Palestinian fighters in Gaza warn Israel of further attacks after Khader Adnan death

Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza announced Tuesday that they had targeted Israeli settlements with rocket fire, in response to the death following a hunger strike of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, warning of further action if needed.

The joint operations unit of Palestinian groups in the besieged coastal enclave said they bombed Israeli towns within the vicinity of the  Gaza Strip, such as Sderot, in an initial response to "the assassination of Commander Khader Adnan" who they described as a national hero.

Adnan was pronounced dead on Tuesday after spending 87 days on hunger strike in administrative detention. He was one of the most prominent Palestinian prisoners behind bars in Israel.

Adnan was a senior official in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, which is the second largest Palestinian faction in Gaza after Hamas.

"This heinous crime will trigger responses from our people everywhere…with the help of God Almighty," the Palestinian fighters said, adding that "we will remain loyal to the blood of our martyrs and the sacrifices of our families, and their cause will remain a top priority for the leadership of the resistance in all circumstances."

They warned Israel that any attack against Palestinians would be met with a response.

About 25 rockets were fired from the north and south of the Gaza Strip as Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted most of them.

Plumes of black smoke could be seen from Sderot, where some of the rockets landed, causing material damage.

مصادر محلية: "مشاهد جديدة لإطلاق صواريخ من قطاع غزة نحو مستوطنة سديروت، عقب ارتقاء الأسير خضـر عدنـان". pic.twitter.com/KGMfhRSpBt

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) May 2, 2023

#فلسطين | استمرار اشتعال النيران في منطقة "سديروت" عقب إطلاق صواريخ من قطاع غزة. pic.twitter.com/ksDVEzt7cZ

— غرب آسيا - عاجل (@WANbreaking) May 2, 2023

There were also reports of at least three injuries, with one person being seriously wounded whilst working on a construction site.

مصادر عبرية: "3 إصابات في مستوطنة سديروت، إحداها خطيرة؛ جراء سقوط صواريخ أطلقت من قطاع غزة". pic.twitter.com/ZtjoRzjMro

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 2, 2023

The Israeli army responded with artillery fire, targeting a monitoring point of the Palestinian resistance groups east of Gaza City. The shelling however did not lead to any injuries, the Palestinians said.

Israelis living in settlements close to Gaza were told to remain indoors for the time being.