Over 2,000 Israeli settlers left settlements in fear of retaliation
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Israeli settlers, terrified, are running out of their settlements after the occupation bombed the Gaza Strip in the early hours of the day.
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A Palestinian man inspects damage to his building following Israeli airstrikes on residential apartments in Gaza City, occupied Palestine, May 9, 2023 (AP)
Over 2,000 Israeli settlers occupying the settlements of the Gaza envelope have fled their settlements in fear of retaliation from the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media said on Tuesday.
Local municipalities are preparing to evacuate thousands more, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported, saying the Israelis were expecting retaliation for the Israel occupation forces (IOF) overnight strikes that lasted throughout the day on the Gaza Strip.
The settlers in southern regions are transported by buses to hotels in other regions under an initiative by the Israeli security forces, the newspaper said.
The IOF also advised residents of settlements in the Gaza envelope or close to the border with Gaza to evacuate as soon as possible, Haaretz said.
Read next: Security establishment 'terrified' of Hamas entering escalation: Media
This comes after the Israeli occupation forces conducted air raids on Tuesday on the Gaza Strip, which left 15 Palestinian martyrs and many injured.
Thus far, the continuous air raids have left 15 people dead and more than 20 injured.
After the warplanes bombed the blockaded Strip, the Israeli government ordered its settlers in the settlements of the Gaza envelope to go into bomb shelters until further notice.
The Israeli occupation forces said the Israeli Air Force's air raids on Gaza have martyred Jihad Ghannam, the chief of the southern command of the PIJ's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, and his wife.
The Israeli occupation's air raids also targeted Islamic Jihad spokesperson Tarek Ezzedine's house. The PIJ official was martyred.
Another martyr was the commander of the northern region of the Islamic Jihad, Commander Khalil Al-Bahtimi.
Read next: Who are the three PIJ leaders assassinated by the Israeli occupation?
Moreover, in light of the escalation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the possibility of a multifront escalation in occupied Palestine in the wake of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Netanyahu told a press conference that he gave directions last week to hit the resistance leaders responsible for the launching of rockets toward Israeli settlements. "We are at the height of battle, and we need a lot of patience in the days to come."
Furthermore, the premier underlined that he issued orders for the IOF to prepare themselves for a multifront escalation.
