Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogged Thursday’s events as they unfolded.
Netanyahu holds meeting with top officials on Gaza fighting
Illustrative: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a meeting with security chiefs at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on May 11, 2023. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with top officials after “the night’s events” in Gaza, his office says.
Among those taking part in the security assessment are Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad chief David Barnea, Netanyahu’s military-secretary Avi Gil, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and others.
The meeting comes as rocket sirens are heard in Israeli communities for the first time in 13 hours.
Palestinian media says IDF strikes in Gaza continuing in reaction to rocket salvo
Palestinian media reports that the Israeli military has been continuing its strikes in the Gaza Strip during the night, though the IDF is yet to confirm this.
The airstrikes against targets linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group are a retaliation to last night’s massive barrage of rockets toward southern and central Israel, though their haven’t been additional launches in the last few hours.
With no rockets fired for hours, optimism said growing that ceasefire can be reached
It has been hours since the latest rockets were fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli airstrikes in the Strip, amid growing speculation that a ceasefire could be in the works, three days after Jerusalem launched the major operation.
Some reports say Egyptian mediators are “optimistic” about the chances of achieving a truce in the coming hours. The BBC reports that the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad delegation to the indirect talks in Cairo has received a ceasefire proposal from egypt’s intelligence and has asked for time to discuss it with the terror group’s leadership.
A year on, IDF spokesperson apologizes for Shireen Abu Akleh’s death for 1st time
Exactly a year after prominent Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the West Bank’s Jenin, likely by an Israeli soldier, the IDF spokesperson for the first time issues an apology for the incident, which caused widespread international condemnation.
“I think it’s an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry [for] the death of the late Shireen Abu Akleh,” IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari says during an interview with CNN.
“She was a journalist, a very established journalist,” he adds. “In Israel, we are a democracy, and in a democracy we see high value in journalism and in free press. We want journalists to feel safe in Israel, especially in war time, and even if they criticize us, we want them to feel safe. It’s all about democracy, and we are a liberal democracy.”
"We are very sorry of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh."
IDF chief spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari to CNN's @EleniGiokos a year to the day after the well-known Al Jazeera correspondent was killed while covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/JJanmI8zjN
— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) May 11, 2023
Officials said to agree operation’s goals fulfilled, next hours ‘critical’ for possible truce
After a security briefing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held with his security chiefs at the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Hebrew media cite a message by the premier’s office that Israel will continue its operation in Gaza “as needed” and “continue to exact a heavy price from Islamic Jihad for its aggression against Israel’s citizens.”
All participants in the meeting agreed that the operation’s goals have been achieved, Channel 12 reports.
Several news outlets say it was decided to continue striking Gaza to pressure the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group to agree to a ceasefire, indicating that continued fighting will lead to escalated Israeli actions. The reports also say that ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian mediation have been renewed after appearing earlier to collapse.
Another reported decision is to pressure Hamas to push for a truce as well by closing the crossings between Israel and the Strip and not allowing goods and fuel to enter.
The Kan public broadcaster quoted an unnamed senior diplomatic official saying: “The next few hours are critical regarding whether we’re going to a ceasefire or to continued fighting.”
Hamas-run health ministry ups death toll from last three days of fighting to 30
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip confirms that one Palestinian was killed in an Israeli airstrike on central Gaza earlier tonight, raising the death toll since the beginning of Israel’s campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group to 30.
The figure includes both terrorists targeted by Israel and civilians, as well as civilians believed killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires, according to Israeli officials.
At least 12 of the fatalities are confirmed to be members of terror groups, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the smaller Mujahideen Brigades.
IDF carries out new wave of strikes against Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza
Smoke rises above buildings after IDF airstrikes the southern Gaza Strip, on May 11, 2023. (Atia Mohammed/Flash90)
The Israel Defense Forces says it is carrying out a new wave of airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip.
The IDF says it will provide further details later on the targets.
Netanyahu huddles with security chiefs following nighttime Gaza rocket launches
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a meeting with security chiefs at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on May 11, 2023. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a briefing with his security chiefs at the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Participating are Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Council chair Tzachi Hanegbi, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and others.
Palestinian said killed in latest IDF airstrike amid Gaza rocket fire at Israel
The Iron Dome missile defense system fires interceptors at rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Palestinian media outlets are reporting one killed and several more wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the central Gaza Strip.
There are no further immediate details on the strike, which came less than two hours after a different one in the northern Gaza Strip in which another Palestinian was killed.
Before the latest strike, the Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip raised the death toll since the beginning of Israel’s campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to 29.
At least 11 of the fatalities are confirmed to be members of terror groups, Islamic Jihad and the smaller Mujahideen Brigades.
Gaza health ministry ups death count from last three days of fighting to 29
A boy sits amidst the rubble near of the house of Ahmed Abu-Deka on May 11, 2023, the deputy of the commander of a rocket launch unit killed by Israel on May 10. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says 29 Palestinians have been killed and at least 93 are wounded since the beginning of Israel’s campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The figure includes both terrorists targeted by Israel and civilians, as well as civilians believed killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires, according to Israeli officials.
One killed, several wounded in IDF airstrike in northern Gaza — report
Smoke rises over the skyline following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
Palestinian media outlets are reporting one killed and several more wounded in an alleged Israeli airstrike on the northern Gaza Strip.
There are no further immediate details on the strike.
The Israeli military says it has been targeting Palestinian Islamic Jihad sites across the Gaza Strip.
There have also been over 150 failed rocket launches by Islamic Jihad that fell short in Gaza, some of which are believed to have killed Palestinians, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
IAF continues to hit Islamic Jihad sites in Gaza; 803 rockets fired at Israel
Israeli bomb squad unit search for rocket fragments after rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit the southern Israeli town of Sderot, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out a series of strikes against Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Stip over the last few hours.
The military releases footage of aircraft targeting an Islamic Jihad observation post, a mortar launching position and underground rocket launchers.
The IDF says that as of 8:00 p.m., Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip have launched 803 rockets and mortars at Israel.
IDF says it struck Islamic Jihad underground rocket launchers in Gaza pic.twitter.com/kn6pwuwCnV
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
The IDF says at least 620 of the projectiles crossed the border, while 152 fell short in Gaza.
According to the IDF, air defense systems intercepted 179 of the rockets, while several have landed in urban areas — killing one, injuring several others and causing extensive damage.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad observation post in Gaza pic.twitter.com/IudwU82JIZ
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
The rest landed in open areas without causing damage, according to the IDF.
The military says it has carried out strikes against 191 sites belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Iron Dome interceptions over central Israel as sirens sound in Rishon, Holon
Iron Dome intercepting rockets fired from Gaza over central Israel, May 11, 2023 (Channel 12 screenshot)
Iron Dome interceptions are reported over central Israel, as incoming rocket sirens sound in the cities of Rishon LeZion and Holon.
