Israeli Airstrikes Take Out Iran-Backed Islamic Jihadist Leaders

Israeli Airstrikes Take Out Iran-Backed Islamic Jihadist Leaders

Jason Piccolo on May 9, 2023

Israeli forces killed three senior Iranian-backed terror leaders Tuesday in a targeted airstrike in Gaza.

In a surprise airstrike, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) fighter jets targeted terrorist commanders and key military targets in Gaza. The Israeli missiles killed three senior Islamic Jihad chiefs and destroyed multiple weapons sites, according to Reuters.

Using real-time intelligence, IDF targeted the terrorist group under Operation “Shield and Arrow,” according to the IDF. The attacks were launched with “pinpoint accuracy” to prevent civilian casualties, the IDF said. In addition, the IDF said the strikes destroyed Islamic Jihad infrastructure, weapons manufacturing and military compounds.

The IDF said the Islamic Jihad terror leaders were to blame for rocket attacks on Israel and were planning to attack Israel again. The IDF pointed to over 100 rockets fired from Gaza toward Israel in May alone.

Islamic Jihad, a U.S.-designated terror organization, is the second largest armed faction in Gaza behind Hamas.   With estimated tens of millions of dollars in funding from Iran, the terror group’s goal is to replace Israel with an Islamic state, according to Reuters.

The terror group vowed revenge for the Israeli strikes. “The Occupation [Israel] must expect a response at any moment and anywhere,” said the Islamic Jihad spokesperson, Dawoud Shehab, according to Reuters.

“The IDF will continue to operate against the threat of terrorism and maintain security for the civilians in the State of Israel,” said the IDF.

The strike killed Jihad Ghannam, Khalil Al-Bahtini and Tareq Izzeldeen, all commanders of the Islamic Jihad, according to Reuters.