Israel readied for violent escalation on all fronts after killing three militant Palestinian leaders and members of their families in the Gaza Strip and bombing weapons sites there overnight.
(Bloomberg) — Israel readied for violent escalation on all fronts after killing three militant Palestinian leaders and members of their families in the Gaza Strip and bombing weapons sites there overnight.
Top Israeli officials canceled public appearances and the foreign minister cut short a visit to India as bus and train lines in southern Israel were stopped, bomb shelters were opened and local officials were told to prepare for days of possible conflict.
The military chief of staff met with top generals and intelligence officers. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant canceled an appearance at a conference, convened senior security officials and instructed regional leaders to be ready.
“What is most important is initiative, surprise and deterrence,” Gallant said at the meeting.
The chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said in an evening press briefing that Israel had completed its operation in Gaza, taking out three militant leaders who’d been personally responsible for firing rockets at Israeli civilians in recent weeks.
“We’ve achieved our goals,” he said.
“We are ready and waiting to see what Islamic Jihad decides to do.”
In the past six weeks, Israel has faced a barrage of rockets from Gaza and Lebanon as well as a rare rocket attack from Syria.
The confrontations coincide with an escalation in Israel’s shadow war with its main enemy Iran, which supports groups committed to Israel’s destruction, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The rockets also coincide with the installation of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It has taken a more aggressive stance toward the Palestinians in the West Bank, threatening annexation and sending in commandos to arrest militants, leading to scores of deaths among the militants and some civilians.
At a security conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Netanyahu said, “Ninety-five percent of Israel’s security problems stem from the fanatic Iranian regime: its nuclear threat, missile threat, the ring of terrorism and aggression that Iran is trying to circle us with.”
Overnight the Israeli military targeted 10 Islamic Jihad weapons manufacturing sites and military compounds.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 13 were killed and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, voiced alarm, condemned the deaths, and urged “all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and avoid an escalation.”
Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Islamic Jihad both said that “Israel will soon pay a heavy price for the killing of three Islamic Jihad leaders and 10 civilians.”
The Israeli Health Ministry opened clinics in the north and south to deal with civilians suffering from anxiety attacks.
Netanyahu also said on Tuesday, “We are working to prevent Iran from creating footholds around us, from creating a second Lebanon in Syria and to be ready for the possibility that Iran will open a multi-front battle against us.”
Admiral Hagari, the military spokesman, said one of the militants killed had been trying to establish rocket launching crews against Israel from within the West Bank.
Amid the tensions, the stock market fell the most since April 20 and the shekel weakened the most since April 11.
“The security situation is something investors monitor while trading Israel, and the first reaction (mostly amid retail panic), may drag some negative direction,” said Adi Babani, head of international sales and trading at Meitav investment house.
“If the situation escalates into a bigger problem, we may see a bigger pullback.”
–With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer and Fadwa Hodali.
(updates with chief military spokesman in fifth paragraph saying Israel has finished its mission.)
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