Israel kills terrorist leader in Gaza: Bloody message

The job that Baha Abu al-Ata pursued was risky: The stocky man with the finely shaved beard was head of the al-Kuds Brigades in the north of the Gaza Strip until early Tuesday morning. The Islamic Jihad fighting force has thousands of men under arms, drones, snipers, rocket experts, and support from Iran.

Israel's army and security agencies have already tried to kill al-Ata twice. Ten days ago, according to Israeli government sources, the decision was made to try again and liquidate the five-time father. The reason: Al-Ata, who was allegedly responsible for numerous attacks on Israel, apparently planned further attacks. He has been dead since four o'clock on Tuesday morning.

The Israeli air force deliberately bombarded a three-story house in the Sadshaija district of Gaza City, where the 42-year-old is said to have slept next to his wife. She also died in the attack. "It was a ticking time bomb," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in charge of the operation.

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Premier Netanyahu, Army Chief Kochavi (r.) And "Shin Beth" chief Argaman at the press conference following the killing of al-Alta.

It was Netanyahu's last act as Interim Secretary of Defense. On Tuesday afternoon, Naftali Bennett took over the business of the department. Already on Sunday, the cabinet had approved the personnel decision of Netanyahu. Bennett, 47, is a national-religious hardliner.

New Minister of Defense in a delicate mission

As a young man, Bennett served in an elite unit of the military, then made millions as IT entrepreneurs, then went into politics, became chief of staff of Netanyahu, later Minister of Education - and eventually left with his former mentor.

Abir Sultan / Pool / REUTERS

Got his dream job: Israel's new Defense Minister Naftali Bennett

He has now brought back Bennett in his cabinet and provided with his dream post to tie him in the domestic struggle with Benny Gantz. The Center politician is currently trying to form a government after Netanyahu failed. (Read more about the backgrounds here)

150 bullets fired at Israel

Bennett must now deal with the consequences of the targeted killing of al-Ata in Gaza in his new office - and with a mysterious attack in Syria, which also took place early Tuesday morning.

• According to state Syrian media, a house in the capital Damascus was attacked from the air with rockets at four o'clock in the morning.
• The owner: Akram Al-Adschuri, a political leader of Islamic Jihad in exile.
• He should not have died, but at least one of his sons.

Israel has been waging a shadow war against Iran and its militias in Syria for years. (Read more about the background) So far, however, the Israeli military has not commented on this attack. The Islamic Jihad already: The group shot rockets at Israeli border cities and also massively bombarded the Greater Tel Aviv.

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Israeli firefighters deploying in the border town of Sderot

Schools remained closed, bunkers were opened, the missile defense system "Iron Dome" is in operation and has so far intercepted about 60 of the total of 150 missiles according to military information.

"The blood of the martyrs has not dried yet"

The jihadists do not want to know anything about a gun break. "The blood of the martyrs has not dried yet," said a spokesman for the group the TV station al-Jazeera.

MOHAMMED SABER / EPA-EFE / REX

Mourning procession in the Gaza Strip with the body of Baha Abu al-Ata

Islamic Jihad, founded in the late 1970s, is supported by the Shiite Iranian state of Iran - despite being a Sunni terrorist group. The reason: Israel should feel Tehran's long arm on as many fronts as possible. Also in the Gaza Strip, where actually the militarily much stronger Hamas has the shots.

Over the past decade, Hamas has waged three wars with Israel. Egypt has always mediated between the two conflicting parties. Even now, the Egyptian emissaries are again active as shuttle diplomats in the background.

The longer the conflict lasts, the greater the chance of a unity government

It is clear that neither the Israeli government under Netanyahu nor Hamas are interested in a war. Rather, the killing of Baha Abu al-Ata seems to have been a bloody message. The addressees:

• Iran and its stooge from Islamic Jihad, which should no longer feel safe.
• The Hamas leadership, which is to control this same terrorist group more effectively and is jointly responsible for the further situation in the Mediterranean enclave.
• Also: Netanyahu's voters and domestic rivals.

After all, there is still the realistic possibility that Benny Gantz will fail for a third time when trying to form a government.

Netanyahu, a threefold former suspect, could then once again stage himself as "Mr. Security," or, as the security situation continues to escalate in the coming days, persuade Gantz to form a unity government.