Israeli warplanes carried out early on November 15 four airstrikes on the southern part of the Gaza Strip, challenging a recently implemented ceasefire.
The Israeli military said that the airstrikes, which targeted positions of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, were a response to recent rocket attacks on Israeli settlements.
“We are currently striking Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza …This comes after rockets were indiscriminately fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians today,” the Israeli military said on Twitter.
According to Palestinian sources, at least two people were injured as a result of the Israeli airstrikes.
#شاهد غارات طائرات الاحتلال قبل قليل على موقع للمقــ.اومة في رفح جنوب قطاع غزة pic.twitter.com/uN7dBZ4N4S
— وكالة شهاب (@ShehabAgency) November 14, 2019
Palestinian fighters violated the ceasefire, that begun on November 14, by launching at least seven rockets at nearby Israeli settlements. The rockets, some of which were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket system, didn’t cause any casualties.
The last round of escalation in Gaza was provoked by the assassination of PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata. At least 34 Palestinians were killed and more than one hundred others were injured.
