Dozens of rockets launched from Gaza after Israel assassinates Palestinian commander

Dozens of rockets have been fired at Israel from the besieged Gaza Strip after a Palestinian commander was assassinated earlier on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

12 November, 2019

Dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza. [Getty]

Dozens of rockets have been fired at Israel from the besieged Gaza Strip after a Palestinian commander was assassinated early on Tuesday.

Islamic Jihad's armed wing announced the death of the commander in Gaza City after Israel confirmed it had targeted Baha Abu Al-Ata, 42, in a strike. The group said Ata's wife was also killed.

According to Israeli media, more than 70 rockets and mortar shells were fired from the besieged Gaza Strip at central and southern Israel on Tuesday morning.

Footage from Israeli public broadcaster IPBC appeared to show Iron Dome defence system interceptors targeting counter attacks from Gaza.

Israeli forces operating the missile system said they shot down 20 of those incoming projectiles.

Ground shots from Sderot in southern Israel also showed damage to a residential building, believed to have been hit by a rocket launched from Gaza.

Video from a traffic camera in central Israel captured the moment on Tuesday when a rocket strikes a major highway only metres from several passing vehicles.

Read also: Israel threatens to launch 'major military operation' on Gaza after spike in tensions

The Islamic Jihad group said Abu el-Ata was undergoing "a heroic act" when he was assassinated.

The group did not elaborate, but vowed revenge.

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) referred to the killing as a "crime".

Agencies contributed to this report.