Deputy Commander Of Islamic Jihad Rocket Force Killed In IDF, Shin Bet Op

Israel confirmed that its forces killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Thursday morning in airstrikes on Gaza, amid the ongoing latest conflict of back-and-forth rocket fire.

Ahmad Abu Daqa was the deputy commander of the Islamic Jihad's rocket force and "took a significant part in commanding and carrying out the rocket barrages towards Israel” over the past day. After Palestinian reports indicated Abu Daqa's death, the IDF confirmed his killing in a joint operation with Israel's internal security service the Shin Bet in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis.

His death followed the killing of Ali Ghali, another commander of the Islamic Jihad's rocket force.

Head of the IDF Southern Command, Major General Eliezer Toledano, vowed to keep targeting senior Islamic Jihad commanders, but noted that Israel waited two days to kill Abu Daqa because he was using human shields.

“The important idea is to reach those people who make use of human shields to protect themselves from us, and conduct fighting from urban areas,” Toledano said.