TEL AVIV: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordered the military department to continue the operation dubbed ‘Breaking Dawn’ against Islamic Jihad, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
On Friday, the Israeli military launched strikes against what it said were Islamic Jihad targets as tensions continue to rise between Israel and Palestine. Islamic Jihad said one of its senior leaders had been killed in an Israeli strike. At least 11 people were killed and another 75 were injured, CNN reported citing the Palestinian health ministry.
Gantz said that he ordered the military strikes after assessing the situation around the Gaza Strip with the participation of the heads of law enforcement agencies. “Minister Gantz instructed the military department to continue the operation against Islamic Jihad, focusing on actions to prevent rocket attacks from Gaza to Israel,” the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli Defence minister also instructed the departments to focus on supporting residents of Israeli border areas that suffered from Palestinian shelling from the Gaza Strip.
Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Aviv Kochavi, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the head of the intelligence department of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and other high-ranking security officials took part in assessing the situation.
Earlier in a statement, the Prime Minister’s office of Israel informed that the 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, 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)