Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed that Khaled Mansour, who led the Iran-backed group’s operations in the southern enclave, was killed in overnight shelling. His death follows the targeting of Tayseer Jabari, who was killed on Friday at the start of Operation Breaking Dawn, the worst outbreak of violence between Israeli and Palestinian fighters since a brief war last May. “The blood of Commander Khaled Mansour will ignite the battle to defend Jerusalem and the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque… Today will not pass until our people see what reassures them and satisfies their eyes,” the organization said in a statement early on Sunday. Large numbers of Jewish visitors to the divided city’s sensitive al-Aqsa compound have further fueled tensions. A total of 31 Palestinians, including six children, as well as members of Islamic Jihad, have now died in the shelling, while 13 people are in hospital with minor injuries as hundreds of rockets were fired into southern Israel. . Israel said a stray rocket fired by Islamic Jihad killed several children in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Saturday. Islamic Jihad did not comment on the claim, while the Hamas-aligned group, which rules the strip, blamed the attack on Israel. Palestinians and Israelis are wary of the possibility of an escalation of violence. Islamic Jihad fired rockets overnight at west Jerusalem, and on Sunday morning large numbers of Jewish visitors were welcomed to the al-Aqsa mosque compound to commemorate the destruction of two ancient temples that once stood at the site. The disputed area is sacred to Muslims and Jews, who call it the Temple Mount. Unofficially, Jews are allowed to visit but not pray at the site. In recent years, however, increasing numbers of Jewish visitors, sometimes praying or under police escort, have exacerbated longstanding Palestinian fears that Israel plans to annex the compound. Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the smaller of the Gaza Strip’s two main militant groups, is not charged with running the impoverished region’s day-to-day affairs. As a result, it is seen as a more militant resistance, often acting independently and sometimes even undermining Hamas’ authority. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Whether the latest standoff between Israel and Islamic Jihad escalates into full-scale war depends largely on whether Hamas intervenes. Israel has inflicted significant casualties on Islamic Jihad in the past three days. the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) signaled on Saturday that the operation would last about a week. Each passing day, however, increases the risk of a miscalculation or escalation that could drag Hamas into the fray. Egypt, traditionally a mediator between Israel and Gaza’s armed groups, is pushing for ceasefire negotiations. Palestinian and Israeli media reported Sunday that talks are ongoing and fuel shipments to power the strip’s only power plant are expected to resume within 24 hours. The violence follows a week of tension sparked by the arrest of Bassem al-Saadi, the top commander of Islamic Jihad in the occupied West Bank, last Monday. While Islamic Jihad did not fire rockets after Saadi’s capture, Israel insisted the group was seeking revenge. The Gaza Strip has remained relatively quiet since last May’s war, which killed 256 people in Gaza and 14 in Israel. Hamas and Israel have fought four wars and several smaller battles since the militant group seized the Strip and the Israeli-Egyptian blockade began in 2008. The new round of clashes came as Israel prepares for its fifth election in four years after the collapse of a short-lived coalition government that ousted longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
