Escalation of Conflict Looms Over Middle East

Israeli Special forces have liquidated a top Islamic Jihad commander in an air raid on his household in the disputed Gaza City, intimidating to release another devastating round of violence. 

The Palestinian group announced the death in a statement Today after Israel confirmed it had hit Bahaa Abu al-Ata, 42, in an attack.

Shortly after the attack, rounds of rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel, with sirens wailing across central and southern parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad said an attack was carried out on the home of Akram al-Ajouri, one of its officials, in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing al-Ajouri's son and at least one other person.

Arab members of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of escalating the situation in the Gaza Strip for his political survival.

"The man who lost consecutive elections will leave the ground burned in a desperate attempt to stay in his position," MK Ayman Odeh said in a statement.

The European Union called for a "rapid and complete de-escalation".

"The firing of rockets on civilian populations is totally unacceptable and must immediately stop," the bloc's diplomatic service said in a statement.