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Firefighter at destroyed building in Gaza City
Photo: MOHAMMED SABER/EPA
Islamic Jihad has announced retaliatory measures following Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The extremist group reported that a high-ranking commander of the Palestinian extremist group was killed in the attacks by the Israeli military.
Accordingly, it is Tayseer al-Jabari.
At least four people were killed in the attack, including a five-year-old child, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported.
In addition, 15 other people were killed.
The Israeli military (IDF) confirmed the attack.
In 2019, Israel had already specifically killed the jihadi military chief, Baha Abu al-Ata.
This was followed at the time by massive rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israeli locations and counterattacks by the Israeli Air Force in the coastal strip.
After a few days, a ceasefire was agreed with the help of Egyptian and United Nations negotiators.
On Monday, Israel arrested Bassam al-Saadi, a senior member of Islamic Jihad.
A 17-year-old member of the group died when he was arrested in the West Bank.
The organisation's military arm, Saraja al-Quds, then threatened to attack.
Islamic Jihad is closely linked to Israel's nemesis Iran and regularly fires rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Israel tightened measures against Gaza Strip
Israel has blocked all crossings into the Gaza Strip - the organization's stronghold - and some surrounding roads since Bassam al-Saadi's arrest.
The reason given was that acts of revenge were feared.
Around two million people live in the Gaza Strip under very poor conditions.
Israel began blockading the area in 2007 when the radical Islamist Hamas, classified by the EU as a terrorist organization, took power there.
Palestinians working in Israel are now also affected by the new measures.
Fuel tankers supplying the only power plant in the Palestinian territory have also been cut off, according to Reuters news agency.
Authorities warned that the power plant would have to be shut down if the crossings were not reopened.
The people of Gaza currently receive electricity for ten hours a day.
as/Reuters/dpa
