Israel’s army is carrying out a “preemptive” large-scale operation against militants in Gaza amid the worst escalation in violence since last year.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday that the IDF is “preparing for the operation to last a week.” The spokesperson added that the Israeli military is “not currently holding cease-fire negotiations.”
Israel, Gaza militants trade fire
Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza as part of a crackdown on Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group. Both sides on Friday confirmed that the strikes killed a senior member, Taysir al-Jabari.
The strikes have killed at least 15 people, including a 5-year-old girl, and wounded another 110, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israel claimed that Islamic Jihad fired…