JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Sunday the military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue “as long as necessary.”
At least 29 Palestinians have been killed, including six children and four women, and over 250 others injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since Friday, according to the Health Ministry.
The Israeli offensive has triggered retaliatory rocket fire from the Islamic Jihad group.
The violence came amid rising tensions across Palestinian territories since Monday, when Israeli forces detained Bassam al-Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad, in a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
Lapid said in statements cited by the public broadcaster KAN that the airstrikes in Gaza are carried out in a "reasonable way to reduce to a minimum the harm to noncombatants."
He said the killing of senior Islamic Jihad commander Khaled Mansour in an airstrike in Gaza on Saturday was a result of Israeli intelligence and operational effort.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the Israeli army and Shin Bet internal security service will continue to act against the Islamic Jihad group until removing what he said were threats to Israelis.
On Saturday, the Israeli army said its military offensive in Gaza may last for a week.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
