Israel Launches Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza

Israel Defense Forces confirmed Nov. 14 that it had killed Ahmed Jabari, the leader of Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Deen al-Qassam Brigades. IDF targeted Jabari in an airstrike earlier in the day as he was driving with an unidentified passenger in Gaza City.

In addition to the strike on Jabari, the Israeli air force reportedly attacked a cache of 20 long-range missiles and a Gaza police station, and loud explosions are being reported in Gaza City. Media reports have listed six dead and 10 injured in the ongoing strikes. An IDF spokesman announced that the Israeli military was embarking on Operation Pillar of Defense, which could include a ground incursion into Gaza. IDF units have also reportedly begun moving to the country's south. This appears to be one of the largest military operations undertaken by Israel inside the Gaza Strip since Operation Cast Lead at the end of 2008. The assassination of Jabari seems to have been a first salvo, one that will provoke retaliation from Hamas and that could affect Jordan and Syria.