There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the barrage launched from the Gaza Strip toward central Israel.
Rockets also target wide swathes of southern Israel.
יירוטים מעל העיר חולון
צילום: דניאל נשיא pic.twitter.com/xTf22QuZWd— בז news (@1717Bazz) May 11, 2023
Rocket sirens sound across southern Israel
An Israeli paramedic takes cover as a siren sounds warning of incoming rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Rocket sirens are sounding in several cities across southern Israel, as Islamic Jihad appears to be launching heavy barrages from the Gaza Strip.
The sirens sound in the cities of Sderot, Netivot, Ashkelon and many other towns close to the border with the Strip.
There are no immediate reports of injuries in the attacks.
Islamic Jihad had urged the Gaza public to stand on rooftops at 9 p.m. because there will be something to celebrate.
Islamic Jihad says rocket fire on central Israel was to avenge slain leaders
The Israeli Iron Dome defence system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza strip, on May 11, 2023, in the southern city of Sderot. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)
The Islamic Jihad says rocket fire on central Israel was to avenge its slain leaders and civilian casualties killed in IAF strikes.
“The Al-Quds Brigades [armed wing] fulfilled their duty and their promise to the Palestinian martyrs, both the commanders and the civilians,” the statement says.
A spokesperson for the military wing vows to keep up the rocket fire.
“The assassination of our commanders only encourages the fighters to continue the struggle and fight the enemy,” says the spokesman and warns that the circle of fire would be expanded to other Israeli cities.
40,000 at open air Tel Aviv rock concert, as Islamic Jihad tells Gazans to be ready to celebrate at 9p.m.
Some 40,000 Israelis gather in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park for a concert by local rocker Aviv Geffen despite the rocket fire from Gaza targeting south and central Israel.
Organizers get permission from the Home Front Command for the concert to go ahead and participants are told to sit on the ground and cover their heads if rocket sirens sound. Participants are told not to run for cover amid fears of a stampede.
הזיה.. אין מילים
פארק הירקון מתחיל להתמלא בזהירות לקראת נשף הרוק של אביב גפן שיתחיל ב-20:30. לפני זמן קצר חזרו וכרזו את הנחיות פיקוד העורף במקרה של אזעקה
A disaster waiting to happen
????@PikudHaoref1 pic.twitter.com/5iqheEIxS7— דבורה ???????????? (@devorah555) May 11, 2023
Despite the fact that permission was granted, the event draws criticism.
Reserve general Yisrael Ziv, a former IDF operations chief, tells Channel 12 that the event is dangerous and irresponsible.
The event goes ahead after one person was killed in a rocket strike on nearby Rehovot and even as Islamic Jihad threatens further rocket attacks.
In a statement reported by Channel 12, it is telling the Gaza public to stand on roofs at 9 p.m. because there will be something to celebrate.
Senior Israeli official: Fire will be met with fire
Police and rescue forces at the scene where a rocket fired from Gaza hit and damaged a house in Rehovot on May 11, 2023. Photo by (Liron Moldovan/Flash90)
A senior Israeli official accuses Islamic Jihad of torpedoing ceasefire talks and says Israel will “meet fire with fire.”
“Over the last day, despite Egypt’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire, the Islamic Jihad launched a barrage of fire at Israel. In response, a fourth significant senior official in the Islamic Jihad was targeted, and the organization continued to suffer severe damage,” the senior official says.
The official says Israel will respond harshly to continued rocket fire.
“If the shooting at Israel continues, the strikes on Gaza will continue, including the continuation of the targeted attacks that exact other heavy prices from the Islamic Jihad,” he says. “Fire will be answered by fire.”
Joint statement by Palestinian terror factions warns Israel of ‘miscalculation’
A picture shows a building housing the apartment (top floor) of an Islamic Jihad leader, which was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis, early on May 11, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The so-called “Joint Operations Room” of various Palestinian terror factions in the Gaza Strip issues a statement following barrages of rockets launched at southern and central Israel today.
In a statement, the collective, which includes both the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups, says it mourns the deaths of senior Islamic Jihad commanders and other Palestinians killed by Israel over the past day.
It warns that Israel is “miscalculating” with the targeted killings of senior terror commanders and that the umbrella group is capable of responding.
Israeli officials have insisted that they are keeping the fight limited to Islamic Jihad and not the larger and better-armed Hamas, which rules the Strip, hoping to avoid widening the conflict, while warning that it is prepared to do so if fired upon.
Israel, PA, Jordan, Egypt and US summit in Sharm el-Sheikh planned for end of month
A summit in Sharm el-Sheikh is being planned for the end of the month, a European diplomat tells The Times of Israel.
The meeting between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan and the US would be third such gathering in recent months, following March’s summit in Sharm and the February confab in Aqaba meant to prevent violence between Israel and the Palestinians during Ramadan.
Jordan is particularly frustrated in the lack of follow-up the agreements from the two meetings, says the diplomat.
UN rights office ‘concerned’ about Israel strikes, say rockets violate international law
People assess the damage of the house of the deputy commander of a rocket launch unit killed by Israel on May 11, 2023. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The UN Human Rights Office expresses “alarm” about the fighting between Israel and Gaza terror groups.
A statement says the UN has verified 25 Palestinian fatalities in the past two days, including six children and four women.
The IDF has hit buildings including residential apartments, the statement says.
“We are concerned about whether the IDF took sufficient precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects,” the statement says.
The UN office also condemns Palestinian rocket fire at Israel.
“The launching of indiscriminate rockets from Gaza into Israel, which puts at risk both Israeli and Palestinian civilians, violates international humanitarian law,” the statement says. “We urge all parties to take measures to de-escalate, and conduct prompt and transparent investigation into all killings, especially of civilians.”
Yesterday the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced “deep concern” over the violence and warned Israel it must adhere to international law.
Surveillance footage shows a rocket impact in Sderot
Surveillance camera footage shows a rocket impact in the southern city of Sderot this evening.
According to local authorities, three buildings were hit by the recent barrage of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.
There are no physical injuries in the rocket strikes, the municipality says.
Surveillance camera footage shows one of the rocket impacts in Sderot this evening. pic.twitter.com/oDvr4JGN8s
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
EU urges immediate ceasefire to halt Gaza, Israel violence
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, near Ashkelon, Israel, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The European Union calls for an immediate truce to halt Israeli operations in Gaza and rocket fire on Israel, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.
“We urge an immediate comprehensive ceasefire which will end Israeli military operations in Gaza and current rocket firing against Israel, which is unacceptable. International humanitarian law must be respected,” Borrell says in a statement.
Five wounded from Rehovot attack taken to hospital
Police and rescue forces at the scene where a rocket fired from Gaza hit and damaged a house in Rehovot on May 11, 2023. Photo by (Flash90)
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has taken five injured people from the Rehovot rocket attack to the hospital.
