Israel and Gazan militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) agreed to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire on Sunday, ending three days of rocket fire and airstrikes that killed over 40 Gazans, including 15 children.
Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate announced that a ceasefire would take effect on Sunday and thanked Egypt for its efforts. “If the ceasefire is violated, the State of Israel maintains the right to respond strongly. We will not allow any disruption to the lives of the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Directorate added.
More than 1,100+ rockets were fired by Islamic Jihad in Gaza over the last 3 days. Here are the stats: pic.twitter.com/BQcA8yXotA
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 8, 2022
The PIJ, too, agreed to respect the truce but noted that it maintains the “right to respond to any Israeli aggression.” Israel has also agreed to release two PIJ prisoners as part of the deal, including Bassam al-Saadi, a top PIJ commander who was arrested by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) during an operation in Gaza last week.
Following days of Islamic Jihad threats to attack Israel over Al-Saadi’s arrest, fighting erupted on Friday after an Israeli airstrike killed Tayseer Jabari, a senior PIJ commander, in Gaza. Shortly afterwards, the IDF announced the launch of ‘Operation Breaking Dawn’ to target Islamic Jihad rocket launching sites, weapons manufacturing facilities, and storage sites.
#Watch from the direct bombardment on Abu Hasira Street, Gaza. pic.twitter.com/dzsnSVrpEV
— Issam Adwan (@Issam_Adwan) August 6, 2022
The following day, Israeli airstrikes killed three more PIJ commanders—Khaled Mansour, Khatab Amasi, and Ziad Madalal. Airstrikes continued for a third day on Sunday, with the Israeli Air Force bombing additional PIJ infrastructure, including tunnels running into Israel.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes killed 43 Gazans, including four women and 15 children, and injured 310 people.
Go back to sleep. This is #Gaza not #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/SpIOuA8tFb
— Samar D Jarrah (@SamarDJarrah) August 6, 2022
The PIJ responded with a barrage of rockets aimed at major Israeli cities, including Ashkelon, Be’er Sheva, and Tel Aviv. The militants fired over 1,000 missiles at Israel in just three days.
The IDF noted that failed PIJ rocket fire also caused some casualties, releasing footage of a PIJ projectile misfiring amid a barrage of missiles in a tweet. The misfired rocket landed in a neighbourhood in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, killing civilians, including children.
Using children as human shields is a WAR CRIME.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 7, 2022
Watch: After an Islamic Jihad rocket misfires in the Gaza Strip children are used to remove the fallen rocket. pic.twitter.com/8dIdpuM9PP
Several reports noted that six people were killed in an explosion at the Jabaliya refugee camp, close to where the PIJ rocket is believed to have landed. Hamas, Gaza’s de-facto governing body, also confirmed that a misfired PIJ rocket caused the explosion in Jabaliya.
While no Israelis were killed in the rocket fire, Israeli paramedics reported that 47 civilians were hospitalised due to injuries. The military said there were no Israeli casualties due to the operational success of the Iron Dome air defence system, which shot down 97% of PIJ rockets that crossed Israeli airspace. The military added that 30% of rockets misfired and landed within Gaza.
Watch this failed rocket launch which killed children in Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 7, 2022
This barrage of rockets was fired by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza last night.
The rocket in the red circle misfired, killing Palestinian civilians—including children—in Jabaliya in northern Gaza. pic.twitter.com/55zSU3fsRY
While blaming Israel for the escalation, Hamas stopped short of threatening to escalate the conflict. Instead, the group focused on diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh talked with Russian, Egyptian, Qatari, and United Nations (UN) officials to bring an end to the fighting. According to the Jerusalem Post, Haniyeh even urged the PIJ to accept a truce with Israel.
In a joint statement with Defence Minister Benny Gantz, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the IDF’s operation to target PIJ commanders and sites an “extraordinary achievement.” Lapid added that Israel would continue to strike PIJ targets as long as necessary. “We are acting in a precise and responsible way to minimise harm to civilians,” he declared.
My feed is full of videos such as this, where #Islamic #Jihad rockets misfire and hit #Gaza, killing their own civilians. I'll spare you most as they are too graphic, but had to share this one as it shows exactly how dangerous these rockets really are. Thank God for #irondome https://t.co/CEmA4OULc1
— Ohad Nakash Kaynar (@KaynarOhad) August 8, 2022
Lapid also met with opposition leader and former PM Benjamin Netanyahu brief him on the operation’s status. Netanyahu said he gave his “full backing to the government, the IDF, and the security forces.” “In times of crisis like this, there is no opposition, no coalition. We Israelis are united behind the current effort to curb terrorism,” Netanyahu told Fox News in an interview on Sunday.
PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhala, meanwhile, warned that the group would escalate the situation if Israel did not release the PIJ prisoners as part of the ceasefire. “If the enemy does not abide by what we agreed on through the Egyptian mediator, we will resume fighting again, and god will do with us what he wills,” he said.
Remarkable footage shows rockets being launched from Gaza which are subsequently intercepted by what appears to be two separate Iron Dome firing systems over Ashkelon. pic.twitter.com/h0dKjPuFfu
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) August 7, 2022
United States President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire and praised the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan for helping to end the hostilities. Calling the civilian casualties in Gaza a “tragedy,” Biden called for a “timely and thorough investigation” into the causes of the deaths.
“My support for Israel’s security is long-standing and unwavering—including its right to defend itself against attacks,” Biden said, adding that “Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy.”
According to the latest reports, several rounds of rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza on Monday despite the truce. It is not clear if the PIJ was responsible. Nevertheless, the ceasefire largely appears to be holding.