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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel stated Sunday it killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander in a crowded Gaza refugee camp, the second such focused assault since launching its high-stakes navy offensive towards the militant group simply earlier than the weekend.

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The Iran-backed militant group has fired tons of of rockets at Israel in response, elevating the danger of the cross-border combating turning right into a full-fledged warfare.

Gaza’s ruling Hamas group, which fought an 11-day warfare with Israel in Could 2021, appeared to remain on the sidelines for now, probably as a result of it fears Israeli reprisals and undoing financial understandings with Israel, together with Israeli work permits for 1000’s of Gaza residents, that bolster its management.

The Islamic Jihad commander, Khaled Mansour, was killed in an airstrike on an condominium constructing within the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza late Saturday, which additionally killed two different militants and 5 civilians.

One other seven folks have been killed Sunday, bringing the Palestinian loss of life toll to 36 for the reason that begin of the Israeli offensive Friday. Among the many lifeless have been 11 kids and 4 ladies. The Palestinian Well being Ministry stated greater than 311 folks have been wounded since Friday.

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Israel says a number of the deaths have been attributable to errant rocket fireplace, together with one incident within the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza during which six Palestinians have been killed Saturday. On Sunday, a projectile hit a house in the identical space of Jebaliya, killing two males. Palestinians held Israel accountable, whereas Israel stated it was investigating whether or not the realm was hit by an errant rocket.

Mansour, the Islamic Jihad commander for southern Gaza, was within the condominium of a member of the group when the missile struck, flattening the three-story constructing and badly damaging close by homes.

“Abruptly, with out warning, the home subsequent to us was bombed and all the things turned black and dusty with smoke within the blink of a watch,” stated Wissam Jouda, who lives subsequent to the focused constructing.

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Ahmed al-Qaissi, one other neighbour, stated his spouse and son have been among the many wounded, struggling shrapnel accidents. To make manner for rescue employees, al-Qaissi agreed to have a part of his home demolished.

As a funeral for Mansour started within the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon, the Israeli navy stated it was putting suspected “Islamic Jihad rocket launch posts.” Smoke may very well be seen from the strikes as thumps from their explosions rattled Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and rocket fireplace adopted for hours as sirens wailed in central Israel. Because the sundown name to prayer sounded Sunday night time in Gaza, sirens wailed as far north as Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Protection Ministry stated mortars fired from Gaza struck the Erez border crossing into Israel, utilized by 1000’s of Gazans a day. The mortars broken the roof and shrapnel hit the corridor’s entrance, the ministry stated. The crossing has been closed amid the combating.

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The Rafah strike was the deadliest to this point within the present spherical of combating, which was initiated by Israel on Friday with the focused killing of Islamic Jihad’s commander for northern Gaza.

Israel has stated it took motion towards the militant group due to concrete threats of an imminent assault, however has not supplied particulars. Caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who’s an skilled diplomat however untested in overseeing a warfare, unleashed the offensive lower than three months earlier than a basic election during which he’s campaigning to maintain the job.

In an announcement Sunday, Lapid stated the navy would proceed to strike targets in Gaza “in a pinpoint and accountable manner so as to scale back to a minimal the hurt to noncombatants.” Lapid stated the strike that killed Mansour was “a unprecedented achievement.”

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“The operation will proceed so long as crucial,” Lapid stated.

Israel estimates its airstrikes have killed about 15 militants.

Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas, and little is thought about its weapons arsenal. Each teams name for Israel’s destruction, however have totally different priorities, with Hamas constrained by the calls for of governing.

The Israeli military stated militants in Gaza fired about 580 rockets towards Israel. The military stated its air defences had intercepted lots of them, with two of these shot down being fired towards Jerusalem. Islamic Jihad has fewer fighters and supporters than Hamas.

Air raid sirens sounded within the Jerusalem space for the primary time Sunday since final 12 months’s Israel-Hamas warfare.

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Jerusalem is usually a flashpoint in periods of cross-border combating between Israel and Gaza. On Sunday, tons of of Jews, together with firebrand ultra-nationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir, visited a delicate holy website in Jerusalem, recognized to Jews because the Temple Mount and to Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary. The go to, underneath heavy police safety, ended with out incident, police stated.

Such demonstrative visits by Israeli hard-liners looking for to underscore Israeli claims of sovereignty over contested Jerusalem have sparked violence previously. The holy website sits on the fault line of the Israeli-Palestinian battle and is central to rival narratives of Palestinians and Israeli Jews.

In Palestinian cities and cities within the West Financial institution, Israeli safety forces stated they detained 19 folks on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic Jihad throughout in a single day raids.

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The combating started with Israel’s killing of a senior Islamic Jihad commander in a wave of strikes Friday that Israel stated have been meant to stop an imminent assault.

By Sunday, Hamas nonetheless appeared to remain out of the battle. The group has a robust incentive to keep away from one other warfare. Final 12 months’s Israel-Hamas warfare, considered one of 4 main conflicts and several other smaller battles over the past 15 years, exacted a staggering toll on the impoverished territory’s 2.3 million Palestinian residents.

For the reason that final warfare, Israel and Hamas have reached tacit understandings based mostly on buying and selling calm for work permits and a slight easing of the border blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas overran the territory 15 years in the past. Israel has issued 12,000 work permits to Gaza labourers, and has held out the prospect of granting one other 2,000 permits.

The lone energy plant in Gaza floor to a halt at midday Saturday resulting from lack of gas. Israel has saved its crossing factors into Gaza closed since Tuesday. With the brand new disruption, Gazans can use solely 4 hours of electrical energy a day, growing their reliance on personal mills and deepening the territory’s persistent energy disaster amid peak summer season warmth.

— Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem.