Overnight, the Israeli army announced a strike in Gaza that resulted in the death of a senior commander from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, described as the group’s second-in-command in the central and northern regions of the Gaza Strip. The attack targeted a residential building and caused at least seven other fatalities and more than 40 injuries, according to Palestinian medical and security sources in Gaza.
Medical officials identified the slain leader as Taysir al-Jabari, who headed the armed wing of the group in the middle and northern Gaza and led the unit responsible for launching rockets into Israel. A spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Health confirmed that among the dead is a five-year-old girl.
Other reports from Gaza say the strike hit a residential building located in the heart of the Gaza City, a site that also housed offices for media organizations and non-governmental groups.
The attack on al-Jabari appears to be part of a wider Israeli operation against Islamic Jihad militants in the enclave, launched amid mounting tension after the arrest of another senior figure in the occupied West Bank earlier in the week. In a concise announcement, the Israeli military said it had begun an operation targeting the Islamist group, prompting warnings of potential retaliation and prompting additional troops to reinforce the Gaza border amid concerns about rocket fire.
Borders and security measures
In the days following the strike, border crossings between Israel and Gaza were closed, and several roads near the enclave were shut down by Israeli authorities.
Observers note that today’s attack signals a shift from recent patterns, in which Israeli actions were often prompted by Palestinian rocket or cross-border hostilities from Gaza toward Israeli territory.
Palestinian sources report that, in the wake of the bombing, the Israeli military ordered widespread curtailment of activity in border-area communities and implemented protective measures in nearby districts that are not immediately adjacent to the frontier. The safety steps included halting most educational activities and imposing indoor gathering limits of no more than ten people, effective until at least tomorrow afternoon.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid stated that the government would not allow terrorist groups in Gaza to dictate regional security near the Strip or threaten Israeli citizens. He affirmed that any effort to harm Israel would be met with decisive action and that security forces would pursue Islamic Jihad operatives to remove the threat to Israelis.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz echoed the sentiment, stressing that the objective is to safeguard the State of Israel and its people, and promising that anyone attempting to threaten or harm Israeli citizens would face consequences.
As officials described the operation’s aims, residents in Gaza reported damage and casualties, underscoring the risk to civilians amid ongoing hostilities. The situation remained volatile as both sides faced pressure to respond to the latest escalation while seeking to avoid broader civilian harm and further destabilization in the region. [citation of Palestinian health authorities and Israeli military statements, attributed to respective sources]