The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip earlier in the day.

In a statement posted on the ministry’s website, Nasser Kanaani highlighted the necessity of an immediate, effective, deterrent and coordinated action by Muslim states to stop Israel’s crimes.

After the Israeli attack on Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants in the Gaza Strip that killed at least 13 people, including women, children and three senior PIJ military leaders, and injured at least 20 others.

Mr Kanaani said the Israeli offensive was aimed at diverting public opinion away from Israel’s shaky and critical domestic situation.

The spokesman added that the silence and inaction of Western countries and relevant international organisations in the face of Israel’s recent escalation of tensions with the Palestinian people had greatly emboldened Israelis to continue their crimes.

On Tuesday, Israeli fighter jets and unmanned drones carried out simultaneous and surprising airstrikes against buildings and apartments that host senior PIJ military leaders in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said that three PIJ leaders were killed in the airstrikes.

The PIJ identified them as Khalil Bahitini, the commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, Tariq Izz al-Din.

The spokesperson for the movement, who also managed retaliatory operations in the West Bank and Gaza, and Jihad al-Ghannam, secretary of the movement’s military council, said.

The airstrikes came less than a week after over 100 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel following the death of PIJ official Khader Adnan.

Mr Adnan was on hunger strike for 86 days while under Israeli custody. 

(Xinhua/NAN)