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The tensions that erupted yesterday continue in the Middle East. The Israeli government detailed that 19 Islamic Jihad militants were arrested in raids in the West Bank; This group responded with at least 160 rockets, without major consequences. In these hours the victims are already 15 and there are another 84 injured, reported the local Ministry of Health. Egypt will seek to mediate to restore peace.
This Saturday marks the second consecutive day of aggression in the Gaza Strip after the sudden advance on Friday. Another Palestinian citizen died as a result of the bombings; while two Israeli soldiers ended up wounded by the rockets of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) counteroffensive.
In this way, the framework of violence unleashed on Friday is already 15 dead Palestinians, according to data released by the Gaza Ministry of Health, and a total of more than 90 people injured, 84 in the enclave.
Israel announced that 20 people were arrested during raids by Shin Bet soldiers. Included in that number are “19 operational members associated with the Palestinian terrorist organization,” he noted in a press release.
In addition, the Israeli Army assured that it is preparing for “a week” of military incursions into the Gaza Strip and a spokesman assured that at the moment “there are no negotiations for a ceasefire.”
Following the unannounced aggression by the Jewish state, the YIP responded by launching some 160 rockets, although most were intercepted or hit unpopulated areas.
Although it did not cause major damage, the Army confirmed that two soldiers had lacerations from a projectile that fell on Kibbutz Nirim, near the border of the conflict zone, and had to be transferred with minor injuries. In addition, eight other people were hospitalized.
On the other hand, estimates suggest that the Israeli Armed Forces have already hit more than 40 YIP targets since their initial offensive on the Strip on Friday, most with drones or fighter jets.
Among the targets stand out the facilities used for the manufacture of weapons, rocket launchers, military checkpoints and a residential building, where Taysir al Jabari, second in the chain of command of the Palestinian group, died.
In another aspect, this morning the main power plant that operates in the Strip was paralyzed due to lack of fuel as a result of the border closure made by Israel, preventing the passage of diesel.
On Saturday, Egypt disclosed that it is working to mediate between the two sides and said it could host a YIP delegation. “Without rest to calm the situation and preserve lives and property,” said Cairo diplomacy, a historical intermediary between those involved.
However, the situation seems far from ending immediately despite requests from the international community. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz emphasized that they will inflict “serious damage” on the YIP in order to “restore peace.”
The official urged the population to “stay strong and remain united” and to respect the security instructions.
While the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (GRI) warned that Israel will pay “a high price” for its offensive. The Commander in Chief of the GRI, General Hossein Salami, expressed that “without a doubt the rapid response of the Palestinian Islamic resistance to this crime began a new era to obtain power”.
The conflict intensified after Israel delivered a strong “preventive” aggression on YIP spaces, in the face of what they claimed was an “imminent threat” in retaliation for the arrest last Monday of one of the leaders of the Palestinian group.
The government thinks that the YIP’s close ties to Iran, which it views as an existential threat, make it an armed wing of Tehran.
There has not been such a fierce confrontation between the Jewish State and armed entities in the enclave since the May 2021 war that lasted eleven days, leaving a balance of 260 dead on the Palestinian side – between civilians and military – and 14 from Israel.
With EFE and Reuters
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