Four of the injured, including a 74-year-old man and a 50-year-old man, and two women in their 70s, are in moderate condition and taken to the nearby Kaplan hospital.
Another person was lightly wounded and two other people were also hospitalized with severe anxiety.
Medics say that the man who was killed was found in a badly damaged apartment with extensive injuries all over his body and they had no choice but to declare him dead at the scene.
IAF bombs Islamic Jihad attack tunnel, rocket launch sites
Smoke rises over the skyline following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
The Israel Defense Forces says it has struck an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that was dug up to Israel’s security barrier with the Gaza Strip.
The IDF says the tunnel was established under the orders of Khaled Mansour, the former commander of the terror group in southern Gaza, until he was killed in an Israeli strike last August.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel in the Gaza Strip that reached close to the security barrier. pic.twitter.com/v0Yu8kB5GK
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
The IDF also releases footage of strikes against underground rocket launchers used by Islamic Jihad in attacks against Israel today, and an observation post on the Gaza coast.
IDF says it struck two underground Islamic Jihad rocket launchers pic.twitter.com/oIYzfbjBFp
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
The army says it is continuing to strike Islamic Jihad sites across Gaza at this hour.
Woman, 82, lightly wounded by shrapnel in Sdot Negev
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system fires to intercept a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, near Ashkelon, Israel, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
An elderly woman is lightly hurt by rocket shrapnel in a town in the Sdot Negev Regional Council, medics say.
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, the rocket launched from the Gaza Strip landed outside a home in the town.
The 82-year-old is being taken to the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba for further treatment, as is a 90-year-old man who is suffering severe anxiety, MDA says.
Police say one person killed in Rehovot rocket strike
Police at the scene where a rocket fired from Gaza into Israel, hit and damaged a house in Rehovot on May 11, 2023. (Flash90)
Police say that one person has been killed in the rocket strike on an apartment building in Rehovot.
The man’s body was found under the rubble.
The Magen David Adom rescue service had previously listed him in critical condition.
Four other people are hurt.
The strike marks the first fatality on the Israeli side during the latest round of violence.
BREAKING: Images of the destruction caused to a house in Rehovot ???????? (about 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv), by a rocket fired from #Gaza by the ‘Palestinian Islamic Jihad’ terror organization.
One person was killed and 4 more were injured. pic.twitter.com/sQ1TExbfSf
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) May 11, 2023
Foreign farm worker moderately wounded by shrapnel in Eshkol region
A foreign national working in agriculture is moderately hurt by shrapnel in the latest rocket barrage on the Eshkol Regional Council, local authorities and medics
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says the man, in his 30s, is taken by medics to the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba for further treatment.
Police say two rockets hit in Sderot, no injuries
The site of a rocket impact on a public building in Sderot on on May 11, 2023 (Sderot municipality)
Two rockets impact in Sderot amid a large-scale barrage on central and southern Israel, police say.
There are no reports of injuries in the town next to the Gaza border.
One rocket hits a public building.
Medics say 5 injured, one critical in Rehovot rocket strike
The Magen David Adom rescue service says its medics have treated five people wounded in a rocket strike on a building in Rehovot.
It says one of the wounded is in a critical condition.
No immediate details are released on the condition of the other five.
A direct rocket hit on a residential building near city of rehovot.
Several injured. Rockets are still launching. pic.twitter.com/qgvtNV9mU5
— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) May 11, 2023
At least two people injured as rocket makes direct hit on building in Rehovot
A building in Rehovot sufferes a direct strike by a Rocket on May 11, 2023 (Twitter: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
At least two people are reported injured when a rocket scores a direct hit on a building in the central city of Rehovot.
The United Hatzolah rescue service says its medics are treating a woman with a head injury, who is conscious.
The Magen David Adom rescue service says they are treating a man whose leg was trapped under a collapsed part of the building.
The fire service says there is concern the building could collapse.
The building in Rehovot suffered a direct hit pic.twitter.com/uoVoMt2dTV
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
Police say they are carrying out searches at the site and that sappers are removing parts of the rocket.
They call on citizens to remain in bomb shelters.
Mujahideen Brigades says 2 members killed in IAF strike while launching rockets
A plume of smoke rises above buildings in Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on May 11, 2023. (MOHAMMED ABED/AFP)
The Mujahideen Brigades says two of its members have been killed in an Israeli airstrike near the Gaza City neighborhood of Shuja’iyya earlier.
The terror group says the two members were involved in launching rockets at Israel when they were targeted.
The Hamas-run health ministry says another two are wounded in the strike.
The Mujahideen Brigades is a relatively small armed faction in the Gaza Strip, and is somewhat allied with the coastal enclave’s rulers, Hamas.
Rocket hits in Rehovot as barrage launched at central Israel
Medics are responding to reports of a rocket impact in the central city of Rehovot.
Sirens sounded in the city following a rocket barrage launched from the Gaza Strip.
Footage from the scene shows extensive damage to a parking lot.
It is unclear if there are any injuries.
Rocket warning sirens sound in Rehovot and Ramle, the first time cities in central Israel are targeted today.
From the scene of the apparent rocket impact in Rehovot pic.twitter.com/tPRiz8ajdo
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
France, Egypt, Germany and Jordan call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
(L-R) France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi give a joint press conference to comment on their Ministerial Meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, on May 11, 2023 at the Foreign Office in Berlin. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
The foreign ministers of France, Egypt, Germany and Jordan issue a joint statement after their Munich Group summit in Berlin, saying they are “deeply alarmed by this new round of violence and the deteriorating security situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and on-going developments in Gaza, which has claimed unacceptable civilian casualties including women and children.”
They call for an immediate ceasefire “which will end Israeli military operations in Gaza and indiscriminate rocket firing against Israel. International humanitarian law must be respected.”
They also praise Egypt for its mediation efforts, and call on all sides to implement commitments made in Aqaba in February and in Sharm El-Sheikh on March.
Without naming Israel specifically, they express concern over “the growing pressure against Christian and Muslim communities in Jerusalem,” and affirm Jordan’s “custodianship” over Jerusalem’s holy sites, something Israel has never agreed to.
“These latest events illustrate the need to restore a credible political process leading to a comprehensive and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a negotiated two-state solution, ensuring an independent, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, based on June 4, 1967 lines and consistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” say the ministers.
IDF says 25 Islamic Jihad members arrested in West Bank raids
Israeli troops operate in the West Bank, May 10, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency say troops detained 25 members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank in recent days.
The arrests come as part of the IDF’s operation against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
The military says several of the detained men are operatives recruited by Tareq Izz ed-Din, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza early Tuesday.
Israeli officials have said Izz ed-Din worked from the Gaza Strip to recruit terror cells in the northern West Bank, including one that sought to build rockets to launch at Israel.
Rocket warning sirens sounding in Ashkelon
Rocket warning sirens are sounding in Ashkelon and the surrounding areas.
