Israel carried out airstrikes on targets of the so-called Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and Syria, in response to their previous rocket attacks on Israel.

The violence escalated after a member of Islamic Jihad was killed while attempting to plant a bomb near the fence separating Gaza from Israel, the Israeli army reported.

The British Guardian writes that tensions have sharply increased after a video was shared on social media showing an Israeli bulldozer scooping up the dead body of a killed Palestinian, and the army firing shots at another Palestinian trying to retrieve the body.

On the night between Sunday and Monday, about 30 rockets and shells were fired from the direction of Gaza towards southern Israel. Many were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system, while others landed in open fields. Shrapnel damaged several buildings, but there were no casualties.  

This new exchange of fire between the parties in the decades-long conflict is expected to lead to further violence, and the Israeli army is already closing roads, schools, and the railway line near Gaza.

The Israeli army announced that it had bombed several military sites in Gaza, an impoverished strip that has been under blockade by Israel and Egypt for over a decade. The statement said the targets included underground bunkers, rocket material storage facilities, and a training ground for anti-tank missile handling.

- The Israel Defense Forces will respond to any act of terror by Islamic Jihad that endangers Israeli civilians and our sovereignty, the IDF statement said.

Palestinian sources report that 4 people were injured during the bombing, the Guardian reports.

Israeli forces also announced that they had bombed targets near Damascus in Syria, which they link to Islamic Jihad and believe are used for the production of rocket fuel.

Islamic Jihad, based in Damascus, is considered an Iranian proxy. This militant group is the second largest in Gaza, after the ruling Hamas, with whom Israel has reached an informal ceasefire agreement, which has led to a reduction in violence and a relaxation of the blockade. However, Islamic Jihad is not considered to be in favor of such ceasefires.

Multi-day exchanges of fire between Israel and militant groups in Gaza are a frequent occurrence, especially in the last two years.