Israel on Wednesday pressed ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures as the fighting between both sides shows no signs of letting down.
IN WHAT could be portents of even more violence and unrest that could engulf the entire Middle East if not immediately halted, Israel reportedly killed as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures as it continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip, authorities said Wednesday (May 12).
The Islamic militant group, however, showed no signs of backing down, firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities, the Associated Press reported.
The continuing offensive in Israel has already drawn comparisons to a devastating 50-day war in 2014, except that this time, the fighting has triggered the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades.
Israel carried out an intense barrage of airstrikes just after sunrise Wednesday, striking dozens of targets in several minutes that set off bone-rattling explosions across Gaza.
At nightfall, the streets of Gaza City resembled a ghost town as people huddled indoors on the final night of Ramadan, a time when Muslims usually prepare to celebrate the feast of Eid al-Fitr.
“There is nowhere to run. There is nowhere to hide,” said Zeyad Khattab,
a 44-year-old pharmacist who fled with a dozen other relatives to a family home in central Gaza after bombs pounded his apartment building in Gaza City.
Gaza militants continued to bombard Israel with nonstop rocket fire throughout the day and into early Thursday.
The attacks brought life to a standstill in southern communities near Gaza, but also reached as far north as the Tel Aviv area, about 70 kilometers to the north, for a second straight day.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the death toll rose to 67 Palestinians, including 16 children and five women.
Islamic Jihad confirmed the deaths of seven militants, while Hamas acknowledged that a top commander and several other members were killed.
However, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said at least 14 militants were killed Wednesday — including 10 members of the “top management of Hamas” and four weapons experts.
A total of seven people have been killed in Israel, including four people who died on Wednesday. Among them were a soldier killed by an anti-tank missile and a 6-year-old child hit in a rocket attack.
U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has already condemned the “indiscriminate launching of rockets” from civilian areas in Gaza toward Israeli population centers, but he also urged Israel to show “maximum restraint.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu to support Israel’s right to defend itself and said he was sending a senior diplomat to the region to try to calm tensions.
The current eruption of violence began a month ago in Jerusalem, where heavy-handed Israeli police tactics during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers ignited protests and clashes with police.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
The International Criminal Court has launched an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel and Hamas.
In a brief statement, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she had noted “with great concern” the escalation of violence and “the possible commission of crimes.”
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