ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 370
The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they unfolded.
The Palestinian terror group Islamic Jihad announces the death of one of its military leaders in a pre-dawn strike carried out by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
“Ali Ghali… commander of the rocket launch unit… was assassinated in the south of the Gaza Strip along with other martyrs,” says a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed branch of the group.
The Israeli army confirmed earlier that it targeted Ghali in the strike.
The IDF says an airstrike in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza eliminated another top commander of the Islamic Jihad terror group, after a surprise strike killed three leaders of the organization on Tuesday morning.
“IDF warplanes attacked and eliminated Ali Ghali, commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket force in the Gaza Strip, while he was in a safe house in Khan Younis. According to reports, the attack killed two other PIJ operatives who were with him,” the IDF says in a statement.
“Ghali was responsible for directing and carrying out rocket fire at Israeli territory, including the recent barrages during operation ‘Shield and Arrow,’” the statement says, referring to Israel’s name for this week’s Gaza operation.
“Ghali was considered a central figure in the organization and dealt with its management,” the IDF says.
מטוסי קרב של צה"ל תקפו וסיכלו לפני זמן קצר את עלי ע'אלי, מפקד הכוח הרקטי של הג'יהאד האסלאמי הפלסטיני ברצועת עזה, בזמן שהיה בדירת מסתור בחאן יונס. על פי דיווחים, בתקיפה נהרגו שני פעילי גא"פ נוספים שהיו עימו בדירת המסתור >> pic.twitter.com/StTCkjxyXS
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 11, 2023
Clashes break out between Border Police and rioters in Sur Baher, a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem.
A 19-year-old man is badly injured by an officer’s rubber bullet and taken for medical treatment.
Police say rioters threw stones and fire bombs at a police station in the area.
The IDF says it launched another round of strikes against Islamic Jihad terror targets in the Gaza Strip.
More details about the attacks are forthcoming, the IDF says in a statement.
Unconfirmed Palestinian reports say there were deaths and injuries in the the southern part of the Palestinian territory.
The judicial negotiations between the coalition and the opposition scheduled for Thursday are canceled due to the fighting between Israel and Gaza terror groups.
The talks are meant to reach a broad consensus over the coalition’s contentious effort to overhaul Israel’s judicial system.
The negotiations have been held at President Isaac Herzog’s official residence in Jerusalem since March, following the suspension of the initial overhaul bills in the face of sustained, mass public protests.
The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voices “deep concern” over the violence between Israel and Gaza terror groups, and warns Israel it must adhere to international law during the latest round of conflict.
“Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations,” a spokesperson for Guterres says in a statement.
“The secretary-general condemns the civilian loss of life, including that of children and women, which he views as unacceptable and must stop immediately,” the statement says. Several women and children were killed when Israel assassinated Islamic Jihad terror leaders yesterday.
Guterres also “condemns the indiscriminate launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, which violates international humanitarian law and puts at risk both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” his office’s statement says.
A UN spokesperson says the UN has confirmed 15 Palestinian casualties, including 10 civilians. Four of the civilian casualties were children, the spokesperson says.
The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, is in touch with all parties involved in an effort to rein in the fighting.
A fresh rocket siren is sounding in the southern town of Sufa, close to the border with the Gaza Strip, after a brief lull.
The military does not immediately provide further details.
It has been around an hour since the last rocket sirens sounded, although there has been rocket fire in the interim that did not set off any alerts, as the projectiles likely fell short in Gaza.
An Israeli official tells Hebrew-language media that, should there be an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, it would likely only begin in the morning hours.
The Islamic Jihad launched nearly 500 rockets at Israel on Wednesday, according to the Israeli military, with the last apparently fired at around 11 p.m.
A short while ago a rocket is seen launched from the Gaza Strip, according to locals in southern Israel and Palestinian media reports.
The launch is also caught on a surveillance camera.
No sirens sound after the rocket was fired, and the Israeli military has not yet commented.
It is unclear where the rocket landed. Around a quarter of the rockets launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad today landed short in the Gaza Strip, according to the military.
Around half an hour ago a projectile was launched from the Gaza Strip, although it is unclear where it landed. No sirens sounded. pic.twitter.com/yTS6rVFNqP
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Tunisian President Kais Saied denounces the “criminal and cowardly” attack at a synagogue last night, which killed two people, according to a video issued by his office.
“I want to reassure the Tunisian people and the whole world that Tunisia will remain safe despite this type of attempt intended to disturb its stability,” Saied says.
Saied says the attack aimed to “sow discord, sabotage the tourist season, and attack the state.”
Germany “strongly” condemns the “indiscriminate” Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, which it says must “stop immediately.”
A statement from the German Foreign Office adds that “there are already too many innocent victims to mourn this year. The people of Israel and Gaza have the right to live in peace and without fear.”
The Israel Defense Forces says that as of 9:30 p.m., Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched 469 rockets and mortars at Israel.
The IDF says 333 of the projectiles crossed the border, while 107 fell short in Gaza.
Air defense systems intercepted 153 of the rockets, while a handful landed in urban areas, some causing damage.
The rest landed in open areas without causing damage, according to the IDF.
The military says it has carried out strikes against 133 targets belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Israel Defense Forces says it struck a weapons production site belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, as well as the headquarters of the group’s rocket unit.
The IDF says the command center in the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahiya is used by the terror group to plan and control rocket launches at Israel.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad weapons production site, as well as the headquarters of the group's rocket unit in Beit Lahiya, from which it plans and controls launches at Israel. pic.twitter.com/8wEsOb1dIj
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to his US counterpart Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the ongoing Gaza operation, Gallant’s office says.
According to the Israel readout, the pair “discussed recent security developments in Israel, including 400 rockets fired” toward Israel today.
Gallant also tells Austin about the successful assassination of three senior Islamic Jihad officials in Gaza yesterday, and noted “the IDF’s readiness for every operational scenario, including a prolonged campaign and multi-front challenges.”
The Israeli Air Force reportedly carries out a drone strike against the home of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media publish footage of the strike against the home in the city of Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza.
