The 66-hour battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, dubbed Operation Breaking Dawn, that ended with a ceasefire Sunday night was touted by officials as one of the most successful rounds of fighting in the Gaza Strip. But it won’t be the last.
The Israel Defense Forces initially faced criticism over preemptive measures it took during the three days leading up to the operation.
Saying there were indications of an imminent PIJ attack against civilians or soldiers on the border, the army effectively locked thousands of residents in their homes as it shut roads and train lines that were vulnerable to fire from Gaza. Opposition lawmakers railed at the military’s decision, saying the terror group had won without even firing a single shot
But by the end of the fighting, with a ceasefire agreed upon, senior terror commanders killed, minimal injuries on the Israeli side, and record-breaking Iron Dome air defense system interception rates, the mood had changed. Still, the army acknowledged it had not reached all of its goals, indicating that fighting with the terror group would eventually have to resume.
While the violence lasted just under three days, escalatory moves began a week earlier. With the IDF ramping up arrest operations in the northern West Bank against PIJ members and other armed Palestinians, the Military Intelligence Directorate had indications the Gaza-based terror group would attempt to launch an attack on the border. The indications grew stronger after the arrest of Bassem Saadi, the PIJ’s West Bank leader.
Saadi’s detention last Monday prompted the widespread closures along the border with the Gaza Strip. Military officials said there was “concrete” information of an “imminent” attack. The closures would last several days, as the IDF deployed thousands of troops to the area and readied the Iron Dome missile defense system in the south, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.
Shortly after noon on Friday, after a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid and top military officials, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told reporters the PIJ threat would be removed “one way or another.”
The IDF said in total over the three days, more than 1,100 rockets and mortars were launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel. The Iron Dome intercepted some 380 projectiles fired toward populated areas, at an unprecedented 96 percent success rate. The high interception rate was attributed to upgrades to the defense system, as well as PIJ’s limited firepower.
Military officials said the targeted killings of senior PIJ members had crippled its chain of command, a major achievement for Israel in the round of fighting. But it did not prevent the continuation of rocket fire until just after the ceasefire.
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