Published: 9 August 2022
Last updated: 5 March 2024
EETTA PRINCE-GIBSON: Israel made it clear that it would not tolerate threats from Palestinian Islamic Jihad but the operation may do nothing for long term security.
As Israelis marked the end of the Tisha B'Av fast, at 11:30 pm on Sunday evening, a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) went into effect, putting an end to the three-day "Breaking Dawn" military campaign.
Without a doubt, Israeli officials can sum up these three days as a success. But what did we really achieve?
According to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, during the campaign, Israeli forces eliminated the PIJ’s military leaders in northern and southern Gaza, along with southern Gaza’s deputy head and the commander of the terror group’s Rafah Brigade. It also killed the head of the group’s anti-tank missile array.
Tactical wins are not enough. Israel still has no vision for a better future.
PIJ fired close to 950 rockets towards Israel over the three days. According to the IDF, of these, 160 fell short and landed in the Gaza Strip, several hundred were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, and most fell in open areas within Israel.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 44 Gazans were killed, among them 15 children and teenagers. Israel claims that eight of these children and teenagers were killed by rockets fired by PIJ that landed in their own territory. There were no Israeli deaths, no serious casualties, and little property damage.
Israel's first goal was to draw a clear distinction between Hamas and the PIJ and between Gaza and the West Bank. PIJ dubbed the operation, "Unity of the Arenas," but there was no such unity, and the West Bank mostly remained quiet.