There are no reports of injuries in the strike.
https://twitter.com/almakdseymedia/status/1656373235095597080?s=20
The Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon says that it has so far treated 16 people in relation to the ongoing barrages of rockets from Gaza.
The hospital says that eight of those were treated for severe anxiety and eight were seen for wounds sustained while running for shelter.
A residential courtyard in Ashkelon is hit by a rocket fired from Gaza, according to the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority’s Southern District.
Firefighters from the Ashkelon station are working to put out the fire, after a storage unit in the yard was completely destroyed. They are also cutting off electricity and gas from neighboring apartments.
There were no injuries reported in the strike.
The Israel Defense Forces says it struck an Islamic Jihad anti-tank guided missile launch position in the southern Gaza Strip.
The IDF says the site is suspected to have been used by the cell that was hit yesterday, before it managed to carry out an attack.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad ATGM launch position in southern Gaza, suspected to have been used by the cell that was hit yesterday (before it managed to carry out an attack). pic.twitter.com/4Of7ifiuOY
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant highlights the achievements of the IDF and the security forces in his speech.
At the start of the operation early Tuesday, he says, “We wiped out the leadership” of Islamic Jihad. After that, the IDF carried out hundreds of attacks on sites used by Islamic Jihad for the production and storage of weaponry, and “dealt a significant blow to the assets of this murderous terrorist organization.”
“Preventative strikes” also targeted rocket launch pits, and the rockets that were ready for firing at Israel. Terror cells with anti-tank weaponry were also neutralized, he says. “The murderous organization had no answer.”
Of some 400 rockets fired at Israel, he says, 100 fell in Gaza, many fell in open ground, some were intercepted, and some hit Israeli homes.
He says Israel “won’t hesitate” to use its powerful tools “when it becomes clear” that Israel’s enemies “challenge our place here” and seek to harm “our people and Israel’s sovereignty.”
“A situation in which Israeli children face being hurt is not acceptable to me and I won’t allow it,” he vows.
He says Israel’s response in this operation to Islamic Jihad’s rocket assault last week “was surprising and devastating” and that Israel can and will replicate it “in every area and against any target that threatens us.”
The current campaign is not over, says Gallant. “I hope that we will bring it to an end soon, but we are ready for it to be protracted.”
A rocket hits a house in Kibbutz Nir Am, only hundreds of yards from the northern Gaza Strip.
The residents were taking shelter in their home’s reinforced room during the strike, and were not injured.
The IDF publishes footage of the Iron Dome missile defense system downing rockets fired at Israel.
The footage shows the interceptors dancing in the night sky as they bring down incoming rockets fired from Gaza.
IDF publishes a clip showing Iron Dome interceptions over southern Israel. pic.twitter.com/pySreHk0SX
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Medics are responding to reports of rocket impacts near homes in the southern cities of Sderot and Ashkelon during the latest barrage launched from the Gaza Strip.
A man was reportedly lightly injured in Sderot.
Meanwhile, incoming rockets sirens sound again in Sderot.
Footage from the scene of the rocket impact in Ashkelon. pic.twitter.com/nPiOmsyIIU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Police say sappers are removing dangerous debris from the impact site in Ashkelon.
The Israel Defense Forces says it carried out an airstrike against a Palestinian Islamic Jihad military post in the southern Gaza Strip, used to launch mortars at Israel earlier today.
The IDF adds that it is continuing to strike targets across Gaza at this hour.
The strikes come after a major barrage of rockets was fired at central and southern Israel.
One of the rockets lands in a park in the southern city of Beersheba.
Footage circulating online shows the scene of the rocket impact. There were no injuries in the incident.
Rocket launched from Gaza landed in a park in Beersheba in the barrage earlier. pic.twitter.com/IRk1GhBBQY
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is still in the middle of the operation against Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
His comments come despite reports of a ceasefire.
“We have hit Islamic Jihad with the most significant blow it has ever suffered,” says Netanyahu, referring to the killing of three top terror operatives early Tuesday that started the round of violence. The trio were eliminated in three strikes “in two seconds in the middle of the night,” he says.
He hails the development of “new intelligence capabilities, and new operational capabilities,” which together with Israel’s readiness to initiate the campaign, “have created a new equation. We say to the terrorists: We see you everywhere; you cannot hide, and we choose where and when to hit you.”
He says Israel also hit Islamic Jihad’s anti-tank capabilities, weapons stores, and arms manufacturing facilities.
He notes that, to date, “not a single Israeli was hurt” by Islamic Jihad rocket fire, and praises Israeli civilians for heeding Homefront Command orders.
Addressing residents of the south who are bearing the brunt of the rocket attacks, Netanyahu says, “It’s still not over yet,” and thanks them for their fortitude.
The Israel Defense Forces says it has targeted several sites belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF says it hit four sites, including weapons storage complexes, and another site used by the Islamic Jihad’s naval commando.
Strikes are continuing against the terror group, the IDF says.
IDF says it struck four Islamic Jihad sites in the Gaza Strip, including weapons storage sites pic.twitter.com/bP5SS9xPlZ
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
The Israel Defense Forces publishes footage of the most recent airstrikes in the Gaza Strip against Islamic Jihad targets.
The strikes come following rocket barrages launched at southern and central Israel.
IDF publishes footage of strikes against Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza a short while ago. pic.twitter.com/QtRoZlMYbf
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an address on the Gaza fighting at 8:40 p.m., his spokesman says.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will also speak.
The addresses come at the same time as Egyptian efforts to bring about a ceasefire with the Islamic Jihad, which is continuing to fire rockets into Israel.
Footage shows the last rocket barrage toward southern Israel and interceptions pic.twitter.com/d6Bk8wlM0q
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
The National Unity opposition party calls on the coalition to stop ongoing Knesset committee meetings, in light of the security situation.
“The insistence to hold committee meetings at this moment, in light of the security situation, including the participation of municipal heads, agriculturists, professionals, and citizens is a hard hit, and not in line [with the situation],” the party, led by Benny Gantz, writes in a statement.
“Municipal leaders need to be with citizens and not fight with a state trying to cut their budgets. Continuing the discussions harms national resilience,” the party continues.
