Ahmed Jabari operations commander of Hamas 20 Israeli military aircrafts attacked Gaza on Wednesday after Israel announced ground invasion. Israeli military ships are shelling residential areas in Gaza causing several casualties, the extent of which is not yet reported. Ahmed Jabari, operations commander of Hamas’ armed wing was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a jeep and a civilian car next to the port of Gaza. Medical sources confirmed that nine people have been killed.
Israel has launched 20 airstrikes on Gaza, including Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabaliyah and central Gaza. It has been reported that another Al-Qassam leader has been killed, but no confirmation has been issued yet.
Israeli airstrikes have hit a series of targets across the Strip including Abu Jenal, a neighbourhood in central Gaza, and the military base of Al-Qadissa, which is under the control of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Israeli airstrikes also targeted rural areas including Al-Karrara and Beit Larya, north of the Strip.
Israel announced their invasion of Gaza on Twitter, which marks the first time a military campaign goes public via tweet, according to the fast company online magazine.
­The Israeli army plans to persist with a land and air military operation targeting \'all militants\' in Gaza for 72 hours, al-Mayadeen. Israel started emergency call up of reservists this afternoon, says they\'re prepared for ground invasion of Gaza.
An Israeli surveillance team fired a missile towards a grey SUV. The number of victims is still unknown, but it has been reported that one civilian was instantly killed.
The armed wing of the ruling Islamist movement said the Israeli attack \"opened the gates of hell.\"
Witnesses in Gaza also said they have heard two explosions, one near the hospital and a second near the Port of Gaza.
Reports say the Israeli army declared the state of emergency in the south after Hamas threatened to “burn” the Israeli capital in retaliation for Al-Jaabari assassination.
An Israeli spokesperson said the attack on Jaabari had been primarily approved by Israel military chief and Israel’s defence minister Ehud Barack. Israel military chief also confirmed that several Hamas militants had been killed in the attack.
According to an Israeli radio the operation launched earlier today against “terrorist organisations” in the Gaza Strip was being directed by Israeli chief of staff from a secret location.
Speaking to Arabstoday, Abu Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) in Gaza described the assassination of Jabari as a “declaration of war”, and said Israel will pay for their actions. He also said that all the military factions in Gaza were on high alert and intended to retaliate.
An Israeli spokesperson said that the assassination of Hamas military chief was a result of a coordinated attack which was led by both Israel intelligence services and the Israeli army.
Jaabari, known to be an enemy of Israel, spent 13 years in prison for being involved in an operation against Israel in 1982. During his time in jail he became religious, joined the Muslim Brotherhood before the establishment of Hamas in 1987.
He became very close to the founders of Hamas, Abdelaziz Rantissi, Ismail Abu Shanb, Nazar El-Rayan and Ibrahim El-Mokhdama.
In 1995, he joined Hamas to focus on Palestinians being victim of miscarriages of justice. The killing of Jabari sparked furious protests in Gaza City, with hundreds of members of Hamas and the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades chanting for revenge inside Shifa hospital.
In 1997 he worked in the Islamic Salvation Party established by Hamas to face security issues by the authorities at the time. But his first work with Hamas began with the bombing of Israelis in the headquarters of the Palestinian security services and the beginning of Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 – he was helping develop the Ezzadine al-Qassam brigades.He was third in command until occupation forces assassinated Salah Shehada in 2002 but failed to kill him. He was still severely injured.
This made Jabari the de facto leader of al-Qassam Brigades and he became the commander in chief. Jabari was publically known as the second in command of the military wing of Hamas but in reality, he was the leader who built al-Qassam brigades. Jabari was attacked several times by Israeli forces and survived. The most notable was the 2004 attack when Israeli missile targeted his home. The attack killed his eldest son, Mohammad, and three of his relatives. He survived the attacks with minor injuries.