The Israeli military unleashed a series of massive airstrikes on Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon.
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Tensions flared earlier this week when counterterrorism forces arrested the PIJ's top commander in the West Bank, Bassam al-Saadi. The terrorist group warned of "harsh retaliation" and followed that with four days of escalating threats that prompted the IDF to deploy a series of growing precautionary measures that quickly imposed a virtual lockdown on the residents of the border-adjacent communities.
As the Islamic Jihad's threats grow worse on Friday, Military Intelligence identified an imminent threat to Israeli civilians and according to Channel 12 News, the information was enough to trigger a military campaign.
Following the direct threats posed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the IDF is currently striking in the Gaza Strip.
A special situation has been declared on the Israeli home front. Details to follow.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 5, 2022
According to the IDF, the first few hours of Operation Breaking Dawn had left over a dozen PIJ terrorists dead, including senior Islamic Jihad official Tayseer Jabari, the group's commander in northern Gaza, who was also the head of the PIJ's guided anti-tank missile force, whose members were reportedly preparing attacks on Israeli targets.
Jabari replaced Baha Abu al-Ata as the PIJ's chief in northern Gaza, after his assassination by Israel in 2019.
Throughout several massive strikes, the IDF said it eliminated two Islamic Jihad weapons caches, rocket launchers, and various PIJ sites across Gaza. Drones were employed in some of the strikes.
Shortly after the operation was launched, military declared a "special situation in the home front," limiting public gatherings and barring any unnecessary travel in an 80-kilometer radius of the Israel-Gaza border, where all major highways have neem blocked for days.
Residents in areas close to the border were instructed to remain close to bomb shelters.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid called a security situation assessment on Friday evening, with Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, senior GOC Southern Command and Gaza Division officers, and Israel Security Agency officials.
A top defense officials said Israel would prefer not to see Operation Breaking Dawn drag out, adding that if the PIJ and Hamas – the terrorist group controlling Gaza – launch massive rocket salvos at Israel, the IDF would take the necessary steps to stop them.
"This is going to take time," he said.
The military deployed Iron Dome missile defense system in central Israel in recent days, amid concerns about missile attacks from Gaza.
Friday evening saw Defense Minister Benny Gantz order calling up 25,000 reservists in preparation for the campaign and a potential ground incursion. The Border Police, whose troops are deployed in the West Bank, east Jerusalem,and the southern sector also reinforced troops. The Israel Police raise its alert level as well, especially in mixed cities, where riots erupted during 2021's Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Media reports said that while Egypt had attempted to de-escalate the situation – a role it often assumes when Israel and the Gaza-based terrorist groups clash – the PIJ posed "an unrealistic, unacceptable series of demands."
"The State of Israel will not allow the terrorist groups in Gaza to dictate our daily routine," Lapid tweeted as the operation was launched. "Those who seek to harm us should know we will find them and eliminate them."
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip says seven people have been killed, including a 5-year-old girl, and 40 others wounded by Israeli airstrikes in the coastal enclave.
Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking from Iran, told a Hezbollah-affiliated news outlet, "We are starting the fight, and the fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression."
He warned the PIJ had "no red lines" in the confrontation and blamed the violence on Israel.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said "the Israeli enemy, who started the escalation against Gaza and committed a new crime, must pay the price and bear full responsibility for it."
A military source told Walla news that Israel has warned Hamas against stepping into the fray, saying its issue was with the PIJ.
Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas but largely shares its ideology. Both groups are opposed to Israel's existence and have carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years, including the firing of rockets into southern Israel. It's unclear how much control Hamas has over Islamic Jihad, and Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks emanating from Gaza.
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