The Israel Defense Forces says it is carrying out fresh airstrikes in the Gaza Strip following a barrage of rockets fired at southern and central Israel.
The IDF says it is targeting sites belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Palestinian media outlets report explosions heard across the Strip.
The IDF says that with the latest barrage, over 300 rockets were fired toward Israel today.
The Magen David Adom says no injuries were reported in the last rocket salvo that targeted communities next to Gaza, the Tel Aviv region, and Beersheba, but one person was hurt when they fell while running to the bomb shelter.
Shrapnel from an Iron Dome interceptor missile hits a house in Netivot, causing damage, but no injuries.
Iron Dome shrapnel hit a home in Netivot. No injuries according to MDA. pic.twitter.com/il3SmsyoNO
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
A heavy barrage of rockets is fired at south and central Israel despite reports of a ceasefire.
A large explosion is heard over Beersheba following rocket sirens that sound in the southern city for the first time in the current escalation.
Warning sirens go off in the Tel Aviv area.
Rocket warning sirens also sounded in Sderot and Ashkelon.
The warnings come despite reports that a ceasefire has gone into effect.
Footage shows the heavy rocket barrage from the Gaza Strip at southern and central Israel. pic.twitter.com/nzAQ0zMVWC
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen confirms to the Kan public broadcaster that Israel has received a ceasefire proposal from Egypt.
“We are assessing it,” he says.
Meanwhile, Channel 12 reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to make an address to the nation later this evening
Responding to reports that Egypt has brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, an Israeli official says they are waiting to see results on the ground.
The senior official tells Hebrew media that “a ceasefire will be judged only by actions on the ground, not by words.”
Israel has not officially confirmed truce talks.
Egyptian media are reporting that a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza has gone into effect.
Earlier reports said Cairo was mediating and Islamic Jihad was keen on bringing the current round of hostilities to a halt.
There is no immediate confirmation from Israel, which often does not acknowledge truce deals reached with terror groups.
Despite the report of a ceasefire, rocket warning sirens continue to sound in Kissufim, near the Gaza border.
Barzilai hospital in the southern city of Ashkelon says it has treated eight people who got hurt when they fell running for bomb shelters as rockets were fired at the city.
The hospital did not specify their condition.
The hospital says another three people were treated for extreme anxiety and released.
The Home Front Command extends its emergency orders for communities near Gaza until Friday afternoon.
The measures keep schools and kindergartens closed and place limits on public gatherings to less than 10 people in open areas and 100 in protected spaces.
Beaches in the area will remain closed and workplaces are only allowed to operate if workers can reach a bomb shelter in the required amount of time.
Earlier, Defense Minister Gallant put in a request to enlarge the area to all communities within 80 kilometers of Gaza as Islamic Jihad terrorists fired hundreds of rockets at Israel.
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says the Israel Defense Forces is still focusing its strikes in the Gaza Strip on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, despite Hamas’s threats of a unified response.
“We are striking those who are launching rockets at us,” Hagari says in response to a question by The Times of Israel.
“Islamic Jihad is leading this rocket fire. If other factions join, we will respond against them too,” he says.
In a statement, Hagari says 25 percent of the rockets fired from Gaza over the last few hours fell short in the Strip.
He says the operation’s goals were achieved with the assassination of three senior Islamic Jihad leaders on Tuesday morning, but the IDF will continue to strike to prevent rocket fire and deny Islamic Jihad any achievements.
Regarding reports of a potential ceasefire, Hagari says, “We aren’t dealing with ceasefires. We are dealing with defense and offense.”
The Knesset advances a bill to end the attorney general’s oversight over fines for publicly supporting terror organizing and waving their flags.
Current Israeli law enables up to three years of imprisonment and fines for waving terror organization flags or displaying their symbols, but backers of the new bill say that violations are underenforced due to the requirement that the attorney general needs to sign off on indictments.
Rather than seeking an indictment, the bill seeks to carve out a parallel track to enable NIS 10,000 administrative fines to be levied on violators, without attorney general involvement.
The bill is part of a series of right-wing initiatives to punish “incitement,” including the national security minister’s January attempt to ban Palestinian flags in public places.
However, the Palestinian Authority and its flag are not covered by the bill. To be covered, the Defense Ministry must designate a group as a terror organization. The Palestinian flag has been officially recognized by Israel as the banner of the Palestinian Authority since the signing of the Oslo peace accords.
The measure comes at a sensitive time, as violence heats up with Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
Sponsored by far-right Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, a former settler leader with a rap sheet for organizing violence against Palestinians, the bill clears its preliminary reading 50-28.
Prolonged uncertainty over Israel’s judicial overhaul presents a “notable downside risk” to the country’s economic growth, the International Monetary Fund warns.
“Absent the emergence of a durable and politically sustainable solution, continued uncertainty could significantly increase the price of risk in the economy, tightening financial conditions and hindering investment and consumption, with potential repercussions for growth, also in the longer term,” the IMF says in its initial country report on the Israeli economy.
“Permanently lowering the uncertainty around judicial reform requires a politically sustainable solution that is clearly communicated and well understood both domestically and abroad.”
“As in any country, maintaining strength of the rule of law would be important for economic success,” the report says.
The initial report was presented to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron. The IMF’s detailed annual country report will be published at a later stage.
While warning about the uncertainty regarding the proposed judicial changes, the IMF commended Israel for its “remarkable” recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in 2022 which it said was based on strong fundamentals.
Looking ahead, “the outlook is for growth to slow broadly in line with potential, as inflation falls to the targeted range by the end of 2024,” the IMF says.
“However, the risk balance is tilted to the downside, reflecting, among other things, external risks and the continued uncertainty around the proposed judicial reform.”
Critics say the proposed reforms will undermine Israel’s democracy and rule of law.
The IMF forecasts economic growth to slow to about 2.5% in 2023 from the 6.4% rate last year. The Bank of Israel expects the economy to expand by 2.5% in 2023 and 3.5% in 2024.
Commenting on the report, Yaron notes that it points to “robust economic baseline conditions of the Israeli economy, alongside the challenges it faces, as well as the range of vital policy measures implemented by the Bank of Israel to eradicate inflation and maintain the stability and advancement of the Israeli economy.”
