Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 10 as tensions rise

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 10 as tensions rise

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Friday killed at least 10 people, including a 5-year-old girl and a commander of the Islamic Jihad group.


The latest: Air raid sirens went off in central and southern Israel late Friday local time as rockets were fired from Gaza.


A loud explosion was heard in the Tel Aviv area.


The big picture: Friday's strikes are likely to lead to a broader escalation after a year of relative calm in Gaza. The airstrikes came amid heightened tensions on the border between Israel and Gaza after the arrest of a senior Islamic Jihad member in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.


State of play: More than 40 were wounded in Friday's airstrikes, according to reports from Gaza.


The Israeli air force conducted several strikes against Tayseer al-Jabari, the Islamic commander who was killed, and other members of the group who an Israeli military spokesperson says were preparing to conduct attacks against Israel. The Israeli military spokesperson said several Islamic Jihad operatives were killed in the airstrikes.
The IDF ordered an emergency in all Israeli cities and towns within 50 miles of the border with Gaza. The IDF spokesperson said it is likely that rockets will be fired from Gaza towards central Israel, including Tel Aviv.


What they are saying: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz issued a joint statement and stressed the airstrikes were meant to "remove a concrete threat against Israeli civilians."


Lapid said that Israel "won't allow terror organizations to set the agenda in southern Israel."
Islamic Jihad leader Zyad Nekhale said the organization will retaliate and Tel Aviv will be one of the targets.


"We have no red lines," Nekhale said in an interview from Iran on al-Mayadeen network.
Hamas issued a statement stressing that Israel "will be held responsible and will pay the price for its new crime. The military wings of the resistance are united and they will respond with force."