Israel and Islamic Jihad agreed to a ceasefire Saturday, after days of violence that have claimed the lives of at least 35 people -- almost all of them Palestinians. The IDF said it launched a series of attacks on sites which it said belong to Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. In a televised speech following the ceasefire, Islamic Jihad's secretary general Ziyad al-Nakhala acknowledged those losses and said the group was prepared to take up arms in the future. Islamic Jihad is the second largest armed group in Gaza after Hamas. In its statement, the military said IDF fighter jets and aircraft struck launching sites for mortar shells and rockets "used by Islamic Jihad to fire projectiles toward Israel over the last few days."

Source: The North Africa Journal May 15, 2023 03:20 UTC