During the rocket attack from the Gaza Strip at the Tel Aviv area earlier today, the David’s Sling air defense system was used to successfully intercept one of the projectiles, a military source says.
It marks the first successful interception made by the system.
David’s Sling, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, is capable of intercepting rockets and missiles at a range of 40-300 kilometers (25-185 miles).
David’s Sling, also known as the Magic Wand, has been operational in Israel since 2017 and makes up the middle tier of Israel’s multi-layer missile defense capabilities, which include the short-range Iron Dome and a top level of Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, which are intended to engage long-range ballistic missiles.
In 2018, in its first known operational use, two interceptor missiles of the David’s Sling system were fired at rockets launched from Syria that appeared to be heading toward Israel but ultimately landed inside Syrian territory
Islamic Jihad officials say that Egypt is working to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and the terror group in Gaza.
There is no confirmation from Israel.
Israel’s Kan public broadcast reports that Egypt told Israel that Islamic Jihad is interested in a truce.
The Al-Jazeera network reports that the US and Qatar are also involved in efforts to restore calm.
The Israel Defense Forces says that as of 4 p.m., Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have launched 270 rockets and mortars at Israel.
The IDF says 205 of the projectiles crossed the border, while 65 fell short in Gaza.
The Iron Dome air defense system intercepted 62 of the rockets, while three landed in urban areas. The rest landed in open areas without causing damage, according to the IDF.
The military says it has carried out strikes against 53 separate sites, which include a total of 104 assets belonging to Islamic Jihad.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is seeking government approval to extend emergency measures in Israel’s southern communities, which will give the military the ability to set safety guidelines during the ongoing Operation Shield and Arrow.
Gallant submitted a request to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs to obtain government approval for measures that apply to communities within 80 kilometers of Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, from which terrorists have already fired hundreds of rockets today.
Among the safety guidelines are prohibitions on large gatherings and the closure of several sites to civilian entry.
The Magen David Adom rescue services tells its ambulance drivers to use different warnings so that the public won’t confuse them with the wailing of rocket sirens.
“It is important in these times to show maximum sensitivity to the feelings of the Israeli public. In order to prevent unnecessary panic, I have this morning instructed Magen David Adom’s teams to use the ambulance sirens sensibly and use other means that are available to them,” says MDA Director General Eli Bin.
The IDF says that in recent hours its warplanes and helicopters have hit some 40 Islamic Jihad rocket launchers and mortars in Gaza.
It says it continues to attack sites belonging to the terror group.
A military source tells the Ynet news site that Palestinian terrorists have fired some 350 rockets and mortars toward Israel in the past few hours.
However, he notes that some 150 projectiles either fell short inside the Gaza Strip or landed in the sea.
Opposition party chairs Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz meet at the Knesset, where they discuss “the importance of backing IDF and security force operational activity,” in a joint statement issued by their parties.
Both Lapid and Gantz issued statements supporting Israel’s security forces, shortly after the Israel Air Force killed three senior figures in Palestinian Islamic Jihad yesterday.
The attack, itself a response to PIJ rocket barrages on Israel’s south last week, elicited a fresh volley of over 100 rockets fired at Israel’s south and center this afternoon.
The two also discussed “coordination of joint moves” concerning judicial overhaul negotiations with the coalition, currently hosted by the President’s Residence.
A senior Israel official tells the Walla news site that Hamas has not been involved in firing rockets at Israel.
“Hamas has no interest in getting involved,” the official says, although he notes that the group has a joint command center with Islamic Jihad.
“Hamas are not active and they won’t act, although they are issuing statements,” he says.
Israel routinely blames Hamas, which rules Gaza, for any violence emanating from the Strip, but appears to be willing to separate the involvement of the different factions this time in a bid to stop the conflict from escalating.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to southern mayors during a rocket barrage from Gaza.
Netanyahu tells them that Israel is ready “both to expand the current operation and inflict heavy blows on Gaza, now and in the future,” in a video clip of the conversation released by his office.
Netanyahu says Israel has the upper hand and expresses his appreciation to the residents of the south who bear the brunt of the fire.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says two Palestinians were killed in an earlier Israeli strike near the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The ministry says the two dead men and a third man who is wounded were brought to the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital.
The strike brings the death toll in Gaza since Israel launched its operation to 19.
Hebrew media reports that Gaza terrorists fired more than 100 rockets at Israel in recent hours.
Most were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
The IDF has not yet provided official details on the rocket salvos.
The Israel Defense Forces publishes additional footage of airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip.
The air force has continued to hit targets as dozens of rockets are fired toward Israel.
The Palestinians have reported several casualties in the latest strikes.
IDF publishes additional footage of strikes against Islamic Jihad rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/d2WVDveNyx
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Palestinian media outlets are reporting several casualties in an Israeli airstrike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Their conditions are not immediately clear.
Earlier, the Hamas-run health ministry reported 17 deaths and 37 injuries as a result of Israeli strikes since the start of the military’s operation in the Gaza Strip.
The Airports Authority says Ben Gurion International Airport is operating normally despite rocket fire at the Tel Aviv area.
A statement says that flight routes are being coordinated with the Air Force.
However, flight tracking data indicates that at least one British Airways flight was diverted to Larnaca in Cyprus.
The number of people killed in an attack on a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba during an annual Jewish pilgrimage has now risen to five, Tunisia’s TAP news agency says. They include two Jewish pilgrims and three Tunisian police guards.
One police guard dies from his injuries following Tuesday’s attack, according to a medical official cited by TAP. Four other injured members of security forces were hospitalized in Djerba, including one in critical condition, according to TAP.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry said the civilians killed were a 42-year-old French national and a 30-year-old Tunisian.
Israeli authorities and the family identified them as cousins: Aviel Haddad, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and Ben Haddad, who was French.
Four civilians were also injured, the Tunisian Interior Ministry said. The attacker was slain by security guards.
Palestinian health officials in the Gaza Strip says one person has been killed and several others are hurt in an Israeli strike.
