The Israeli military had confirmed it launched air strikes on Palestinian targets in Gaza and Syria in a retaliatory attack. Israel’s military claims that it had hit the facilities of Islamic Jihad in southern Damascus and Gaza Strip on Sunday. Syria, where Israel said it targeted a hub of Islamic Jihad activity, said its air defense system shot down most of Israeli missiles. Four people were reported wounded in Gaza but no deaths have been reported according to health officials in the besieged Palestinian territory.

According to Israel, the attack was launched in response to firing of at least 20 rockets that came from Gaza Strip earlier on Sunday; the projectiles were approaching southern Israel. The attacks began on Sunday morning when Israel claimed it killed an IJ member along its border fence with Gaza Strip when he was trying to plant an explosive near the border. A video on social media showed an Israeli bulldozer lifting up the body of the man. The footage was shared widely and provoked anger among Palestinians.

Some Palestinians vowed for revenge and hours later rockets were fired form the Gaza Strip prompting air raid sirens in Israeli-occupied territory. IJ (Islamic Jihad) backed by Iran claimed responsibility of the attacks and said that it responded to killing of its fighter near Gaza border. The Palestinian resistant force in alliance with Hamas has fought a number of wars against Israel in recent times.

The hostilities between the group and Israel flared up last November when IDF successfully targeted a senior resistance commander of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Highly volatile region of Gaza has a long history of Israel-Palestine clashes and the situation looks bad after United State President Donald Trump revealed his Deal of Century, a US-Israel sponsored peace plan rejected widely by Palestinians and Arabs.