Video shows rockets being intercepted by Iron Dome.
There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The sirens come as the IAF continues to hit Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip.
#Israel ???????? / #Gaza ????????
????View from Ashkelon pic.twitter.com/axYHo7kc7P
— BREAKING NEWS (@BR3AKINGNEWS24) May 11, 2023
Palestinians say 2 killed in IAF strike near Gaza City
Palestinian media outlets are reporting at least two dead in an Israeli airstrike near the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya.
There are no further details immediately available regarding the strike.
Breaking: Two Palestinians have been killed in a new Israeli airstrike on Al-Shejaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/HN1uZexUzU
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 11, 2023
Netanyahu: We will reach anyone who tries to harm Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits a David's Sling missile defense battery on May 11, 2023 (Screencapture)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns that Israel will reach all those who try to harm Israel.
“This morning we targeted the commander of the Islamic Jihad’s missile array in Gaza. Now, just an hour ago, we targeted his deputy as well,” says Netanyahu on a visit to a military base.
“I have already said, anyone who comes to harm us — their blood will be on their heads, including anyone who replaces him,” Netanyahu says.
Netanyahu is visiting the operators of the medium-range David’s Sling missile defense system that was successfully used for the first time to down a missile over Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu praises the team, saying they are doing “sacred work” to defend Israel’s skies and citizens.
“We will continue to act defensively and offensively until the end of the campaign,” he says.
IDF says it waited 2 days to kill top Jihad commander who was using human shields
Ahmad Abu Deka, the deputy head of Islamic Jihad's rocket array in an undated picture. Abu Deka was killed in an Israeli strike on May 11, 2023. (Social media)
The IDF vows to keep targeting senior Islamic Jihad commanders but says it waited two days to kill the deputy head of the rocket force because he was using human shields.
Head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, says the military will continue with targeted killings of members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, after the latest strike killed a senior member.
“We started with the [senior] command in the opening strike. From there we continued for a second attack last night where we killed the head of the rocket array. And now we killed his deputy,” Toledano tells reporters.
He says Ali Ghali, who was killed last night, and Ahmad Abu Deka, who was killed a short while ago, are both “responsible for the rockets.”
“The important idea is to reach those people who make use of human shields to protect themselves from us, and conduct fighting from urban areas,” Toledano says.
“There is a very impressive work here by our intelligence, with an emphasis on the Shin Bet, extraordinary work by the Air Force,” he adds.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagarai adds that the military was watching Abu Deka for two days before targeting him.
“We were waiting for him to be separated from the family he used as a human shield,” Hagari says.
Rocket part lands in yard of house in Moshav Ge’a, no injuries
A rocket part lands in the yard of a house in Moshav Ge’a just north of the Gaza Strip, there are no reports of injuries.
A spokesperson for the Hof Ashkelon regional council says a large chunk of the rocket apparently fell at the site after it was intercepted by an Iron Dome missile.
The rocket was part of a barrage fired at from Gaza at Israeli communities near the border this afternoon.
פגיעת חלק ענק של רקטה בחצר בית במושב גיאה חוף אשקלון pic.twitter.com/uxzWNWZyhi
— מנדי ריזל (@mendi_rizel) May 11, 2023
IDF confirms airstrike killing deputy head of Islamic Jihad rocket array
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency confirm the Air Force carried out a strike in the southern Gaza Strip killing Ahmad Abu Daqqa, the Islamic Jihad’s deputy head of the terror group’s rocket array.
The IDF says Abu Daqqa was the deputy of Ali Ghali, who was killed in an Israeli strike early this morning.
The military says Abu Daqqa “took a significant part in commanding and carrying out the rocket barrages towards Israel” over the past day.
The IDF also publishes a video showing the strike in the southern Gaza town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.
IDF says it struck and killed Ahmad Abu Daqqa, a senior Islamic Jihad member and the deputy head of the group's rocket array, after the head was killed by Israel early this morning in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/hHKFPnk1lc
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
Top Islamic Jihad commander said killed in IAF strike, 4 wounded
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says one person has been killed and another four were wounded in the Israeli airstrike on a building in the southern Gaza town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.
Palestinian media reports identify the slain man as Ahmad Abu Deka, a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said to be the deputy head of the terror group’s rocket array.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier it was carrying out strikes against Islamic Jihad targets across the Strip.
Urgent | A martyr was killed and 3 others were injured when a house belonging to the Abu Daqqa family was targeted in the town of Bani Suhaila in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/7XydwOGlfK
— Alshaimaa Ahmed (@Alshaim16087593) May 11, 2023
Palestinians report casualties in IDF strike in Khan Younis
Palestinian media outlets are reporting casualties in an Israeli strike against a building in the southern Gaza town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.
It is unclear how many people are wounded, or their conditions.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier it was carrying out strikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across the Strip.
An Israeli assassination attack!
Israeli forces assassinate a PIJ commander Ahmed AboDaqqa after bombing a house in Beni Shila, East Khan Younes
There are 4 more wounded including 2 women and 2 children pic.twitter.com/CNVNb4ghoK
— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) May 11, 2023
Egyptian president Sissi said personally involved in Gaza truce talks
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi talks during the World Government Summit opening day in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
A senior Israeli official tells the Kan public broadcaster that Egypt “is doing everything it can to stabilize the situation.”
The official adds that President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi and intelligence chief Abbas Kamel are personally involved, and that Israel has told them “quiet will be met with quiet.”
FM Cohen speaks to 10 counterparts since start of Gaza operation
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, left, meets with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on May 9, 2023 (Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi)
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has spoken with 10 foreign ministers since the operation started, a Foreign Ministry spokesman tells The Times of Israel.
Some of those ministers are “from the region.”
The Foreign Ministry is working to protect Israel’s legitimacy, ensuring that the international community gives it room to operate against Islamic Jihad.
It sent a series of messages to its diplomatic missions around the world, telling them to stress that this round started with the rocket fire last week, that Israel is targeting PIJ chiefs and is doing everything it can to hit only terrorists.
Diplomats are also asking countries to specifically condemn the rocket fire from Gaza.
IDF: So far, 547 rockets and mortars launched at Israel; 166 Islamic Jihad sites hit
Rockets are fired from Gaza City towards Israel, on May 10, 2023. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
The Israel Defense Forces says that as of 2:30 p.m., Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip have launched 547 rockets and mortars at Israel.
The IDF says at least 394 of the projectiles crossed the border, while 124 fell short in Gaza.
According to the IDF, air defense systems — the Iron Dome plus the medium-range David’s Sling — intercepted 175 of the rockets, marking a 95 percent interception rate of projectiles heading for populated areas, while a handful landed in urban areas, causing damage.
The rest landed in open areas without causing damage, according to the IDF.
The military says it has carried out strikes against 166 sites belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Egyptian security delegation to visit Tel Aviv for ceasefire talks
Smoke rises over the skyline following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
An Egyptian source tells AFP that a security delegation from Cairo would be in Tel Aviv later today for talks with Israeli officials on a ceasefire.
