Israeli Military Carries Out Airstrikes in Gaza, Killing Senior Islamic Jihad Commander and 25 Others

Early Thursday morning, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes against the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip, killing a senior commander in charge of the group’s rocket launching force, Ali Ghali. This marked the third day of the worst escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza since the middle of last year.

Since Tuesday, more than 500 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel, according to the Israeli army, with no casualties reported in Israel so far. In response, Israeli airstrikes and missiles have killed 25 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, including several children.

Shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets were largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled over the territory where several buildings lay in ruins. Egypt has been attempting to broker a cease-fire, but reports suggest that the efforts have been faltering.

The death toll from the latest burst of fighting has now risen to 25, with the fourth militant commander killed on Thursday. This has been the worst bout of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in months. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the airstrikes or the death toll.