Operation Breaking Dawn, an extensive Israeli counterterrorism campaign against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, entered its second day Saturday with Israeli airstrikes targeting dozens of PIJ assets, including rocket launchers, terror cells, and weapon caches across the coastal enclave, amid nonstop rocket fire on Israeli communities near the border.
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Rocket barrages on Israel persisted throughout the day with terrorists firing over 350 rockets at the Gaza vicinity communities and central Israel in the span of 24 hours, raising fears of an escalation in the conflict.
Most salvos were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, hit empty areas, or hit the Palestinian side of the border. The IDF pegged Iron Dome's interception rate at 95%.
Do YOU know what the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza is?
Watch to find out: pic.twitter.com/VGHucBVPa0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 6, 2022
Operation Breaking Dawn "will take at least a week," military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav said, adding that no talks of a ceasefire are held at this time and that if circumstances so demand, the IDF will extend the operation as needed.
Friday saw Egypt step into its role as mediator, as it often does in clashes between Israel and the terrorist groups in Gaza, but Palestinian media reported Saturday that the Islamic Jihad's leadership has so far shunned all mediation attempts.
A PIJ official was cited as saying that as Israel "initiated this aggression what happens is its responsibility. There's no point in talking about a ceasefire at this time."
Prime Minister Yair Lapid will convene the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Saturday evening for a situation assessment.
On Friday, Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved an order to call up 25,000 reserve soldiers if needed while the military announced a "special situation" on the home front, with schools closed and limits placed on activities in communities within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the border.
On Saturday afternoon, Israeli warplanes stepped up strikes with hits on four residential buildings in Gaza City, all locations apparently linked to Islamic Jihad operatives. The destruction was the heaviest yet in the current exchange, but there were no reports of casualties as in each case, the Israeli military warned residents ahead of the strikes.
Such warnings are standard protocol for the IDF as part of its efforts to minimize civilian casualties in the densely packed coastal enclave, where terrorist groups have no qualms about using civilians as human shields.
It's been 6 hours of rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
6 hours of sirens sounding in Israeli towns and cities.
6 hours of men, women and children continously running for shelter.
Terrorists continue to attack Israeli civilians. We continue to defend them.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 5, 2022
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 the information was enough to trigger a military campaign that began with a surgical strike that killed Tayseer Jabari, the terrorist group's commander in northern Gaza, who was also the head of the PIJ's guided anti-tank missile force. At least 15 other top PIJ terrorists were killed in Israeli strikes since Friday.
So far, Hamas, the terrorist group that rules Gaza, appeared to stay on the sidelines of the conflict, keeping its intensity somewhat contained. Israel and Hamas fought a war barely a year ago, one of four major conflicts and several smaller battles over the last 15 years.
Israel has made it clear to Hamas that its issue was with the PIJ but whether Hamas steps into the fray likely depends in part on how much punishment Israel inflicts in Gaza as rocket fire steadily continues.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke today with the heads of local authorities in the south and updated them on the progress of Operation Breaking Dawn and assessments looking forward.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 6, 2022
Following a security assessment on Friday, Lapid said, "We understand the difficulty for the residents of the south. Our main focus right now is protecting their lives and safeguarding Israel's security.
"We will not accept a long-term situation in which terrorist organizations disrupt civilians' lives. We will not be deterred from using force in order to restore normal life in the south, and we will not halt our policy of arresting terrorists in Judea and Samaria."
In a televised address later on Friday evening, Lapid said in a televised speech that "Israel isn't interested in a broader conflict in Gaza but will not shy away from one either.
"This government has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempted attacks – of kany kind – from Gaza at Israeli territory," he said. "Israel will not sit idly by when there are those who are trying to harm its civilians."
The prime minister's office said Saturday that Lapid will brief Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu on the situation on Sunday.
The opposition leader is supposed to routinely receive briefings from the prime minister on security issues. This, however, will be Netanyahu's first, as he has so far refused to attend them, so as not to appear as being briefed by a political rival who is a caretaker prime minister. Lapid has made it clear that he will not accept Netanyahu's proposal to be briefed by his military secretary – sans Lapid in the room – and Netanyahu dug in his heels. Given the Gaza campaign, however, he has conceded on the issue.
Britain on Saturday called for a "swift end" to the violence in the Gaza Strip. "The UK stands by Israel and its right to defend itself," Foreign Secretary Liz Truss Tweeted. "We condemn terrorist groups firing at civilians and violence which has resulted in casualties on both sides."
Also on Friday, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Ghasan Alyan posted a video on social media with a message in Arabic to the Palestinians in Gaza: "Residents of the Gaza Strip: Over the past four days, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization insisted on carrying out a terrorist attack against the State of Israel, completely disregarding the security implications it would have on the residents of the Gaza Strip," Alyan said according to Israel National News.
"The IDF targeted those who posed a threat to stability and security. We will not allow any harm to the security of Israeli civilians. The responsibility lies in the hands of Hamas. Who does it care for more? The residents of the Gaza Strip or terrorist organizations?" he concluded.
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