Israeli officials confirmed Egypt’s involvement in attempts to facilitate understanding between the sides toward halting the hostilities.
Earlier, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said, “We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself,” and that Washington was engaged in efforts “towards a quick de-escalation.”
Egypt FM says international community should pay more attention to Palestinians
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry addresses a joint press conference to comment on the Ministerial Meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, on May 11, 2023 at the Foreign Office in Berlin. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Speaking in Berlin alongside the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Jordan, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says the international community should show the same amount of enthusiasm toward the Palestinians as it does in other crises, and that unilateral measures seek to destroy the option of a Palestinian state, a possible swipe at Islamic Jihad.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says that Israelis won’t have security until the Palestinians do.
Man shot and critically wounded in East Jerusalem, police say not terror
A man is shot a critically wounded in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, police and medics say.
Magen David Adom medics are taking the man, in his mid-50s, to the Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital while trying to resuscitate him.
Police say they are investigating the incident and that the motive is likely not terror.
Recent days have seen a dramatic spike in killings throughout the country, with some 15 suspected murders since the start of April. Over 90 suspected murders have taken place since the beginning of the year — more than double the rate of last year — with the vast majority of victims being Arab.
Rocket warning sirens sounding near Gaza border
After nearly two hours of quiet, rocket warning sirens are sounding in the Gaza border communities of Yad Mordechai and Netiv Ha’asara.
Islamic Jihad publishes video threatening to ‘drown’ Israel in rockets
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group publishes a threatening video showing members preparing rockets for launch at Israel.
The text at the end of the video in Arabic reads “They will be drowned,” and “They’re drowning,” in possibly mistranslated Hebrew.
Islamic Jihad has threatened a response over the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli strike early this morning.
Islamic Jihad releases a threatening video of it preparing rockets for launch, with the text at the end reading "they will be drowned." pic.twitter.com/XupnV5FeHc
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
UK sending Ukraine long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles
A member of the military walks past an MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp missile at the Farnborough Airshow, southwest of London, on July 17, 2018. (Ben STANSALL / AFP)
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says that the UK is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces.
Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles. He didn’t say how many are being sent.
Wallace said the missiles “are now going into or are in the country itself.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged in February that Britain would be the first country to give Ukraine the longer-range weapons that it has sought from Western allies.
The missiles give Ukraine capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. UK media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.
Wallace said the missiles would be used to push back Russian forces in “Ukrainian sovereign territory.” He said UK support for Ukraine is “responsible, calibrated, coordinated and agile.”
Egypt, Jordan, France, Germany urge end to Gaza ‘bloodletting’
(L-R) France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock give a joint press conference to comment on their Ministerial Meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, on May 11, 2023 at the Foreign Office in Berlin. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Foreign ministers of France, Germany, Jordan and Egypt on Thursday call for an end to the violence between Israel and Gaza terrorists, who have been trading heavy fire for three days.
“The bloodletting must end now,” says German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock after hosting talks with her counterparts.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also says the “negative developments must end, peace must be revived.”
Liberman, Yisrael Beytenu MKs visits Ashkelon trauma center after rocket fire
Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beytenu MKs visit the scene of a rocket attack in Ashkelon on May 11, 2023 (Carrie Keller-Lynn/The Times of Israel)
MK Avigdor Liberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party visit an emotional trauma center in Ashkelon, for which the government earmarked NIS 9 million in the last budget.
The trauma center, which usually focuses on animals but converts to mental health care during emergencies, is across the street from the latest home to suffer a direct hit in Ashkelon. Yesterday, a rocket fell in septuagenarian Miryam Keren’s front yard, destroying part of her home and tossing her car across the street.
“If they know how to find the money for coalition concerns, for [UTJ MK Moshe] Gafni, then they should be able” to fund adequate shelter in Ashkelon, said party MK Oded Forer.
A quarter of the city’s residents don’t have protection from the frequent rocket barrages from Gaza.
Islamic Jihad warns response to killing of top leader ‘is coming’
This photo (left) released by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows Ali Ghali, the commander of the terror group's rocket forces. Ghali was killed in an Israeli strike on an building (right) in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on May 11, 2023. (Courtesy; SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group tells Al-Jazeera that the response to Israel’s targeted killing of a senior commander early this morning “is coming.”
Earlier, the Israeli military carried out a strike killing Ali Ghali, the commander of Islamic Jihad’s rocket forces.
Milan mayor says explosion caused by van carrying oxygen cylinders, rules out terror
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a building after a van exploded in central Milan, northern Italy, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
A van carrying oxygen cylinders exploded in Milan on Thursday, setting alight several cars and lightly injuring the driver, officials said.
Television footage showed flames meters high on a residential street southeast of the Italian city’s cathedral, Duomo, with black smoke sweeping across the neighborhood.
“It’s a van carrying oxygen cylinders,” Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala tells reporters on the sidelines of the accident, ruling out any deliberate attack.
“At the moment I’m told there is one injured… who I believe is the driver,” he says, according to the AGI news agency.
A fire service spokesman at the scene confirmed the van had been carrying oxygen and that one person was injured, the driver.
He said the cause of the blast was being investigated.
Another fire service spokesman earlier told AFP the person injured was hurt in the arms and legs, and said all buildings in the immediate vicinity had been evacuated.
Netanyahu holds situational assessment with security advisers
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a situation assessment with National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, and Military Secretary Avi Gil at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on May 11, 2023 (Courtesy)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a situation assessment with his top security advisers.
Among those present at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem were National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, and Military Secretary Avi Gil.
IDF says it’s carrying out further strikes across the Gaza Strip
The Israel Defense Forces says it is carrying out a series of airstrikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip.
The IDF says it will provide further information on the strikes later.
Likud ministers told that reports of ‘a ceasefire with conditions’ are fake
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference on May 10, 2023. (Haim Zach / GPO)
Likud ministers and MKs have been told that reports that Israel will agree to a ceasefire with conditions are fake.
According to Likud sources, they receive a message that says, “All talk of a ceasefire with conditions are total fake news.”
“As of right now — there is no ceasefire! PM Netanyahu instructed the IDF and security forces to strike Islamic Jihad with its full force, and to continue the offensive policy he has pursued his entire tenure,” the message says.
Gallant orders military to prepare further Gaza operations
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks at a May 9, 2023 press conference. (Ariel Harmoni/Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has instructed the military and other security branches to prepare “a series of additional operations” against the Gaza Strip and be ready for an increased range of rocket fire.
The remarks from Gallant’s office are published following an assessment the minister held with military chief Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.
“I expressed my appreciation to the forces of the IDF and Shin Bet for the precise elimination tonight of the head of the Islamic Jihad rocket array,” says Gallant.
