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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that leader Khaled Mansour was killed in an airstrike. According to military information, all senior Jihad leaders in Gaza were eliminated since Operation Dawn began on Friday.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired some 350 rockets into Israel. PM Yair Lapid said the operation will continue as long as necessary, calling it “an extraordinary achievement.” The Shin Bet (internal security service) for its part, stated that most of the objectives were met.
A cease-fire is being negotiated to end Operation Breaking Dawn under Egyptian mediation. Palestinian extremists continued to fire rockets at civilian centers while talks were underway. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated that Cairo is working to end the confrontation. He said his country made contact with all parties involved so that things do not get out of hand. An Egyptian delegation headed by Maj. Gen. Ahmed Abdelkhaliq arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday.
Israeli citizens living near Gaza were confined for three days because of the risk of escalation. Israel does not intend to extend the operation, although it is unclear whether conditions for a cease-fire are now in place. It is trying to prevent Islamic Jihad from drawing Hamas into the fighting, one reason the operation’s targets have been limited.
Yair Lapid and his military advisor, Avi Gil, briefed opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu on the security situation. Netanyahu stated that he gave full backing to the government and security forces, and that he supports the residents of the south, asking them to follow the instructions of the Internal Command.
Islamic missile kills Palestinian children
An explosion in Jabaliya on Saturday night killed nine people, including four Gazan children. IDF spokesman Ran Kojav said the civilians, including the children, were killed due to a failed launch by Islamic Jihad itself. The prime minister’s spokeswoman, Keren Hajiof, stated that one in four rockets fired from Gaza falls on the strip itself.
Iran’s satellite groups—Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad—have the familiar strategy of hiding behind their own civilians. Networks such as CNN, BBC, or Spanish TVE hardly ever show these facts, like worthy disciples of Goebbels.
The IDF reported that planes, armed drones, helicopters, tanks, artillery, and elite units carried out more than 40 attacks, hitting dozens of targets in Gaza. They destroyed military bases, weapons factories, rocket launching sites, and observation posts. Helicopter gunships attacked ammunition depots located in the homes of Jihad terrorists.
Visiting a battery of the effective Iron Dome anti-missile system, Defense Minister Benny Gantz thanked the troops manning the system and protecting the home front “with their eyes on the target at all times.” Islamic Jihad leaders, he stressed, are abroad in restaurants and luxurious hotels, disconnected from the Palestinian people. Gantz approved calling up to 25,000 reservists. Later, he spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the escalation. In a statement provided by Washington, Austin stressed Israel’s right to self-defense and the U.S. commitment to its security.
Eduardo Zalovich, Uruguayan-Israeli, is a history professor and journalist. He has written for several media, such as La Vanguardia, El Confidencial, Vozpopuli, Búsqueda and Correo de los Viernes. Zalovich analyzes, from the Middle East, the reality of the region and international politics. // Eduardo Zalovich, uruguayo-israelí, es profesor de Historia y periodista. Ha escrito para varios medios, como La Vanguardia, El Confidencial, Vozpopuli, Búsqueda y Correo de los Viernes. Analiza, desde el Medio Oriente, la realidad de la zona y la política internacional.