Israel kills more jihadists – rocket fire from Gaza

Fighting continues between the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli army. Israeli media reported on Friday night that no breakthrough had yet been reached in Egypt-brokered ceasefire negotiations. Earlier it was said that Israel had suspended talks because of the heavy rocket fire on the militant Palestinians. There was initially no official confirmation of this.

The Israeli air force says it has bombed more than 250 Islamic Jihad positions in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday. The military also specifically killed several senior members of the group, which is closely linked to Iran and considered a terrorist organization in the United States, Europe and Israel. Targeted killings are controversial among experts. The United Nations considers them a violation of international law.

Since the beginning of the Israeli military offensive, 33 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including six children. More than 100 were injured. According to Palestinian information, at least 17 of the dead were civilians. According to the Israeli army, four civilians have been killed by misplaced jihadist missiles. This could not be independently verified at first.

According to the military, militant Palestinians have so far fired more than 970 rockets and mortar shells at Israel, of which 760 have crossed the border. An 80-year-old woman was killed in a rocket attack on a house in the Israeli town of Rehovot on Thursday. Since the attacks began, 22 people have also been injured in Israel. Islamic Jihad threatened further escalation on Friday.

The rally against judicial reform scheduled for the weekend was also canceled due to the fighting. The organizers fear for the safety of the demonstrators, announced Friday evening. Mass protests against the controversial project have been taking place every Saturday for four months. It’s the first time they’ve failed. With the judicial reform, the government wants to limit the influence of the Supreme Court and increase its own position of power.

After an outdoor concert by Israeli musician Aviv Geffen went ahead despite missile threats and criticism, several other performances were cancelled. For example, a concert by the Backstreet Boys near Tel Aviv is also on the agenda on Saturday.

According to experts, the further course of the conflict mainly depends on whether the Palestinian organization Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, will also participate. According to Israeli information, Hamas has significantly more and longer-range missiles than Jihad. According to the army, it is not yet involved in the recent conflict.

On Friday, the Bundestag celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel and by a large majority recognized the right to exist of the Jewish state. (cst/sda/dpa)