REUTERS
Why Hamas was not Israel’s target in Gaza airstrikes – this time
Nidal Al-Mughrabi and James Mackenzie
May 18, 2023

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip left familiar images of towering spirals of smoke and wailing sirens but none of the buildings left in rubble by the jets belonged to its main enemy, Hamas. Instead, the strikes targeted the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad, killing six senior commanders who Israel said had planned and carried out attacks on Israelis, and destroying dozens of rocket silos, mortars and tunnels across Gaza. READ MORE