“I instructed all the security forces to take all necessary measures to prepare a series of additional operations, and to maintain a high level of readiness and vigilance for the possibility of increased range of fire,” he adds.
IDF says it hit an Islamic Jihad command center
The Israel Defense Forces says it struck a Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center in the Gaza Strip a short while ago.
The IDF says the site is used by the terror group to guide potential anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli targets on the border.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad command center in Gaza used to guide ATGM attacks. pic.twitter.com/B50BQsnyLu
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
Initial reports of explosion in Milan, with several cars on fire in northern Italian city
There are initial reports of an explosion in the Italian city of Milan, with several cars on fire.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
According to SkyTG24, the blast may have been from a van.
Video circulating on social media appeared to show thick plumes of dark smoke.
Video from #Milan shows large black smoke after explosion and fire pic.twitter.com/Dz4WBVcBIL
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 11, 2023
Chicken coop heavily damaged in barrage fired from Gaza
A chicken coop is heavily damaged in a direct hit during the latest barrage launched from the Gaza Strip toward the Eshkol Regional Council, local officials say.
The council says this is the fifth projectile to land in the town.
The damaged coop is close to a home, the council adds.
In Jerusalem, Cypriot president ‘strongly condemns recent terror attacks against Israel’
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides (L) and President Isaac Herzog at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on May 11, 2023 (Haim Zach/GPO)
President Isaac Herzog hosts his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Herzog calls the visit an expression of “support and solidarity as Israel comes under fire from enemies in Gaza.”
“I’m strongly condemning the recent terror attacks against Israel,” says Christodoulides. “Cyprus stands by your side. We will continue to work together to face together these kinds of unacceptable acts.”
Israeli defense official denies reports of ceasefire agreement to stop targeted killings
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
A senior Israeli defense official says, “Israel has not committed to stopping the targeted killings of terror elements.”
The remarks come amid reports about a potential ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Some reports have suggested Israel will not carry out further targeted killings of terror group members.
Operation Shield and Arrow was launched early Tuesday with the killing of three top Islamic Jihad commanders in the wake of recent rocket fire. Earlier this morning, another Islamic Jihad commander was killed in an Israeli strike.
Israel in ‘direct and indirect contact’ with Arab nations over potential Gaza ceasefire – official
Police and army at the scene where a rocket fired from Gaza hit and damaged a house in Sderot. May 10, 2023 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Israel is in “direct and indirect contact” with Arab countries in order to calm the situation in Gaza and reach a ceasefire, an Israeli diplomat tells the Times of Israel.
The official would not lay out which countries Jerusalem is working with, nor say whether Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among them.
Statements from Arab capitals are “sharp but not extreme,” says the official.
“We are not expecting solidarity from the Jordanians,” they say. “There is nothing that is different from previous rounds.”
Turning to Europe, the official stresses that while statements out of Brussels and some European states are “not extremely balanced,” there is no demand for the IDF to stop operating, and Israel’s right to self defense is being acknowledged.
“This is familiar territory,” says the official.
Footage filmed from plane cockpit shows rocket fire, interceptions
Footage broadcast by the Kan public broadcaster shows rocket fire and Iron Dome interceptions, as seen from the cockpit of an airplane.
The network says the video was filmed from an El Al plane that was approaching Ben Gurion Airport last night.
The plane was at a far higher altitude than the rockets and was not in any danger, the network says.
תיעוד: כך נראו שיגורי רקטות ויירוטים מתא הטייס בטיסת אל-על הלילה@ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/7kZ45eTHla
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 11, 2023
Israel denies it agreed to hand over body of Palestinian prisoner in ceasefire deal
FILE - Khader Adnan, center, is greeted by Palestinians after his release from an Israeli prison in the West Bank village of Arrabeh near Jenin, July 12, 2015 (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)
Israel refuses to transfer the body of Khader Adnan, a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group who died last week after an 86-day hunger strike, as part of any ceasefire agreement, an Israeli official says.
The official is responding to a report from the Al-Arabiya network that claimed Israel had agreed to return the body.
The Saudi-based news site also claimed that Israel promised to halt targeted assassinations of the group’s officials unless it has information about a specific planned attack.
Report: Israel agrees to ceasefire, will hand over body of Palestinian prisoner
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
According to the Al-Arabiya network, Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Saudi-based news site claims that Israel has promised to halt targeted assassinations of the group’s officials unless it has information about a specific planned attack.
The site also says that Israel has agreed to hand over the body of Khader Adnan, a senior Islamic Jihad member who died in prison earlier this month.
The report did not mention the Islamic Jihad demand to halt next week’s controversial Jerusalem Day Flag March.
Two mortars fall near homes in town near Gaza Strip; no injuries reported
Damage caused by a mortar which fell in an Israeli neighborhood near Gaza, May 11, 2023. (Eshkol Regional Council)
Slight damage is caused to a town in the Eshkol Regional Council in the last barrage from the Gaza Strip.
The council says two projectiles landed close to homes in the town. There are no injuries.
Air raid siren sounds in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom near Gaza
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Gaza, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Air raid sirens are ringing out in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom near Gaza.
So far today at least 10 mortars have been fired from Gaza into Israel following a relatively quiet period overnight.
Report: Islamic Jihad official arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks
Trails of smoke are seen as rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 10, 2023. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
An official with Palestinian Islamic Jihad has reportedly arrived in Cairo for talks about a ceasefire with Israel.
According to Al-Arabiya, the head of the group’s political department, Mohamad al-Hindi, has arrived in Cairo for talks.
The news agency cites Hindi as saying that Islamic Jihad’s conditions for ending the fighting include the end of targeted assassinations, the release of the body of Khader Adnan, an Islamic Jihad member who died in Israeli prison earlier this month, and the cancellation of next week’s Jerusalem Day Flag March.
IDF says it struck Palestinian Islamic Jihad observation position in Gaza
A picture shows a building housing the apartment (top floor) of an Islamic Jihad military leader, which was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis, early on May 11, 2023. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)
The Israel Defense Forces says it struck a Palestinian Islamic Jihad observation position in the Gaza Strip a short while ago.
The IDF says the site was used by the terror group to guide a potential anti-tank guided missile attack against Israeli targets on the border.
IDF says it struck an Islamic Jihad observation post used to guide an ATGM attack in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/JjnsXRMC3p
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
The IDF also releases a clip showing the strike earlier today against an Islamic Jihad mortar launching position.
IDF publishes a clip of the strike against the Islamic Jihad mortar launching position earlier. pic.twitter.com/9RFhNmQdnR
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
Watch: IDF publishes footage of strikes in Gaza yesterday
Smoke rises over the skyline following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
The Israel Defense Forces publishes additional footage of strikes the Air Force carried out in the Gaza Strip yesterday against Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The IDF says these strikes were carried out “with the help of unique air-intelligence cooperation.”
