Amid the renewed tensions between Israel and Palestine, the Israeli military announced the success of an ambitious project targetting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group. As per the military, it has inflicted "significant" damage on the terror group.
Let's take a look at the operation:
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How did the current round of tensions begin?
As per the IDF, on Monday, August 1, it "apprehended the Head of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Judea and Samaria."
Israeli intelligence identified a direct threat from Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip who had threatened retaliation. As a result, "precautionary measures were taken to protect civilians in southern Israel."
"After the threat of a terrorist attack continued through Friday afternoon," the IDF officially started Operation ‘Breaking Dawn’.
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What is operation Breaking Dawn?
Breaking Dawn is a tactical military operation launched by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
As per the IDF website "After the threat of a terrorist attack continued through Friday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces officially began Operation ‘Breaking Dawn’."
"Israel took action with a counterterrorist strike targeting the Head of Islamic Jihad Northern Gaza Division, Tayseer Jabari. The IDF also targeted other Islamic Jihad terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip."
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How long was the operation?
As per a Guardian report, the military had signalled that the campaign would run up to one week. However, as per the Times of Israel, it lasted 66 hours and ended with a ceasefire on Sunday (August 7).
The Operation was hailed by authorities as one of the Gaza Strip's most successful clashes.
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Success or failure?
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid claimed on Monday (August 8) that Israel had succeeded in its objectives over the three days of fighting in Gaza.
“All our goals were achieved. The entire senior military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza was successfully targeted within three days. The strength and ingenuity of the Israel Defense Forces landed a devastating blow to the enemy” Lapid said in a statement.
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Main hits
"A number of PIJ operatives were neutralized during the strikes."
On Friday (August 5), "An IDF aircraft targeted and killed Khaled Mansour, the Commander of Islamic Jihad in the Southern Gaza Division. Mansour planned and executed dozens of attacks against Israel over the years, and most recently carried out an anti-tank missile and rocket attack aimed at Israel."
The militants have said 12 of their leaders and members had been killed, including Taysir al-Jabari and Khaled Mansour.al efforts.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the operation's targets included 45 long-range missile targets, 17 observation positions, including six that were manned at the time, eight posts, eight weapon stores, six weapon manufacturing facilities, and three targets connected to the Jihad movement's naval efforts.
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The role Iron Dome played
According to the Israeli army, Islamic Jihad terrorists in the Gaza Strip have fired more than a thousand rockets in retaliation after Israel began the major aerial and artillery bombardment of their positions on Friday.
"As of Sunday, August 7, almost 935 rockets were indiscriminately fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip."
"The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System has been operating at a 96 per cent interception rate for rockets directly endangering Israeli civilians."
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Civilian casualties
The operations has killed 46 people, including 16 children and wounded 360 in the enclave, according to Gaza's health ministry, updating an earlier toll of 44.
Israel maintains that some civilian deaths, including those of children, were caused by Islamic Jihad rockets that missed their target or misfired. Al Jazeera reported the deaths of four children, and the BBC reported the deaths of multiple children.
As per emergency services, after the ceasefire took effect three people in Israel were wounded by shrapnel and 31 lightly hurt while running for safety, emergency services said.