Making good on its threats to fire rockets at Israel, Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists launched over 100 rockets at Israel on Friday evening, targeting border-adjacent communities, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and central Israeli cities of Rishon LeZion and Bat-Yam.
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The IDF said most projectiles landed in open areas, with Iron Dome defense system batteries – deployed in central Israel in recent days amid concerns about missile attacks from Gaza – intercepting those posing threat.
The PIJ claimed responsibility for the salvo, warning, "This is just the beginning."
RAW FOOTAGE: This is the moment a barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza toward Israeli civilians.
This is what terrorism looks like: pic.twitter.com/XLbch5NfFR
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 5, 2022
Earlier Friday, the Israeli military unleashed a series of massive airstrikes on Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip. The first few hours of Operation Breaking Dawn left 15 PIJ terrorists dead, including senior Islamic Jihad official Tayseer Jabari, the group's commander in northern Gaza and the head of the PIJ's guided anti-tank missile force, whose members were reportedly preparing attacks on Israeli targets.
Tensions between Israel and the Iranian-backed PIJ flared up 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.
The United States firmly believes that Israel has a right to protect itself. We are engaging with different parties and urge all sides for calm.
— Ambassador Tom Nides (@USAmbIsrael) August 5, 2022
According to Channel 12 News, Military Intelligence identified an imminent threat to civilians from two militant squads armed with anti-tank missiles, and, the information was enough to trigger a military campaign.
Shortly after the operation was launched, the IDF 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 held a security situation assessment on Friday evening, with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, senior GOC Southern Command and Gaza Division officers, and Israel Security Agency officials.
Gantz subsequently ordered calling up 25,000 reservists in preparation for a potential ground operation. 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.
Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah, speaking to the al-Mayadeen TV network from Iran, said "the fighters of the Palestinian resistance have to stand together to confront this aggression." He said there would be "no red lines" 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."
The Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel reported that a delegation of Egyptian security officials will arrive in Israel on Saturday in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
Cairo often plays the role of mediator between Israel and the Gaza-based terrorist groups.
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