Most of the attacks followed an Israeli air strike on Zuhair al-Qaissi, commander of the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, a terrorist group with close ties to Hamas, and Mahmoud Hanini, a top field commander in the group. Al-Qaissi had overseen the 2011 southern Israel cross-border attacks, which killed eight Israelis including six civilians. Israeli officials said that he was preparing the final stages of a new mega-attack that could have claimed multiple lives.