The Israel Defense Forces launched operation ‘Shield and Arrow’ against the leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza on Tuesday morning, allegedly killing several high-ranking militants – as well as their wives, children and other civilians nearby.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Health Ministry, Ashraf al-Qedra, told RIA Novosti that one of the victims was a citizen of Russia, Jamal Abu Haswan, who “died in Gaza City as a result of shelling by the Israel Defense Forces.”
A neighbor and friend of the deceased told the agency that “a rocket hit the apartment where Abu Haswan lived, which led to his death along with his wife and son.” According to RIA, Abu Haswan worked at a medical facility that “specializes in physical therapy and medical rehabilitation.”
The air raid took place at around 2am local time and left at least 20 people injured in addition to the 12 killed, according to the latest estimates.
The IDF has issued a rare statement confirming its military operation against the PIJ, claiming to have neutralized three top members of the group.
The Palestinian Health ministry said the militants' families and other civilians were killed in the strikes on an apartment building in Gaza City and a house in the southern city of Rafah.