Israel hits Gaza with air strikes as tensions escalate

After days of tension with the Palestinians, Israel says it is striking Gaza with warplanes and has declared a "special situation on the home front."

Following the arrest of a top Palestinian leader in the occupied West Bank, tensions have increased.
A loud explosion was reported in Gaza City on Friday, where smoke poured from the seventh floor of a high building, reports Al Jazeera.

According to Palestinian medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera, a number of wounded Palestinians arrived at the hospital as a result of the Israeli attacks.

The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed one person died in the strikes, with 15 injured. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group confirmed a commander had died, The Telegraph reported. 

"Israel Defense Force is currently striking in the Gaza Strip. A special situation has been declared on the Israeli home front," the military said in a statement. It said further details would follow.

Israel closed roads around Gaza earlier this week and sent reinforcements to the border as it braced for a response after the arrest of a senior member of the Islamic Jihad group in the occupied West Bank on Monday.

'External strength'

Ahmed Mudalal, an Islamic Jihad official in Gaza, said the group had made demands of Israel through Egyptian mediators, including the release of the detained leader and another prisoner, a halt to West Bank raids, and the lifting of the Gaza blockade. He said they have not yet received a response.

It was not immediately clear what Israel was targeting or how much the situation would escalate.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz visited communities near Gaza on Friday, saying authorities were preparing "actions that will remove the threat from this region", without elaborating.

"We will operate with internal resilience and external strength in order to restore routine life in Israel's south," he said. "We do not seek conflict, yet we will not hesitate to defend our citizens, if required."

Israel and Egypt have maintained a tight blockade on Gaza for 14 years, and critics say the policy amounts to collective punishment of the region's two million Palestinian residents.