Saudi Arabia denounces Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

The Saudi Council of Ministers denounced on Tuesday the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which killed and injured dozens of civilians, saying that they violate international law and agreements, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“The Kingdom reiterates its calls on the international community to take responsibility toward providing protection for the Palestinian people and oppose Israeli policies which violate international law,” the council said.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out an operation that killed a top commander of Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas.

That strike triggered almost immediate retaliatory rocket fire from Islamic Jihad at Israel, setting off air-raid sirens and sending Israelis rushing to bomb shelters in the country’s southern and central regions.

Israel’s military said around 450 rockets were fired at its territory in the fighting and air defenses had intercepted dozens of them in fireballs high in the sky.

It then responded with its own air strikes, saying it targeted more Islamic Jihad militant sites and rocket- and missile-launching squads.

After two days of violence – which left 34 Palestinians dead in exchanges of fire, with no Israeli casualties – a ceasefire was agreed that was put in place on Thursday morning.

But the ceasefire has so far been precarious, with Israel launching fresh air strikes on Gaza and rocket fire coming from the enclave after it went into effect.