The Hamas-run health ministry says the wounded people were brought to the Indonesian Hospital following a strike in northern Gaza.
The strike brings the Palestinian death toll to 17, according to health officials.
A spokesman for the Gaza border communities of Eshkol says that so far some 40 rockets have been fired at the region
One rocket landed on the roof of a kindergarten, causing minor damage.
There were no reports of injuries.
מעל 40 רקטות נורו עד כה לעבר יישובי אשכול – רקטה פגעה בגג גן ילדים, אין נפגעים. pic.twitter.com/pLTkfSSSmr
— נועה מגיד | noa magid (@NoaMagid) May 10, 2023
The Barzilai hospital in the southern city of Ashkelon says it is treating two people hurt when they fell running for bomb shelters as rockets were fired at the city.
The hospital did not specify their condition.
The hospital says another three people were treated for extreme anxiety and released.
Flights are briefly stopped from landing at Ben Gurion international airport during a salvo of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at the Tel Aviv area.
The Ynet news site reports that aircraft that were about to land were told to circle out of range for several minutes before being allowed to land.
A rocket fired from Gaza scored a direct hit on a house in the southern town of Sderot, Channel 12 reports.
The municipality earlier said that a rocket had landed in the town, but gave no further details.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
דיווח ראשוני: נפילת רקטה בעיר שדרותhttps://t.co/01HocTwK82
— ???????????? MivzakLive News – חדשות מבזק לייב (@mivzaklive) May 10, 2023
Rocket warning sirens sound in Tel Aviv and the neighboring cities of Ramat Gan and Givatayim for the first time.
Sirens also sound in Bat Yam and Holon as Gaza terrorists fire longer-range rockets for the first time.
Explosions are heard in the area.
הירי מתרחב למרכז הארץ: אזעקות בגבעתיים, רמת גן ומזרח תל אביב
עדכונים שוטפים – https://t.co/HIKt1ZwrU5@OrHeller @bokeralmog pic.twitter.com/LT9gGnRNLr
— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) May 10, 2023
Rocket sirens wail again in towns and communities near the Gaza border and in the southern city of Ashkelon as a fresh salvo of rockets are fired.
Iron Dome appears to intercept many of the rockets.
The Magen David Adom rescue service says there are no immediate reports of injuries although several people are treated for severe anxiety.
אשקלון ???? pic.twitter.com/bvzZflLwzM
— Real News IL (@RealNewsIL) May 10, 2023
The Sderot municipality says it has received initial reports of a rocket impacting an urban area in the southern city.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi holds an assessment at the Gaza Divison, the Israel Defense Forces says.
In a statement, the IDF says Halevi met with officials and was shown the IDF’s preparation for various scenarios.
The Israel Midwives Association offers recommendations to help pregnant and postpartum women reduce their stress levels during the tense times of Operation Shield and Arrow.
The association represents the 1,400 midwives working in Israel’s public hospitals and in the community, who are available 24/7 to provide care to patients.
It is critical for pregnant women to follow all usual instructions and go to the hospital if their water breaks, have frequent contractions, or are experiencing any symptoms they are unsure about.
Midwives and other medical staff are ready to receive them as usual at all hospitals in the south and throughout the country.
It is important for pregnant and post-partum women to not keep their feelings inside. If they feel worried or stressed, they should communicate with family members and friends. Online support groups are also available. Even speaking to your in-utero baby can be calming.
Midwives also suggest that pregnant women “dance it out” by listening to their favorite music and moving around in a safe manner. This can be fun when done together with a spouse or children. Women on bed rest can just listen to songs they like.
It is important to stay positive as much as possible. It is easier to do this by avoiding watching and listening to the news as much as possible. Seeing images of the conflict on TV or phone screens can elevate stress levels. It’s better to focus on connecting with your baby.
Conscious breathing is very helpful. Midwives recommend doing this at least once a day for several minutes. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly and breathe in through your nose. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then slowly let it out through your mouth. Repeat this 5-20 times at your own pace. This activity calms both mother and fetus.
Finally, make a list of things you like to do and do them — security-situation permitting. This keeps you positive and engaged and helps keep a routine.
Women can reach a professional midwife to ask any question at a private Facebook group called “A Midwife’s Word.”
The IDF says it is continuing to strike Islamic Jihad rocket launching sites as a salvo of rockets are fired into Israel.
The IDF also publishes footage of airstrikes against several Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket-launching sites across the Gaza Strip.
The strikes were carried out after the IDF identified Islamic Jihad members preparing rockets to be launched at Israel.
IDF publishes footage of the strikes against the PIJ rocket launching sites across Gaza pic.twitter.com/Jh4TQhUkFk
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
The Sderot municipality says all nine rockets launched in the last barrage from the Gaza Strip have been intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.
There are no reports of injuries or damage.
ירי הרקטות מעזה לפני זמן קצר לעבר ישראל.
צבע אדום נשמע – בעוטף , שדרות, אשקלון pic.twitter.com/WoPw8iVoLT
— יוני בן מנחם yoni ben menachem (@yonibmen) May 10, 2023
As rocket warning sirens sound in several southern towns and cities, Iron Dome can be seen intercepting many of the rockets.
שבע רקטות נורו לעבר שדרות – כיפת ברזל יירטה שש מהן@ItayBlumental @gal_sade pic.twitter.com/QAMHSRcvfd
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2023
Incoming rocket sirens are now sounding in the coastal city of Ashkelon and other nearby towns, as Islamic Jihad appears to be responding to Israel’s deadly airstrikes yesterday.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the rocket attacks.
Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the southern Israeli city of Sderot and other nearby towns.
The sirens mark the first since Israel launched an operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group yesterday morning.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Footage shows multiple apparent interceptions by the Iron Dome air defense system over the area.
Multiple interceptions over Sderot. (Video: מאור לוי חמל דרום) pic.twitter.com/XDR9aTkchf
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 10, 2023
Over the past hour, the Israel Defense Forces identified movement of Palestinian Islamic Jihad members preparing rockets to be launched, and therefore carried out a series of airstrikes against launch sites, military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari tells reporters.
The first strike, using a drone, was carried out against a squad of Islamic Jihad members heading to a launch site, Hagari says.
