The Israeli military reported today that Islamic Jihad has fired at least 585 “rockets” from Gaza since the current peak of tension began, causing so far 29 deaths – all Palestinians – and more than 250 injuries.
Of the total number of shells fired from Gaza, 470 passed through Israel and 115 rockets landed within the same sector before crossing the fence separating the areas.
So far, Israel has suffered few attacks in populated areas, not least because, according to the army, the Iron Dome air defense system had a success rate of 97%, intercepting 185 missiles fired. The rest fell in unpopulated areas of the country.
While most of the shells fired were aimed at Israeli towns along the Gaza border, fire was also fired toward Tel Aviv on Saturday and toward Jerusalem today, although all of them were intercepted before they reached their destination.
The military also said it had bombed 139 Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza, including facilities the Palestinian group said manufactured and stored weapons, places where it launched “rockets” and a network of tunnels allegedly used by the group.
These attacks killed at least nine members of the Jihad militia, including Khaled Mansour and Taysir al-Jabari, senior leaders of its armed wing.
For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Health determined that the dead included six children and four women.
Five minors were killed on Saturday night after a shell fell in northern Gaza, in an incident that Israel said was a failed missile launch by the Islamic Jihad movement, which in turn blamed the Israeli army for the attack.
The current escalation in tension began after the arrest of a prominent leader of the Islamic Jihad organization in the West Bank, Basem Al-Saadi, on Monday.
Facing rumors of possible retaliatory armed actions from the Palestinian enclave, Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike against jihadist targets in Gaza.
The Palestinian Hamas movement remains, for the time being, on the sidelines of the conflict, which succeeded in containing its intensity, but it had previously condemned Israel, considering that it “commits crimes once again.”
Israel and armed groups in Gaza are engaged in several conflicts, the last of which took place in May 2021 and lasted 11 days, causing the deaths of 260 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”
