By Elvira Abi Zeid | News Junior Editor
Israel carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, just a day after a military raid on Nablus. The airstrikes were a response to rocket attacks launched from Gaza by Palestinian fighters.
The latest escalation occurred after a raid by the Israeli military on a Nablus-based armed group of young men known as the Lions’ Den. The group has become popular among Palestinians who view them as heroes for fighting Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Although the Lions’ Den portrays itself as independent of established Palestinian factions, experts say the group is funded by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Tensions have been high in the region following the raid, which has sparked protests and condemnation from Palestinians and human rights groups. The Israeli military has claimed that the operation was aimed at dismantling a militant cell responsible for a recent spate of attacks on Israeli targets.
The military operation in Nablus involved hundreds of Israeli soldiers and resulted in the deaths of several militants, as well as civilians caught in the crossfire. The raid has been widely criticized by Palestinian leaders and international organizations, who have accused Israel of excessive force and indiscriminate killings.
As Israeli military vehicles entered the Old City, fighting broke out between Israeli security forces and Palestinian gunmen in the stone alleys. The Israeli army even fired missiles at a house after the militants holed up there refused to surrender. At least 10 Palestinians were killed, including a 16-year-old boy and older men that were 72 and 61 respectively. The Lions’ Den claimed six of the dead as its members, while other men were killed in unclear circumstances that the Israeli army said it was investigating. In one emotional scene, an overwhelmed medic pronounced a man dead, only to notice the lifeless patient was his father. Elsewhere, an amateur video showed two men, apparently unarmed, being shot as they ran in the street.
The rocket attacks from Gaza on Thursday further escalated the situation, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes on several targets in the coastal enclave. The Israeli military has said that it targeted “terrorist infrastructure” in Gaza, including weapons storage facilities and training camps.
There have been no reports of casualties from the airstrikes, but they have caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure in Gaza. Palestinian officials have condemned the Israeli response, calling it a “war crime” and a violation of international law.
The situation in the region remains tense, with the risk of further violence and retaliation on both sides. The United Nations has called for restraint and dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict and urged Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian civilians and avoid excessive use of force.
The latest developments have once again highlighted the deep divisions and ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli officials likened the operations to “mowing the lawn,” saying they are necessary to prevent a difficult situation from turning worse. But the raids have shown few signs of slowing the violence, and in cases like Wednesday’s operation, can raise the likelihood of reprisals.
The surge in violence in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza has prompted comparisons with aspects of the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s. The current conflict has stoked fears of further bloodshed under the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new ultranationalist coalition has vowed to take a hardline stance against the Palestinians and to entrench Israeli rule over lands that they seek for a future state.