Zain Khalil
09 May 2023•Update: 09 May 2023
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he gave orders to kill commanders within the Islamic Jihad group one week ago.
Netanyahu made the statement following a security cabinet meeting during which he said Israeli airstrikes on Gaza were in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory last week.
Palestinian groups fired barrages of rockets from Gaza into Israel last week in response to the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison.
Netanyahu said that the airstrikes "amputated the [Islamic Jihad] organization’s leadership in Gaza."
"We are in the middle of a campaign and we are ready for any possibility. I advise our enemies: Don’t mess with us," he added.
At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 20 others injured in Israeli air raids on Gaza on Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry. The fatalities included four children and four women.
Palestinian factions in Gaza have vowed to retaliate against the Israeli airstrikes that killed three top military commanders from the Islamic Jihad group.
Several countries and regional bodies have condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, including Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