“Now we have started airstrikes against underground launchers… we should expect rocket fire in the next few hours,” he says.
Hagari says the IDF will hold an assessment later to decide on whether restrictions on movement and gathering for residents living up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gaza will remain in place.
“We are acting in a responsible manner, so are the residents, and we expect that we will continue this way and prevent the enemy from making any gains,” he says.
Hagari stresses that the military’s operation, dubbed Shield and Arrow, is solely focused on Islamic Jihad, “which undermines the security situation in Gaza and [the West Bank].”
“We are still in the middle of the campaign, it is not over and has not been concluded,” he adds.
מבצע "מגן וחץ": תיעוד מתקיפת צה"ל ברצועה | עדכונים שוטפים >>> https://t.co/oI80O4FwI8@gal_sade
(צילום: רויטרס) pic.twitter.com/e5vWUUKp8w— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 10, 2023
The military’s Home Front Command has lifted restrictions on residents of towns near the Gaza Border, who had been instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice over fears of rocket attacks.
The Home Front Command now says residents must remain close to shelters, rather than in them.
The Israel Defense Forces says it is targeting Islamic Jihad rocket launching sites in Gaza.
Images show smoke rising from the area.
Heavy air strikes now#Gaza pic.twitter.com/STFnfetrNo
— Belal Aldabbour (@Belalmd12) May 10, 2023
The strikes come more than a day after the Israel Defense Forces launched an operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and assassinated three senior members of the terror group in simultaneous airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, days after a short-lived but fiery flareup of violence set the restive region on edge.
The Israel Defense Forces releases footage of an airstrike on a Palestinian Islamic Jihad squad that was planning to launch rockets at Israel.
The IDF says it struck a vehicle with several Islamic Jihad operatives who were heading to a rocket launch site near Khan Younis.
“The IDF will continue to operate to preserve the security of Israeli civilians,” the military adds.
Palestinian media reported at least one dead in the strike.
כלי טיס תקף לפני זמן קצר כלי רכב ובו פעילי טרור שהיו בדרכם לעמדת שיגור רקטות בחאן יונס.
צה"ל ימשיך לפעול על מנת לשמר את ביטחונם של תושבי מדינת ישראל. pic.twitter.com/VtpwsdoEeu
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 10, 2023
Residents of towns close to the border with the Gaza Strip have been ordered to remain in bomb shelters until further notice, amid fears of rocket fire.
The Home Front Command issues the order via its mobile application, and local authorities have also notified residents.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett pays tribute to the young Jewish woman shot dead yesterday at a West Bank checkpoint in an apparent case of “suicide by cop.”
Livnat Green was taken in by then-MK Bennett and his family a few years ago when she was homeless, following a troubled childhood that saw her move between welfare institutions.
“We hosted her warmly in our home, and she slept in our daughter Michal’s room and we heard her complex story,” Bennett tweets, with a photo of Green alongside his family.
“What a smart girl. What a difficult and touching life story,” Bennett writes.
“After we found a housing solution for her, we also worked to help Livnat find a job in Beersheba and tried to help in other ways, so that she would get on track,” Bennett writes.
“Her death is very painful. Her soul must not have found peace,” he writes.
“We should all be aware of the difficulties of those with mental health challenges and help them as much as possible,” Bennett writes. “May your memory be a blessing, dear Livnat. My family and I will always remember you.”
Palestinian media reports say one person has been killed in the Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip.
The reports say at least one other person is seriously hurt in the strike.
The Israeli military said it had struck Palestinian Islamic Jihad members at a rocket launch site.
A former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is cross-examined at the Jerusalem District Court a day after his testimony in so-called Case 2000.
The premier’s defense attorney questions Ari Harow on his testimony a day earlier and how he turned state witness.
“In December 2015 a police investigator told Harow that if he wants to get out of the situation, there are ways for it to happen. Was it like this?” Amit Hadad asks Harow.
Harow is himself under indictment for fraud and breach of trust and reached a plea bargain with the State Attorney’s Office in return for his testimony in Netanyahu’s trial.
“Yes, I understood that they wanted something related to the prime minister,” Harow responds, according to the Haaretz newspaper. “I think they told me there are ways out of this.”
“And you understand that this is about the prime minister, that you should give information about the prime minister to save your neck?” asks Hadad.
“Yes,” replies Harow.
In Case 2000, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with Arnon “Noni” Mozes whereby the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper would give the prime minister more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation weakening Israel Hayom.
The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out a strike against Palestinian Islamic Jihad members at a rocket launch site in the southern Gaza Strip.
The IDF says it will provide further details on the strike later.
According to Palestinian media reports, the strike was carried out near the city of al-Qarara, close to Khan Younis.
Unconfirmed Palestinian media reports say two people are wounded in the strike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefs opposition leader Yair Lapid on the military’s ongoing Operation Shield and Arrow, a day after Israel assassinated three Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders in response to rocket fire in Israel’s south.
The Prime Minister’s Office says that Netanyahu updated Lapid on the mission’s objectives and details, and “additional security matters.”
Netanyahu’s military secretary, Avi Gil, was also present in the premier’s Jerusalem office for the briefing.
Palestinian media outlets are reporting an explosion heard near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
A short while earlier, Palestinian media reported Israeli fighter jets flying over Gaza.
It is unclear if the blast is an airstrike.
The Israel Defense Forces does not immediately comment on the reports.
A local wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims the two gunmen shot dead by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Qabatiya this morning as members.
In a statement, the Jenin-based group says Ahmed Jamal Assaf, 19, is a fighter in the Islamic Jihad’s Qabatiya unit, and Rani Walid Qatanat, 24, is a member of the so-called Jenin Brigade.
The two worshipers killed in a Tunisia synagogue are named as Aviel Haddad, a 30-year-old dual citizen of Tunisia and Israel and his cousin, Benjamin Haddad, a French-Jewish businessman living in France.
A police officer shot and killed the cousins as they were participating in an annual pilgrimage to a renowned Tunisian synagogue on the island of Djerba, as well as two members of the security services, before he was killed.
