An Israeli Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN – REUTERS)
Late on August 6, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a new series of strikes on the Gaza Strip in the framework of Operation Breaking Dawn which was launched a day earlier with the aim of deterring the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
One of the Israeli strikes targeted a vehicle near the Imad Aqal mosque in Jabalia, killing at least five people. Four of the causalities were children aged five, nine, ten and eleven. More than 15 others were reportedly wounded in the same strike.
The Health Ministry in Gaza has not yet released an official count of the casualties, which may be as high as nine, according to some news sources.
A few hours earlier, the Health Ministry revealed that 15 people have been killed since the beginning of Operation Breaking Dawn. The ministry added than more than 140 others were wounded.
The repeated IDF strikes on Gaza failed to inflict any meaningful damage on the military wing of the PIJ, the al-Quds Brigades, that continues to launching rocket attacks at towns and cities in southern and central Israel. The faction has launched more than 360 rockets since the start of the Israeli operation.
The IDF said it launched Operation Breaking Dawn in response to threats by the PIJ, who stepped up its political and military activities in the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp in the recent months.
Israel’s acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid has been reportedly advised to conclude the operation in Gaza. However, this may not be possible after the massacre in Jabalia, which will likely provoke a fierce response from Palestinian faction. The Hamas Movement, which has been quietly supporting the PIJ, could join the battle.
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