The Israeli Security Cabinet met on Tuesday evening to discuss the escalating security tensions and the barrage of approximately 37 rockets fired in three batches from the Gaza Strip towards nearby settlements. This came in the wake of the announcement by Israeli prison authorities of the death of Islamic Jihad leader Khader Adnan.
According to Channel 14, the meeting lasted about four hours during which attendees addressed tensions in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. A heated debate arose over how to respond, leaning towards a "very violent response even at the cost of engaging in a military round." Kan news reported that the Israeli army is preparing for the potential launch of rockets from Lebanon, with reconnaissance aircraft monitoring Syrian areas.
The joint operations room of Palestinian resistance factions claimed responsibility for launching three rocket barrages towards Gaza envelope settlements. Channel 14 noted that the number of injured rose to 7, one of whom is in critical condition, with the total reaching 12 wounded according to the Barzilai hospital.
Israeli tanks targeted a site east of Gaza City in response to the rockets that were fired in two rounds, according to the Israeli army. The army stated that after the morning rocket fire from Gaza and the return fire from tanks, residents in the surrounding areas were instructed to stay close to shelters. They also announced the decision to close access roads to settlements adjacent to Gaza out of fear of attacks on residents.
Following consultations with the military command, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared that "everyone who tries to harm Israeli citizens will regret it." Concurrently, Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated that based on the situation assessment, civil defense instructions to stay near fortified areas in the Gaza envelope and the city of Sderot would be lifted, as no exceptional instructions for the home front were currently issued. In the event of alarms, residents should enter fortified areas and remain there for 10 minutes.
What happened in the morning? Armed Palestinian factions launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza towards southern Israel following the death of an Islamic Jihad leader in Israeli custody after a hunger strike lasting 87 days, marking the first death of a Palestinian detainee on hunger strike in over three decades. The Israeli Prisons Authority reported that Khader Adnan, who was awaiting trial, was found unconscious in his cell and later pronounced dead at a hospital after resuscitation attempts.
Hundreds participated in marches in Gaza and the West Bank to express their sorrow over his death, which Palestinian leaders described as an assassination. Adnan had staged hunger strikes at least three times since 2011 in protest against being held without charges. Palestinian detainees are known to frequently engage in hunger strikes, often collectively. The last recorded death of a hunger-striking detainee occurred in 1992.
Adnan's lawyer rejected the Israeli prison authorities' account and accused them of medical negligence. Lawyer Jamil Al-Khatib said they had requested to transfer Sheikh Adnan to a civilian hospital for better monitoring, but the request was met with obstinacy and refusal by Israeli prison authorities.
Adnan, 45, was a baker from Jenin in the occupied West Bank and a father of nine. Islamic Jihad sources indicated he was a political leader of the movement. Although the Islamic Jihad’s activities are limited in the West Bank, it is the second strongest armed faction in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas. Lina Qasem Hassan, from the organization Physicians for Human Rights in Israel, reported that she met Adnan on April 23, noting that he had lost 40 kilograms and was suffering from breathing problems, but was conscious. The Israeli Prisons Authority claimed that Adnan "refused to undergo medical examinations and receive medical treatment."