Four other visitors to the Ghriba synagogue on Djerba island and five more security officers were wounded in the attack, according to the Tunisian interior ministry.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry said it was in contact with the family of the murdered Israeli.
אביאל ובנימין (בן) חדד הם הנרצחים בפיגוע אמש בדג׳רבה טוניס. שני בני דודים שחגגו את הילולת ל״ג בעומר, יצאו לרגע מבית הכנסת אלגריבה ופגשו במחבל שירה בהם למוות. יהי זכרם ברוך. pic.twitter.com/knEMS6wDPW
— עופר חדד Ofer Hadad (@Ofer_Hadad) May 10, 2023
A car has exploded in a Damascus suburb, the Reuters news agency reports, citing Syrian state media.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
The SANA news agency says the explosion involved a private car in the Barzeh district.
#BREAKING: Explosion in a Car in Damascus suburb #Syria, no reports of injuries pic.twitter.com/voMVZ2HPem
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 10, 2023
France denounces an attack in which a Tunisian police officer shot dead two worshipers and two members of the security services at a Tunisian synagogue.
The French government “condemns this heinous act in the strongest terms,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre says of the shooting on the island of Djerba, whose victims included a French national and an Israeli.
The Foreign Ministry announces that one of the four victims in the synagogue shooting on the Tunisian island of Djerba was an Israeli citizen.
“Among the dead were two Jewish cousins, one with Israeli citizenship and the other with foreign citizenship,” the ministry says.
“The Foreign Ministry is in contact with the family members of the deceased, and is prepared to provide assistance to additional Israelis as needed,” the statement reads.
A police officer shot dead two people participating in an annual pilgrimage to a renowned Tunisian synagogue as well as two members of the security services before he was killed.
None of the victims have been publicly named.
Four other visitors to the Ghriba synagogue on Djerba island and five more security officers were wounded in the attack, according to the Tunisian interior ministry.
VIDEO: Police patrol Djerba island following fatal Tunisia synagogue attack.
A police officer shot dead two people participating in an annual pilgrimage to a renowned Tunisian synagogue as well as two members of the security services before he was killed, the interior ministry… pic.twitter.com/FRQeMBaQjW
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 10, 2023
Fired Fox news host Tucker Carlson says he will be putting out a “new version” of his program on Twitter.
Carlson makes his announcement in a three-minute video posted on the social media site, as part of a denunciation of media. He calls Twitter the last big remaining platform that allows free speech.
“We’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” he says. “We’ll bring some other things, too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now we’re just grateful to be here.”
He offers no other details, and a message to his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, was not immediately returned.
It’s unclear what these plans mean for his remaining contract with Fox; typically television companies include a no-compete clause when someone leaves the air. A Fox spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
Fox announced on April 24 that it was cutting ties with Carlson, its most popular prime-time anchor. The network offered no explanation for the move, and Fox’s ratings in his old time slot have sharply fallen.
Carlson’s on-air embrace of white nationalist conspiracy theories had defined the network’s editorial voice since 2017, including the Great Replacement theory, a far-right belief that attributes a diversifying electorate to a shadowy conspiracy, typically engineered by Jews, to replace white voters with immigrants and minority groups.
He is separately facing a lawsuit from a Jewish former producer on his show, who alleges that senior staff fostered an office culture full of sexism and antisemitism, including berating an Israeli employee for taking the High Holidays off from work. The producer, Abby Grossberg, also said that she had been pushed by Fox to give false testimony in the Dominion case.
Israel has returned the body of a Palestinian man who was killed during an army raid near the West Bank city of Jericho last month.
In a statement carried by Palestinian media, the Palestinian Authority’s Civil Affairs says it has received the body of 20-year-old Suleiman Ayesh Hussein Awaid, and is preparing to hand it over to his family for burial.
The release of Awaid’s body is approved by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Awaid, affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade terror group, was killed by Israeli troops on April 24 in the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp adjacent to Jericho.
The IDF at the time said troops had opened fire at suspects who tried to flee from the scene of an arrest. The IDF did not say if the suspects were armed or had attempted to attack troops.
عاجل / الشؤون المدنية : طواقمنا الان في مديرية اريحا تستلم جثمان الشهيد سليمان عايش عويض من مخيم عقبة جبر بمحافظة اريحا والاغوار ، حيث سيتم نقله لمستشفى اريحا الحكومي ، ليوارى جثمانه الطاهر الثرى حسب ترتيبات عائلته وذويه . pic.twitter.com/4uQvKMTQVJ
— Imad Qaraqra عماد قراقرة (@IQaraqra) May 10, 2023
The White House pays tribute to AFP reporter Arman Soldin, who was killed in eastern Ukraine, saying the world is “indebted” to the journalists who lost their lives covering the conflict.
“Journalism is fundamental to a free society,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says in a statement.
“The world is indebted to Arman and to the 10 other reporters and media workers who have lost their lives while shining a light on the horrors of Russia’s invasion,” she says.
Soldin was killed by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine.
The attack happened on the outskirts of the town close to Bakhmut, the epicenter of the fighting in eastern Ukraine for several months.
The AFP team came under fire with Grad rockets while they were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers.
Soldin, 32, was killed when a rocket struck close to where he was lying.
The rest of the team was uninjured.
A young Jewish Israeli woman who was shot dead at a West Bank checkpoint in an apparent case of so-called “suicide by cop” was taken in by then-MK Naftali Bennett and his family a few years ago when she was homeless.
According to the Ynet news site, Livnat Green posted online that she was homeless after her release from the army. She then moved into a tent outside the Welfare Ministry in November 2020.
Within a short time she was contacted by Bennett, who invited her to stay at his home, where she remained for a number of days.
“He woke me up and made me an omelet. It was important to him that I not be out on the street because it was cold and rainy. At first I was embarrassed, but later they made me feel that I had nothing to be ashamed of,” Green has said of her time at the Bennett household.
She then moved to an apartment for lone soldiers for a period.
According to the report, Green had a troubled childhood and was a friend of Tikva Saban, a Beersheba woman told by a police officer to “go and kill yourself without telling us anything,” after she called to share her mental distress and asked to be hospitalized. Saban was found dead a month later.
