Home Front Command relaxes restrictions after ceasefire
Ceasefire agreement reportedly reached despite continued rocket fire and strikes • Over 1,100 rockets fired since Wednesday
Home Front Command relaxes restrictions after ceasefire
The Home Front Command relaxed restrictions on southern Israel on Saturday night two hours after a ceasefire between the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel reportedly took effect.
According to the new guidelines, gatherings in open areas of more than 10 people and in buildings of more than 100 people will be banned in communities near the Gaza border from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. Additionally, in that time period, only workplaces with a shelter nearby will be able to open and classes will only take place within shelters.
Go to the full article >>FM Eli Cohen cuts India visit short due to Israel's operation in Gaza
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen will cut short a diplomatic visit to India after learning of the IDF operation in Gaza upon landing after landing in India for diplomatic meetings on Tuesday morning.
He decided to shorten his visit to Delhi and return to Israel after his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Go to the full article >>IDF airstrikes took Israel by surprise too, not just Gaza - analysis
Israel's wider security cabinet was reportedly not consulted by Netanyahu and Gallant on the decision to strike Gaza overnight.
It wasn't just the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas who were surprised by the Israeli airstrikes targeting three of the PIJ's top leaders and weapons in the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday morning, but rather, many on the Israeli side were too, possibly because the final decision to strike was taken only hours before.
However, what is certain is that Gaza was taken by surprise - as seen simply from the fact that as of 9:30 a.m., several hours after the attacks, there still had been no counterstrikes from Gaza.
And it does seem clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF had plans to carry out a second round of airstrikes following the flare-up of rockets and airstrikes on May 2-3, but the exact timing of the strikes had been very much up in the air.
Go to the full article >>Otzma Yehudit ends boycott of gov't due to IDF op. in Gaza
Launching Operation Shield and Arrow meets party's demands, Otzma Yehudit minister says
The Otzma Yehudit party ended its boycott of cabinet and Knesset activity, after the IDF assassinated a number of senior terrorists in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist movement in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning, declaring the launch of Operation Shield and Arrow, the party announced in a statement on Tuesday.
"Due to our position being accepted and the move from containment to attacking via targeted assassinations of senior Islamic Jihad [members], we will return to vote with the government. The hope is that the offensive continues over time," the party said.
Party leader and National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the boycott last week after he was not included in a security situational assessment held in the wake of dozens of rockets shot from Gaza, and in response to was he claimed was an insufficient response by the IDF to the rockets.
Go to the full article >>Operation Shield and Arrow: IDF strikes Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved the call-up of reserves as needed by the IDF, and the Security Cabinet is set to meet on Tuesday evening.
The IDF assassinated a number of senior terrorists in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist movement in airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning, declaring the launch of Operation Shield and Arrow.
The officials targeted include the commander of the al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, an official responsible for terrorist activities in the West Bank and the secretary of the military council in the movement.
غارات الاحتلال على موقع حطين غرب مدينة خانيونس pic.twitter.com/3vVMlobJvp
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 8, 2023
At least 12 Palestinians were killed in the strikes and 20 others were wounded, according to Palestinian reports, with a number of sites in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Yunis targeted, among other locations.
The officials assassinated in the strikes include Khalil Bahitini, the commander of the al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, Tareq Ezzaldin, a spokesperson for the movement who also manages terrorist activities in the West Bank and Gaza, and Jihad Ghanem, secretary of the movement's military council.
Go to the full article >>Iran fears for its Gaza proxies after Israel's surprise op. - analysis
Iran is watching Israel's moves closely, as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is widely seen as a proxy of Iran.
Iran was surprised to wake up this morning to a new Israeli operation in Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel’s Operation Shield and Arrow targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
The IDF said that they had targeted ten weapon manufacturing sites and military compounds belonging to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.
Iran is watching Israel's moves closely, and this is not the first time that the IDF have targeted the PIJ, which is widely seen as a proxy of Iran.
Back in 2019, Israel launched Operation Black Belt which was a precision strike on Baha Abu al-Ata, a senior terrorist in the Islamic Jihad. Israel saw that operation as an intelligence and operational achievement that continued to hinder the capabilities of Islamic Jihad for years. In 2018 Israel also launched Operation House of Cards in Syria after Iran fired rockets at Israel.
Go to the full article >>Situational assessment to be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a situational assessment at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning in light of the security developments in Israel following the start of Operation Shield and Arrow.
Operation Shield and Arrow: Schools closed, shelters opened in southern Israel
The "Gust of Wind" program has been activated, enabling residents of communities near the Gaza Strip to stay in guest houses across the country during escalations.
A series of restrictions have been placed on communities in southern Israel following a number of IDF assassinations of senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) officials in the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday morning
The restrictions were put into place on the instruction of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in anticipation of the response to the IDF operation against the PIJ in Gaza, launched under the name Operation Shield and Arrow.
"The IDF and the Shin Bet tonight precisely carried out their mission against the leadership of the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. Any terrorist who harms the citizens of Israel will regret it," tweeted Gallant.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced the closure of the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel shortly after the strikes began.
Go to the full article >>Who were the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists targeted by the IDF in Gaza?
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed that the three senior officials were killed, along with their wives and some of their children, in the strikes.
The IDF launched a surprise attack on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning, assassinating three senior terrorists in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement in a series of airstrikes referred to as Operation Shield and Arrow.
The officials assassinated in the strikes include Khalil Bahitini, the commander of the al-Quds Brigades in the northern Gaza Strip, Tareq Ezzaldin, a spokesperson for the movement who also manages terrorist activities in the West Bank and Gaza, and Jihad Ghanem, secretary of the movement's military council.
Go to the full article >>OPERATION SHIELD AND ARROW
- 325 security targets have been attacked by the IDF in Gaza
- Over 1,100 rockets launched at Israel from Gaza since Wednesday
- Approximately one in four rocket launches from the Gaza Strip fall inside the coastal enclave