Islamic Jihad commander killed in Israeli airstrike main instigator of terrorism: Netanyahu


PTI | Jerusalem | Updated: 12-11-2019 19:46 IST | Created: 12-11-2019 19:40 IST
Islamic Jihad commander killed in Israeli airstrike main instigator of terrorism: Netanyahu
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  • Israel

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said that the commander of Islamic Jihad, Baha Abu al-Ata, killed in an Israeli operation was the "main instigator" of terrorism from Gaza Strip and a “ticking time bomb” that the security cabinet unanimously decided to neutralize. A joint statement by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, on Tuesday announced that Ata was neutralized in a targeted strike at around 4:30 am in an operation that was approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

In a televised address, Netanyahu said Ata was the main instigator of terrorism from the Gaza Strip and planned and carried out many terrorist attacks. "Over the past year, this arch-terrorist was the main instigator of terrorism from the Gaza Strip. He initiated, planned and carried out many terrorist attacks. He fired hundreds of rockets at communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, whose suffering we have seen. He was in the midst of planning additional attacks in the immediate short term. He was a ticking bomb," Netanyahu said.

"Whoever hurts us, we will hurt them. Whoever thinks they can avoid the reach of our long arm is mistaken,” he said during the address along with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi and Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman. He said Israel is not interested in escalation but will respond when necessary.

According to the Israeli army and Shin Bet, Ata was behind multiple attacks and rocket launches against Israel in recent months and intended to carry new immediate attacks. Netanyahu also pointed out that the operation was discussed by the cabinet for several months, approved 10 days ago, and the IDF told to carry out the operation "at the time it thought best".

As rockets continued to fall on Israel from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli leader called upon citizens to "strictly follow the instructions of the Home Command" as it saves lives. Kochavi warned that the Israeli military is preparing for an escalation in violence following the assassination.

“He is the man who acted in every way to sabotage attempts for calm. He was alive ticking bomb, and even now he worked and planned attacks. He was responsible for the majority of attacks that took place over the past year. We are preparing for escalation from the ground, air, and sea,” Kochavi said amid threatening messages from Islamic militant factions in Gaza. Kochavi stressed that Abu al-Ata was effectively the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and is the “man who undermined the quiet in southern Israel”.

More than 50 rockets have been fired on Israel since the morning, some 20 of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. Magen David Adom rescue services said that some 29 people have been treated by them, mostly for shock and moderate injuries.

The Israeli Home command has instructed to shut down schools and all non-essential businesses in the area from Gaza to Tel Aviv. The Israeli army has also carried out attacks in the Gaza Strip, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting 3 deaths and dozens wounded in those attacks.

The IDF said that it's airstrikes in the Gaza Strip targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad underground facilities and training camps. These underground facilities are used “for storage and manufacturing of weapons,” it said.

“The IDF sees the rocket fire at Israeli territory and citizens with the utmost severity, and it is prepared to continue to defend citizens of the country and for any operation that is needed,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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