Palestinian officials say at least eight people have died, including a senior fighter, as a result of Israeli air strikes.
An explosion was heard in Gaza City on Friday and smoke billowed from the seventh floor of a high-rise building.
The Palestinian The health ministry said 40 people were injured, a senior commander of the jihadist organization and a five-year-old boy among those killed.
The strike comes after days of tension following the arrest of a senior fighter in the occupied West Bank on Monday.
Israeli has closed the roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border, in case of retaliation.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Federation) is currently attacking in the Gaza Strip. A special situation has been declared on Israel’s home ground,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
The official of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) killed was Tayseer al-Jaabari.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that “Israel’s enemies, who have begun to escalate against Gaza and committed new crimes, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it”.
Palestinians react at the hospital after the Israeli attack in Gaza City
In a statement aired on Al Mayadeen TV, a pro-Iranian Lebanese channel, the leader of the Islamic Jihad group Ziad Al Nakhala vowed to retaliate against the attacks.
“There are no red lines in this battle and Tel Aviv will fall within the range of anti-missile missiles, as well as all Israeli cities,” he said.
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Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited communities near Gaza earlier on Friday, saying authorities were preparing “actions that will remove the threat from the area,” without elaborating. details.
“We will work with inner resilience and outer strength to restore daily life in the south of Israel,” he said.
“We do not seek conflict, but we will not hesitate to protect our citizens, if required.”
PIJ is smaller than Hamas but shares the same ideology, both groups oppose the Israeli presence.
