Two Palestinian militiamen were killed this Tuesday in a new Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll to 15 product of the bombardments carried out by the Israeli Army since early this morning, which targeted three senior officials of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (YIP) group.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has confirmed the death of two more people as a result of a new round of shelling, while sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed that they were militants. The YIP, which identified three of those killed this morning as senior members of the group, He denied that the two militiamen killed in this new attack belonged to his organization.

The Israeli Army reported that his troops attacked “a terrorist squad belonging to the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad that was taking anti-tank guided missiles by car to a launch pad in the town of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.” “Israel Defense Forces soldiers monitored the squad’s activity and attacked it while on its way to the launch pad,” a military statement added.

This incident takes place hours after a major bombardment by the Army on the Gaza Strip, in what a military spokesman described as a “targeted killing” of three YIP leaders in Gaza this morning, through intense bombardments that also left a balance of 10 civilians killed and multiple injuries.

The three YIP members who have been killed in the attacks”were involved in terrorist activities and were planning new attacks,” Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said today. “We are completely ready” to contain and “counter-attack” possible attacks from Gaza, he added, noting that today’s offensive had been under consideration since last week, when Gaza militias fired more than 100 rockets.

In the last hours, Israel has increased its preparation for a likely retaliatory attack from Gaza, including closing schools, establishments and roads, in addition to the evacuation of some 200 families Israelis from communities adjoining the Strip to other parts of the country.

In Gaza, public buildings remained closed this Tuesday while the population took to the streets to stock up on basic products in the event of an escalation, since these rocket fires are answered by Israel with bombings.

The Chamber of Joint Military Operations, which brings together the Palestinian armed factions in Gaza – including YIP and the Islamist movement Hamas He warned that Israel “will pay the price for its aggression”, referring to a possible armed response.

As reported by Palestinian sources in Gaza, Hamas would have informed the YIP that it will participate in the imminent armed response against Israel, unlike the last major escalation in the area, in which it stayed out of the fighting, in August 2022.