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Israel targets Palestinian militants in new strike, one killed
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Nov 12, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – An Israeli
strike targeting Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza Strip killed one
Palestinian and wounded several others on Tuesday, the territory’s health
ministry and the Israeli military said.
The strike in the northern Gaza Strip came amid an escalation in violence
between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel.
The Israeli military said it targeted two Islamic Jihad militants from the
group’s rocket launching unit who were posing an immediate threat. The Gaza
health ministry reported one dead and several wounded.
Earlier Tuesday, Israel killed an Islamic Jihad commander and wounded
seven others in a strike in the Gaza Strip, sparking retaliatory rocket fire
into Israel from the Palestinian enclave.
Israel accused the commander, Baha Abu Al-Ata, of being behind recent
rocket fire into Israel and a range of other attacks.
It alleged he was planning further attacks and called him a “ticking
bomb.”
The strike and rocket fire, which caused damage and a number of injuries
in Israel, raised the possibility of a severe flare-up between the two sides.
The Israeli military said around 50 rockets had been fired and its air
defences had intercepted about 20 of them.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to issue a statement
soon.
BSS/AFP/RY/1554 hrs