Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza as conflict heightens

Feb 23, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

Relations between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants are boiling over as the two sides trade blows. The latest deadly conflict comes as Israel launched airstrikes Thursday targeting weapons manufacturing and storage sites in Gaza.

According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), fighter jets struck a compound belonging to terrorists in the northern Gaza strip used for naval weapons storage.

The air raids came after Palestinian militants fired several rockets from Gaza toward Israeli territory, five of which were intercepted.

Thursday’s conflict followed an Israeli military raid Wednesday when the IDF went into the West Bank to take down three reported terrorists. Although the raid did result in the killing of the three suspects, another eight Palestinians were killed, and more than 100 others injured in the gun battle.

Tor Wennesland, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East, is urging all sides to refrain from steps that could further inflame an already volatile situation.

Tags: fighter jets, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Palestine, United Nations, West Bank

KARAH RUCKER: RELATIONS BETWEEN ISRAELI FORCES AND PALESTINIAN MILITANTS ARE BOILING OVER – AS THE TWO SIDES TRADE BLOWS.

THE LATEST DEADLY CONFLICT COMES AS ISRAEL LAUNCHED AIRSTRIKES TODAY TARGETING WEAPONS MANUFACTURING AND STORAGE SITES IN GAZA.

ACCORDING TO ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES – FIGHTER JETS STRUCK A COMPOUND BELONGING TO TERRORISTS IN THE NORTHERN GAZA STRIP USED FOR NAVAL WEAPONS STORAGE.

THE AIR RAIDS CAME AFTER MILITANTS FIRED SEVERAL ROCKETS FROM GAZA TOWARD ISRAELI TERRITORY – FIVE OF WHICH WERE INTERCEPTED.

TODAY’S CONFLICT FOLLOWED AN ISRAELI MILITARY RAID WEDNESDAY – WHEN THE IDF WENT INTO THE WEST BANK TO TAKE DOWN THREE REPORTED TERRORISTS —

THOUGH THE RAID DID RESULT IN THE KILLING OF THE THREE SUSPECTS, ANOTHER 8 PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED AND MORE THAN 100 OTHERS INJURED IN THE GUN BATTLE.

A UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST IS URGING ALL SIDES TO REFRAIN FROM STEPS THAT COULD FURTHER INFLAME AN ALREADY VOLATILE SITUATION.