Israel eliminated Islamic Jihad commander: At least 10 Civilian Casualties were reported

The Israeli military announced early today that an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip killed the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group's rocket division, Ali Ghali, the Associated Press reported.

According to the report, Ghali was hiding together in an apartment in the town of Khan Yunis when he and two other fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military alleges that Ghali directed and participated in the rocket attacks against Israel in recent months. "Islamic Jihad" did not comment on the information.

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had dealt a heavy blow to the group. He warned, however, that "this round is not over" and said Israel would decide when calm would be restored.

These are the worst clashes between Israel and the Palestinians in months. According to Israeli officials, more than 400 rockets had been fired from Gaza into Israel by Wednesday night, with most being shot down by air defenses. According to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, about a quarter of them did not reach Israel and fell inside the Gaza Strip.

Israel said its strikes targeted Islamic Jihad infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, but at least 10 civilians were reported dead there - most of them children and women.

UN Secretary-General Antоnio Guterres called on all parties for maximum restraint and condemned both the civilian casualties caused by Israeli strikes and the indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza.

Late on Wednesday, Egypt's Extra News TV channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security forces, said it had brokered a truce. Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have confirmed that Egypt is trying to play the role of mediator in negotiating a ceasefire. They have said that Israel will assess the situation based on actions, not declarations.

For its part, Islamic Jihad, however, announced that it would continue to launch rockets.

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