POBNEWS24 Gaza, Aug 5, 2022 : The IDF struck targets in the northern Gaza Strip, killing a top Islamic Jihad operative on Friday, saying it has begun Operation Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Several targets in the northern Gaza Strip were hit, with reports of casualties and residents of the Gaza envelope were asked to remain close to shelters should there be any rocket fire.
The IDF has alerted residents up to 80km from the Gaza Strip, including Tel Aviv, that there is a risk of rocket fire.
Earlier in the day Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that the threat posed by the group will be dealt during a visit to the IDF’s Southern Command.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited the IDF’s Southern Command Friday morning as tensions remain high along the Gaza border for the fourth day in a row over fears of an attack by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and warned that the threat posed by the group will be dealt with.
“To our enemies, and specifically to the leadership of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, I would like to emphasize: your time is up.* The threat [on this region] will be removed one way or another,” the defense minister said.
During his visit he held a situational assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi, head of the southern Command Maj.-Gen. Eliezer Toledano, Commander of the Gaza Division Brig.-Gen. Nimrod Aloni and the head of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar.
“The situation in which several terrorists (some of which are not even located in this area), hold the Gazan people hostage – will backfire,” Gantz warned.
“Those who harm the ability of 14,000 workers to make a living, who cause produce to sit and spoil at crossing points, and who lead to electricity and food shortages – hurt the people of Gaza first and foremost, and will have to take responsibility [for this suffering],”he said.
The leader of PIJ, Ziad Nahalka who is based in the Syrian capital of Damascus, was in Tehran on Thursday and met with Iran’s President Ibrahim
Gantz said that security forces are preparing for all scenarios, on all fronts including in the north and the center of the country and that will continue its operational activity in all sectors as needed.
Both Qatar and Egypt are trying to mediate with Hamas and PIJ in order to de-escalate the situation. Hamas is also working to prevent attacks by PIJ, including by putting pressure on the group and locating cells that might be planning to fire anti-tank-guided missiles toward Israeli targets.
