In a clandestine raid, Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and among those reported killed was Nour Baraka, a 37-year-old prominent commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. During the exchange of fire, an Israeli soldier was also killed. Israeli army reported that after the clash erupted, 17 launches from Gaza towards Israel were identified, and 3 were intercepted by missile defences while it remains unclear where the others landed. Israeli soldiers were able to escape back into Israel by car as air attacks were providing them cover. Netanyahu, who was on an official visit to France for the commemoration of the centenary of the armistice of the First World War, had to go back to Israel in a rush to deal with the situation. This episode may trigger tensions as ground operations inside the Gaza Strip are rare, as are raids targeting concrete commanders. These tensions are raising ever since the Great March of Return demonstrations began on 30 March. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip since then.