Explosions ripped through Gaza early Tuesday morning as Israeli forces targeted the Islamic Jihad terror group, days after a short-lived but fiery flareup of violence with the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli residents of areas within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Gaza were instructed to enter bomb shelters amid fears of reprisal attacks.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a brief statement on its English Twitter account after 2 a.m. that it was “striking Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza” and details would follow.
Initial reports in Gaza, which could not be independently confirmed, indicated that the Israeli strikes had targeted a number of senior leaders of the Iranian-backed terror group.
Strikes were reported in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and Gaza City, with images showing part of a building destroyed.
Several casualties were reported in the strikes, including at least one person killed in the Rafah strike.
Breaking | Israeli occupation warplanes targeted tonight several Palestinian sites in Rafah, Gaza Strip. #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/DC7RH0oaXO
— Palestine News (@palestinelatest) May 8, 2023
The IDF’s Home Front Command issued instructions for residents of areas near Gaza to stay in or near bomb shelters. It instructed local authorities to open public shelters.
It also ordered that school be canceled in areas near Gaza as far away as Lachish and Beersheba.
#Gaza now pic.twitter.com/06FMQRCXZw
— mays abd (@mays97201) May 8, 2023
The bombings came days after Gazan terrorists led by Islamic Jihad fired nearly 3 dozen rockets toward Israel in response to the death of an alleged former senior member of the group who had been on hunger strike in Israeli prison. Several rockets struck Sderot during the May 2 clash, injuring three workers and damaging homes and cars.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under pressure from hardliners in his cabinet for a harsher response to Gaza in response to rockets, as well as to take offensive measures rather than only reacting to attacks.
This is a developing story.