Israel targeted early Tuesday the residences of three senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists responsible for the recent rocket salvo into Israel in early May, when some 100 rockets were fired on Israel following the death of a hunger-striking prisoner.
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In the bombings, codenamed "Operation Shield and Arrow," Khalil Bahtini, Tareq Izzeldeen, and Jehad Ghanam – all of whom were involved in terror activities against Israeli civilians – were killed.
Bahtini was the PIJ commander for the northern Gaza Strip and was planning imminent terror attacks in Israel. Forty-four years old, he lived in Gaza City.
He joined the terror organization in the late 1990s and over the years promoted suicide attacks, bombings, and rocket fire in Israel. He took over the position after his predecessor, Tayseer al-Jabari, was killed during Operation Breaking Dawn in 2022.
Izzeldeen was the group's intermediary between its Gaza and West Bank members for the transfer of terror funds. Forty-nine years old, he was originally from the Arab village of Arraba in the Lower Galilee. He too was engaged in the planning of terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
Ghanam was the secretary of PIJ's military council. Sixty-two years old, he lived in Rafah in southern Gaza. He was one of the most high-ranking and veteran PIJ terrorists and held several key positions in the group, including the commander of its southern wing.
At the time of his death, he oversaw the transfer of funds between the PIJ and Hamas and was involved in promoting terrorism in Gaza, Israel, and abroad.
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