TEL AVIV: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said as many as 51 people were killed in Gaza during the most recent round of fighting between Israel and Gaza-based militants, including 24 from the Jihad terror group. According to the military, 16 people uninvolved in the hostilities were killed by Gazan rockets which fell short. The military believes that the figures are estimates, the Times of Israel reported.
The report said that another 11 people who were not affiliated with terror groups were killed, according to the IDF.
With this, a total of 27 Gazan civilians, including a number of children were killed in the fighting, the Times of Israel reported quoting the Israeli Defence Forces.
IDF spokesman Ran Kochav said that the military believes it killed 24 terrorists from the Islamic Jihad terror group. “More Palestinians were killed by the failed firing by Islamic Jihad than by the firing of the IDF…Lessons will be learnt” Kochav said, in the wake of the killing of the 11 people not directly involved in the fighting,” the Times of Israel reported.
The IDF launched an operation “Breaking Dawn” against the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and carried out missile strikes, initially killing 10 people and injuring over 50 on Friday, which ended with a ceasefire last night. The military said that approximately 1,100 rockets were fired toward Israel by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Approximately 200 rockets fell short of their targets and landed in the Gaza Strip, it added.
The IDF carried out strikes on approximately 170 targets linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including senior officials and activists of the terror group. The Islamic Jihad organization is aligned with Hamas, but often acts independently. Both are regarded as terrorist organizations by the majority of Western countries.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency closed-door meeting today to discuss the latest escalation between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip, as airstrikes were carried out across the Gaza Strip under Israel’s operation Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
During the Monday meeting, Security Council members will discuss “the current developments and ways to support international efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace,” a senior United Arab Emirates official said. Earlier in a statement, Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office of Israel informed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip on August 5.
“The goal of this operation is the elimination of a concrete threat against the citizens of Israel and the civilians living adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as the targeting of terrorists and their sponsors. The IDF is acting in operational coordination with the ISA and intelligence bodies,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. “Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: we will find you.”
“The security forces will act against Islamic Jihad terrorists to eliminate the threat they pose to the citizens of Israel,” he added.
Adding to what Lapid said, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated the goal is to protect the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel and they will not allow anyone to threaten or harm the citizens of Israel. “Whoever tries to do so – will get hurt.” (ANI)
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