Thousands of Israelis evacuate homes after Gaza airstrikes

By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – Thousands of Israelis on Tuesday evacuated their homes near border of the Gaza Strip in anticipation of Palestinian retaliation to airstrikes on the coastal territory.
According to Haaretz newspaper, more than 2,000 residents of southern Israel fled their homes. Thousands more are expected to be evacuated by municipal councils.
Haaretz said some10 buses evacuated people from Eshkol and Ashkelon while around 4,500 others are scheduled to be moved from Sderot. Similar moves are expected at and Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Nahal Oz settlements.
At least 13 Palestinians were killed, including four children and four women, and 20 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry.
Palestinian factions in Gaza have vowed to retaliate against the Israeli airstrikes that killed three top military commanders from the Islamic Jihad group.
Several countries and regional bodies have condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, including Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the Arab League.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat