Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 8 Palestinians

Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing at least eight Palestinians and wounding another 40, according to Palestinian officials.

The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is ruled by Hamas and is home to about 2 million Palestinians.

A blast could be heard in Gaza City, where smoke poured out of the seventh floor of a tall building on Friday afternoon, AP reports.

“The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel,” Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement. “Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: We will find you.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry said eight people were killed, including a 5-year-old girl, and at least 40 were wounded. Islamic Jihad said Taiseer al-Jabari, its commander for northern Gaza, was among those killed. He had succeeded another militant killed in an airstrike in 2019.

A few hundred people gathered outside the morgue at Gaza City’s main Shifa hospital. Some entered to identify loved ones, only to emerge in tears. One shouted: “May God take revenge against spies,” referring to Palestinian informants who cooperate with Israel.