Green has said in past interviews that she was hospitalized for mental health issues and has tried to die by suicide on a number of occasions. She said she suffered from from post-traumatic stress following her military service in the Border Police and found it difficult to hold down a job.
“There is no continuity for youth at risk. More than 90% with such a background do not enlist at all. The few who do are lone soldiers and what happens to them after release is a catastrophe. No one is waiting for them. They are exploited for ratings and applause,” an unnamed source who was in contact with Green at the time tells Ynet.
ליבנת גרין, חיילת משוחררת הלוקה בנפשה, הגיעה אתמול למעבר יתיר כשהיא לבושה בבגדים שחורים – ורצה לכיוון מאבטחי משרד הביטחון בצעקות "אללה אכבר" עם רובה מאולתר. המאבטחים הגיבו באש. לפני האירוע, רמזה לידיד על כוונה לשים קץ לחייהhttps://t.co/x4hchLZ5jZ | @elishabenkimon pic.twitter.com/Uzobr3BG1u
— ידיעות אחרונות (@YediotAhronot) May 10, 2023
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry reports a Palestinian teen is critically wounded after a shootout with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Qabatiya this morning.
The ministry says the 17-year-old was shot in the chest and abdomen.
Earlier, the IDF and the PA ministry reported that two gunmen were killed in the shootout in the northern West Bank.
The IDF says the gunmen opened fire from a passing car. Troops also seized two firearms from their vehicle.
Tunisian authorities say a naval officer who killed two worshipers and a guard at a synagogue on the island of Djerba killed a comrade prior to the attack so that he could take his ammunition.
The attack took place on Tuesday evening as hundreds of Jews held an annual pilgrimage there.
After shooting his comrade, he went to the synagogue — Africa’s oldest — as hundreds of people were taking part in the annual pilgrimage, which was drawing to a close, according to the interior ministry.
“Investigations are continuing in order to shed light on the motives for this cowardly aggression,” the ministry says, refraining from referring to the shooting as a terrorist attack.
Two worshipers were killed in the attack — identified by Tunisian authorities as a Tunisian citizen, 30, and a French national, 42. A security guard at the synagogue was also killed.
The synagogue was previously targeted in a suicide truck bombing that killed 21 in 2002.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemns the killing of three people at a shooting at a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba as hundreds of Jews held an annual pilgrimage there.
“The United States deplores the attack in Tunisia coinciding with the annual Jewish pilgrimage that draws faithful to the El Ghriba Synagogue from around the world,” he says on Twitter.
“We express condolences to the Tunisian people and commend the rapid action of Tunisian security forces,” he says.
Two worshipers were killed in the attack — identified by Tunisian authorities as a Tunisian citizen, 30, and a French national, 42. A security guard at the synagogue was also killed when a Tunisian naval officer opened fire.
Un video difundido por el grupo "Moked Bitajon" (Centro de seguridad) sugiere un posible atentado en la Sinagoga Elgariba en Djerba, en Túnez, durante las celebracionesde Lag Baomer. El caso está siendo investigado por la policía en el lugar. Moked Bitajon pic.twitter.com/5dRRqiWR1z
— Elías Levy Benarroch (@eliaslevyb) May 9, 2023
The Israel Defense Forces says that while there was no rocket fire overnight, restrictions will remain in place for residents closest to the Gaza Strip.
“We did not see a rocket fired at Israel, this is a consequence of the IDF’s surprise action against Islamic Jihad,” IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari tells Army Radio.
“Anything else can happen today. We will assess the situation on whether to ease the instructions for the residents,” he adds.
The Home Front Command has left in place restrictions on movement and gathering for people living within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Gaza, with officials estimating that a rocket barrage or other type of attack is only a matter of time.
An official from the Hamas terror group says Israel will see a unified response from terror groups that will “teach it a major lesson.”
“The leadership of the resistance has put all options on the table, based on the assessment that the enemy started the battle at the time of their choosing, in order to bring the resistance into the campaign under the title ‘reaction to the elimination [of the Palestinian Jihad chiefs]’ and not about the crimes it intends to carry out in the [Jerusalem Day] Flag March on May 18,” the unnamed official tells the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper.
The official also says “the response will be unified through the joint military of the resistance factions, and it will teach Israel a great lesson.”
“The responses will not be limited to a certain faction, but all fronts are to participate,” says the official from the terror group that controls the Gaza Strip.
The heavily guarded Jerusalem Day Flag March has become an increasingly combustible issue for Israel, drawing tens of thousands of national religious youth to mark the anniversary of Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War.
The annual event drives fears of aggravated tensions with Palestinians. Two years ago, the march played a role in touching off a brief war with Gaza-based terrorists, and last year, it saw sporadic clashes and hundreds of participants were filmed chanting “Death to Arabs” and other racist and Islamophobic slogans.
Israel wakes up after a quiet night that saw no rockets fired, over 24 hours since the air force killed three senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.
At least 10 civilians were also among the dead in the bombing runs, including four children, according to the health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Israelis are bracing for retaliation after terror groups vowed a strong and unified response.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said Tuesday that security forces recently foiled a PIJ cell based in the West Bank that had started to manufacture rockets to launch at Israel under the direction of one of the senior leaders in the group eliminated by Israel.
The bombings came days after Gazan terrorists led by Islamic Jihad fired 104 rockets toward Israel in response to the death of an alleged senior member of the group who had been on hunger strike in Israeli prison. Several rockets struck Sderot during the May 2 clash, injuring three workers and damaging homes and cars.
Two Palestinian gunmen are killed by Israeli forces raiding a West Bank town overnight, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The incident takes place in Qabatiya, south of Jenin, when troops enter the town.
The IDF says that during the operation, the two gunmen opened fire at troops from a passing vehicle.
“The troops responded by firing at the two terrorists, killing them,” the IDF says, adding that troops seized an assault rifle and handgun from the car.
Footage from the town shows a large number of Israeli troops operating there, a day after the Israel Defense Forces launched a punishing offensive against the Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza and the West Bank. Intense gun battles can also be heard.