IDF publishes some rare colour clips of strikes in the Gaza Strip yesterday. The IDF says these strikes were carried out "with the help of a unique air-intelligence cooperation." pic.twitter.com/7ed204y7kn
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2023
Ambulance service says 32 people treated in Israel so far for rocket-related injuries
Israelis run for shelter during a Red Alert alarm, at Sun Yun restaurant in Tel Aviv, as rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into central Israel, on May 10, 2023. (Nati Shohat/ Flash90)
The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has treated 32 people in Israel since the launch of Operation Shield and Arrow earlier this week.
MDA says 15 of them suffered from wounds sustained while running for shelter, and 17 were experiencing severe anxiety.
Hungary condemns Gaza rocket fire, offers Israel ‘full sympathies’
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/ Hatem Moussa)
Hungary’s Foreign Ministry says it is “deeply shocked” by the rockets fired by Gaza terrorists, “deliberately targeting civilians.”
“We condemn all forms of terrorism, recognise Israel’s right to self-defense,” tweets Ambassador Levente Benko. “Full sympathies w/ the government&people of [Israel] in the face of this threat.”
???????? MFA statement: ???????? deeply shocked by 100s of rockets again fired by terrorists from Gaza Strip, deliberately targeting civilians. We condemn all forms of terrorism, recognise ????????'s right to self-defense. Full sympathies w/ the government&people of ???????? in the face of this threat.
— Levente Benkő (@LeventeBenk1) May 11, 2023
Leah Goldin says release of her son’s body by Hamas must be part of deal
Leah Goldin (R), the mother of Israeli soldier Lieutenant Hadar Goldin (L), holds up a picture of her son as she speaks during an interview at their family home in the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba on August 29, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ)
Leah Goldin, the mother of Hadar Goldin, the slain IDF soldier whose body is being held by Hamas in Gaza, says his return must be part of any Gaza ceasefire deal.
“The prime minister must put Hadar on the table as a condition for ending the war,” Goldin tells 103FM Radio, saying that this is an opportunity for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to be brave and to bring back the soldiers.”
The bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul have been held by Hamas since they were killed in 2014.
Hamas is also holding Israeli civilians Avera Mengistu, who crossed into the Strip in 2014, and Hisham Al-Sayed, who crossed in 2015.
Ambassador Nides says US ‘working towards a quick deescalation’
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides speaks at an event in Jerusalem on February 19, 2023. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides says that he is working to broker a “deescalation” of the ongoing violence between Gaza and Israel.
“Concerned about the continuing rocket launches today. We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself,” Nides tweets. “Working towards a quick deescalation.”
Nides is slated to depart his role this summer after two years in the job.
Hotline open in 5 languages for immigrants seeking emotional support
Residents of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon sit outside a bomb shelter, amid heightened tensions between Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza strip and Israel, on May 10, 2023. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
The Immigration and Absorption committee is operating — together with the ERAN emotional first aid service — a special phone hotline for immigrants amid the ongoing military operation.
The service is available free and anonymously in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian and Amharic.
In light of the ongoing rocket fire, the hours of the hotline have been extended.
The hotline can be reached by phone at *3201 or via online chat at: https://www.eran.org.il/helpline-for-olim-eng/
Smotrich: If Islamic Jihad stops firing, we’ll stop firing
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a meeting of his Religious Zionism faction at the Knesset in Jerusalem, May 1, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, says he would not oppose a ceasefire if Islamic Jihad stops firing rockets.
“From our perspective if they stop firing at us, there’s no reason to continue,” says Smotrich to the Ynet news site. “If they continue, we will crush them and hit them — the IDF is doing this, the Air Force is doing this, the army is ready with further rounds of strikes.”
Israel launched the surprise operation early Tuesday morning with the targeted assassination of three top Islamic Jihad officials in Gaza. Ten others were killed in those airstrikes, including several children. Since then more than 500 rockets have been fired from Gaza toward Israel, and the IDF has struck dozens of Islamic Jihad targets in the Strip.
Islamic Jihad: We’ll only agree to ceasefire if Israel stops targeted killings
Trails of smoke are seen as rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 10, 2023. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)
Islamic Jihad says that it will only cease fire if Israel agrees to halt targeted killings of its fighters.
Egypt has been attempting to broker a ceasefire between Gaza and Israel, but efforts appeared to falter last night and airstrikes and rockets have continued.
Mohamad al-Hindi, an official with the group, says a sticking point in the talks is that the Palestinians want an Israeli commitment to stop targeted killing operations, such as the ones that killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders early Tuesday.
According to some reports, Islamic Jihad also has demanded that Israel cancel next week’s Flag March in celebration of Jerusalem Day.
US blocked China’s effort to condemn Israel at UN Security Council, says official
A general view of a United Nations security council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on March 20, 2023. (Ed Jones/AFP)
The United States blocked an effort led by China at yesterday’s UN Security Council emergency meeting on the Gaza escalation for members to issue a press statement expressing their concern over the ongoing violence, a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Israel lobbied the US to act against such an initiative, fearing it would draw an equivalence between IDF and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the senior official says.
The Biden administration has consistently come to Israel’s aid at the Security Council, blocking the panel from issuing statements or passing resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian flareups in over half a dozen instances, including several times during the May 2021 Gaza war.
The one exception was the statement it helped pass earlier this year blasting the Israeli decision to legalize nine West Bank outposts and advance plans for nearly 10,000 new settlement homes. The statement was a symbolic move after the US blocked Security Council members from passing a binding resolution against Israel.
Local officials say 10 mortars fired toward Israel so far this morning
Rockets are fired from Gaza City towards Israel, on May 10, 2023. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
Around 10 mortars were launched from the Gaza Strip at towns in the Eshkol Regional Council since this morning, local officials say.
In a statement, the council says none of the projectiles landed in populated areas. Sirens had sounded in Kissufim and Nirim.
The council reminds residents that they must stay close to bomb shelters amid fears of further attacks.
IDF says it struck Islamic Jihad launching position in northern Gaza
Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building, following an Israeli air strike, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 11, 2023. (MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)
The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out an airstrike against a Palestinian Islamic Jihad mortar launching position in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media reported that the strike took place near the city of Beit Lahiya.
There are no reports of injuries in the strike.
Erdan: We succeeded in stopping UN Security Council condemnation of Israel
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan attends a meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee at UN headquarters on Friday, November 11, 2022. (AP/Jeenah Moon)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan says that he prevented the UN Security Council from issuing a statement condemning Israel over the current Gaza military operation.
“We succeeded in stopping a proposal in the UN Security Council to publish a statement condemning Israel,” Erdan tells Army Radio. “The hearing last night ended with nothing.”
Erdan adds that he thinks it is a mistake for US President Joe Biden not to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, but suggests that it could have more to do with “internal politics.”
IDF spokesman: Targeting of Islamic Jihad commander was ‘very precise’
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari speaks to media near the Gaza border, May 10, 2023. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari tells Army Radio that the killing early this morning of a senior commander in charge of the group’s rocket launching force, Ali Ghali, was “very precise.”
