Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen is returning to Israel, cutting short his India visit, after he received a security update from the Israel government (Image: Reuters File)
Israel eliminated three leaders of Islamic Jihad and Cohen’s decision comes as entire Israel anticipates retaliation from the terrorist group
Israel’s foreign minister Eli Cohen cut short his three-day India trip and will return to his country after he received a security update. He arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday morning and was in India for a three-day visit.
“I landed a short time ago in New Delhi, the capital of India, and immediately upon landing I received a security update. In light of the events in Israel, I decided to cut short the diplomatic visit to India and return to Israel after my meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will take place today,” Cohen said in a tweet.
נחתתי לפני זמן קצר בניו דלהי בירת הודו, ומיד עם נחיתתי קיבלתי עדכון ביטחוני. לאור האירועים בארץ, החלטתי לקצר את הביקור המדיני בהודו ולחזור לישראל לאחר פגישתי עם ראש ממשלת הודו נרנדרה מודי שתתקיים היום.— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) May 9, 2023
It is unclear what the security update was but Israel eliminated three Islamic Jihad commanders in northern Gaza in overnight air strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out Operation Shield and Arrow and eliminated Khalil Bahtini, the commander of the militant group’s activities in northern Gaza who was also the most senior official with an operational role; Jihad Ghanam, the secretary of Islamic Jihad’s military council; and Tareq Izzeldeen, a senior military official in the al-Quds brigade in the West Bank, news agency Haaretz reported.
At least 9 other Palestinians were also killed along with these three terrorists. Israel says the operation was launched by Israel aimed at targeting militants who posed an immediate danger to its citizens.
There are concerns that militants based in Gaza and the Islamic Jihad will retaliate with rocket attacks into Israel, as it promised to take revenge.
According to the ministry in Gaza, women and children were among the 20 people who sustained injuries, and some of them are currently in critical or serious conditions, the BBC said in a separate report.
In multiple rounds of pre-dawn air strikes across Gaza, 40 Israeli warplanes and helicopters struck homes, causing panic among residents. Photos shared on social media showed at least two apartments with their fronts torn apart and others damaged.
Along with targeting the three militants, the Israeli military said that it eliminated 10 sites being used for manufacturing weapons and six military facilities of Islamic Jihad.
The al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, confirmed that three commanders were among those who were killed.
“Any terrorist who harms Israeli citizens will be made to regret it,” Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said.
“As we mourn our martyr leaders, along with their mujahideen wives and a number of their children, we affirm that the blood of the martyrs will increase our resolve,” the al-Quds Brigades said in response.
Cohen was scheduled to meet with his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and was expected to participate in the India-Israel Business Forum organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
He was also scheduled to take part in a special conversation organised by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute in New Delhi.
(with inputs from Shalinder Wangu)
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