Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza following rocket attacks in aftermath of deadly West Bank raid

Gaza militants fired rockets and Israel carried out airstrikes across the Israel-Gaza border on Thursday, a day after 11 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli offensive in the occupied West Bank, raising concerns of further escalation.

Mediation efforts are underway by Egypt and the United Nations to calm the situation, officials said.

The Israeli military said six rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip overnight, triggering air raid sirens in southern Israeli communities. Five rockets have been intercepted by missile defenses and others have landed in open areas. No injuries were reported.

The Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad stopped short of directly claiming responsibility for Thursday’s rocket attack but said it had the right to defend itself against Israeli aggression.

Israeli warplanes then struck an arms manufacturing site belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, the Israeli military said. No injuries were reported.

The cross-border attack followed an Israeli operation in the West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday in which 11 Palestinians were killed, including at least four gunmen and four civilians, and more than 100 were wounded, Palestinian sources said.

The Israeli army said troops there had been trying to detain militants suspected of planning an imminent attack when they were shot and fired back.

Islamic Jihad said Israeli troops had surrounded two Nablus commanders in a house, sparking a clash that left other gunmen dead. An explosion was heard and the youths pelted the armored forces with stones.

Palestinian sources said two Islamic Jihad commanders had been killed along with other gunmen. The four civilian victims included a 72-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy, he said.

“I continue to engage with all parties to de-escalate the situation. I urge all parties to refrain from measures that could further enflame the already volatile situation,” said UN envoy Tor Wennesland in a statement.

WATCH | Deadly Israeli attack in West Bank injures dozens of Palestinians:

10 Palestinians, including militants, were killed in Israeli military strikes

At least 10 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed following Israeli military strikes in the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred during intense fighting in the area.

Palestinian groups in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza called for a general strike on Thursday. Schools, universities and banks in Gaza did not open after activists marched through the streets with loudspeakers calling for businesses to remain closed.

Nablus and nearby Jenin have been the focus of attacks by Israel over the past year following deadly Palestinian street attacks on their cities.

Sixty-two Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, were killed in 2023, the Palestinian health ministry said. Ten Israelis and a Ukrainian tourist were killed in Palestinian attacks at the same time, according to Israel’s foreign ministry.