Hagari says that two other terrorists were also killed in the strike and that the rest of the building remained intact.
“The apartment was targeted in a very precise way,” he says. “I hope this leads to a reduction, a blow and a disruption of the Islamic Jihad rocket abilities.”
Edelstein: There were ceasefire talks, but Islamic Jihad wanted to dictate terms
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein arrives for a committee hearing, March 16, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Yuli Edelstein, the chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, says Israel could not accept the terms of a ceasefire that Egypt was attempting to broker yesterday.
“There were contacts through the mediators, there was a feeling of [approaching] a ceasefire, but then the Islamic Jihad decided it could dictate the terms of a ceasefire,” Edelstein tells Kan’s Reshet Bet radio. “Of course the State of Israel could not accept those conditions.”
Edelstein adds that if Israel does not conduct a widespread operation, it should not be surprised when terror organizations in Gaza gain strength between rounds of fighting.
IDF: Soldier lightly wounded in shootout during West Bank operation
Israeli troops operate in the West Bank, early May 11, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)
The Israel Defense Forces says a soldier is lightly hurt in a shootout with Palestinian gunmen in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank early this morning.
The IDF says troops entered the camp near Tulkarem to arrest wanted Palestinians. It says the forces seized a makeshift firearm and other military equipment, before coming under fire.
The wounded soldier is taken to a hospital for further treatment.
According to the IDF, 15 wanted Palestinians were detained during overnight raids across the West Bank.
Air raid siren sounds in Kibbutz Nirim
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Gaza, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Rocket sirens ring out in Kibbutz Nirim near the Gaza border.
The sirens come shortly after at least six mortars were fired toward the town of Kissufim, following a relatively quiet night.
Lapid: Israel has accomplished its goals, should now end Gaza operation
Head of the Yesh Atid party MK Yair Lapid speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on May 1, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Opposition leader Yair Lapid says Israel should consider ending the military operation in Gaza now after reaching a number of its goals.
“I think it’s time to pack up this event, this is the time,” he tells Kan’s Reshet Bet radio. “You always need to be exact on the question of when you exit, not just when you enter.”
Lapid says he does not believe there are “immediate aims” that Israel needs to accomplish right now during this operation. “There are [already] good results… I don’t think there’s a benefit we’re waiting for. We should stop now.”
The opposition leader says he gave full backing to the operation and believes it was wise to launch, “but these things tend to get complicated, and you have to know when to stop — this is the right moment.”
Lapid received a security briefing from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the operation yesterday.
Six mortars fired toward Kissufim, 2 intercepted and 4 land in open areas
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/ Hatem Moussa)
During the last barrage launched from the Gaza Strip at the southern town of Kissufim, two mortars are apparently intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, officials say.
Four more mortars land in open areas, not causing any damage.
There are no injuries in the attack.
Gaza health ministry says 25 Palestinians killed, 76 wounded in operation
Smoke rises over the skyline following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says 25 Palestinians have been killed and 76 are wounded since the beginning of Israel’s campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The figure includes both terrorists targeted by Israel and civilians, as well as civilians believed killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires, according to Israeli officials.
IDF: 507 rockets launched toward Israel since start of operation
Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza City on May 10, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)
The Israel Defense Forces says that as of 7 a.m., Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip have launched 507 rockets and mortars at Israel.
The IDF says at least 368 of the projectiles crossed the border, while 110 fell short in Gaza.
According to the IDF, air defense systems — the Iron Dome but also the medium-range David’s Sling — intercepted 154 of the rockets, marking a 95 percent interception rate of projectiles heading for populated areas, while a handful landed in urban areas, causing damage.
The rest landed in open areas without causing damage, according to the IDF.
The military says it has carried out strikes against 158 sites belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
War, natural disasters leave record 71 million people internally displaced in 2022, report says
This picture shows destroyed shopping pavilions at a bus station in the Ukrainian town of Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, on June 24, 2022, as Russia has intensified its offensive in the area in the past few days. (Sergey Bobok/AFP)
The war in Ukraine helped push the global total of people left internally displaced by conflict or natural disasters to a record high of 71.1 million last year, according to a report released by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.
By the end of 2022, 5.9 million people had been forced to move inside Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion, bringing the global total of people internally displaced by conflict and violence to more than 62 million, an increase of 17% since 2021. Syria had 6.8 million displaced by conflict after more than a decade of civil war.
The number of people displaced inside their country at the end of the year because of disasters like floods and famine reached 8.7 million, up by 45% from 2021.
The total of 71.1 million internally displaced worldwide was a 20% increase since 2021.
Internal displacement refers to people forced to move inside their own borders and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center’s report didn’t take into account those who left for different countries.
Holocaust survivor and Exodus passenger Fruma Gallant, mother of the defense minister, dies at 88
Yoav Gallant and his mother Fruma in an undated photo (Facebook)
Holocaust survivor Fruma Gallant, who traveled to British controlled-Palestine on the Exodus and was the mother of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, dies aged 88.
She died as her son is heading up Operation Shield and Arrow. The Defense Ministry says in a statement that he is involved in the operation on an ongoing basis.
Fruma Gallant was born in Poland and arrived on the Exodus in 1947 but was deported back to Germany. The celebrated ship was part of an attempt to bring thousands of Holocaust survivors from Europe to pre-state Israel.
She later returned to Israel shortly after the state’s establishment and often gave speeches about her experiences to groups and visiting dignitaries.
The defense minister cited his mother’s experience during his speech calling for a pause to the contentious judicial overhaul.
“Yet, significant, national changes are achieved through dialogue. This evening, I am thinking of the generation of the founders of Israel. I think of my mother Fruma – a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Israel onboard the Exodus. I think of my wife Claudine’s parents, who immigrated to Israel from Morocco, traveling difficult paths,” Gallant said last month in the speech that led to his firing by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (he was later reinstated).
Gallant then posted a video in which he was talking to his mother in the wake of his firing.
“You have intelligence and courage and I love you very much,” Fruma Gallant said. “I hope everything will be fine.”
אמו של גלנט: "יש לך שכל ואומץ" | צפו בשיחה המרגשת@shemeshmicha pic.twitter.com/4ZaE3T1vsX
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 26, 2023
Rocket sirens sound in Kissufim near Gaza Strip following quiet period
Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/ Hatem Moussa)
Fresh rocket sirens are sounding in the southern town of Kissufim, close to the border with the Gaza Strip.
The military does not immediately provide further details.
It has been around eight hours since the last rocket attack from Gaza on southern Israel, amid the military’s Operation Shield and Arrow in the Strip.
The rocket attack comes after Israel killed a senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad early this morning in a strike in Gaza.
There have been reports of a potential Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, although the latest assassination and renewed rocket fire are likely to hamper those efforts.
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