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At least 10 Palestinians, including Islamic Jihad commander, killed in Israeli raids on Gaza, as escalation loom
Israeli forces killed a top Islamic Jihad commander in an air raid on his home in Gaza City, threatening to unleash another devastating round of violence.
The Palestinian group announced the death in a statement on Tuesday after Israel confirmed it hit Bahaa Abu al-Ata, 42, in an attack.
Shortly after the attack, salvos of rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel, with sirens wailing across central and southern parts of the country. Medical sources said dozens of Israelis were treated.
In response to the rocket barrage, dozens of air strikes were launched on Gaza, killing at least 10 Palestinians and injuring about 40 others.
Here are the latest updates:
Tuesday, November 12
Three Palestinians killed in new Israeli raids
Israeli shelling of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip has killed at least three more Palestinians, bringing the death toll for the day to 10, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
More than 40 others were also wounded in the Palestinian enclave since the morning, the ministry reported.
Israel declares state of emergency near Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett announced a special state of emergency for 48 hours in areas within an 80 kilometers (650 miles) range surrounding Gaza.
Israel says 30 attacks carried out in Gaza
The Israeli army carried out at least 30 air raids and artillery attacks on several areas of the Gaza Strip, according to the government’s media office.
“More than 20 Israeli air strikes and 10 artillery shelling have been marked in different parts of the enclave since early Tuesday,” it said in a statement.
Targets included agricultural lands, residential buildings and a number of sites of Palestinian factions.
Two Palestinians killed in new Israeli attack
Two more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack in the northern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry said, after Israel said it targeted fighters preparing to fire rockets.
The deaths brought the Palestinian death toll for the day to seven, including Abu al-Ata and his wife, killed in a targeted Israeli air raid.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 45 others were also wounded in Israel’s military escalation.
Meanwhile, Israeli medics said they had treated 46 people, 21 of whom had “stress symptoms” related to rocket fire.
Jordan condemns Israeli targeted killing in Gaza
Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip that killed top Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Ata
Daifallah al-Fayez, a spokesman for the Jordanian foreign ministry, blamed Israel for the ensuing escalation of violence in a statement.
Germany calls for end to violence
Germany condemned the bombardment of cities in Israel by rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, calling for de-escalation and saying there could be no justification for violence against innocent civilians.
“We condemn this rocket fire in the severest terms,” the German foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We call for restraint and for an end to the violence. We strongly support Egypt’s and the United Nations’ mediation efforts.”
Egypt working to calm Israel-Gaza fighting
Egyptian officials said Cairo is attempting to de-escalate tensions in the Gaza Strip amid the worst bout of fighting there in recent months.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, said Egypt’s general intelligence agency has stepped up communications and has “opened channels” with the US and the European Union.
Egypt often acts as a mediator between Israel and Palestinian factions, and brokered a ceasefire deal in May.
Source: Aljazeera English
