On 9 May 2023, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, called Operation Shield and Arrow (Hebrew: מבצע מגן וחץ) that lasted until 13 May.

Israel held off on responding to the rocket attacks until 9 May, when the Israeli military executed a targeted assassination of three leaders of the PIJ movement, also resulting in the death of 10 civilians.

In retaliation, militants launched a barrage of rockets into Israel, totaling over 938 as per the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), under the banner of Operation Revenge of the Free (Arabic: عملية ثأر الأحرار).

On this day, another senior PIJ leader along with his aide were killed, bringing the total death toll to 34 Palestinians (inclusive of one in Israel) and one Israeli.

[6] In response, later that same day, militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization launched approximately 102 rockets towards Sderot, communities in the Gaza periphery, and southern Israel.

[11] The Israeli Home Front Command instructed residents within 40 km (25 mi) of Gaza to stay near bomb shelters as a reprisal was expected.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas, denounced the airstrikes and said, "Assassinating the leadership in a treacherous operation will not bring security to the occupier, but instead greater resistance."

"[19] The United Nations has called for moderation and a restart of talks aimed at achieving a durable peace as part of the international community's concern.

[20][21][22] The Israeli's stated objective of the operation was a targeted campaign against senior members of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza who posed a significant threat to security stability.