Barrages of Rocket fire from Gaza have sent sirens blaring and prompted citizens of southern Israel to escape into bomb shelters throughout the evening after an IDF operation “Breaking Dawn” targeted the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, killing their top commander, Tayseer Jabari.

According to the Times of Israel, over 1,000 Palestinian rockets have been fired toward Israel, of that “200 rockets fell short of their targets” and 96% of the remaining rockets were intercepted b the Iron Dome.

The IDF has provided an “OPERATIONAL RECAP” detailing the timeline of events:

Aug 5 — 4:16 pm – IDF targets Tayseer Jabari, Islamic Jihad’s Northern Gaza Division Commanding Officer & other Islamic Jihad terrorists

4:32 pm – IDF announces Operation “Breaking Dawn”

7:02 pm – IDF targets Islamic Jihad terrorist and military posts

7:35 pm – IDF targets Islamic Jihad rocket launching site prepared to fire rockets into Israel

8:56 pm – Barrage of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel

9:28 pm – IDF targets Islamic Jihad weapon production facilities, storage sites & shooting positions

 9:53 pm – Terrorists fire a barrage of rockets into Israel

11:03 pm – IDF targets Islamic Jihad weapon & military development facilities, which were used to manufacture rockets

11:56 pm – Israeli Air Force targets rocket launcher that fired 10+ rockets into Israel

Aug 6 — 12:09 am – Heavy barrage of rockets fired at Israel

1:23 am – IDF targets mortar shell & rocket manufacturing sites belonging to Islamic Jihad

1:54 am – IAF targets 2 rocket launchers

5:48 am – IAF targets additional rocket launchers

Overnight – IDF and Israeli security forces apprehend 19 Islamic Jihad terrorist suspects in Judea and Samaria

7:00 am – 160 rockets fired into Israel since the start of the operation

9:49 am – IAF targets 2 Islamic Jihad terrorists preparing to fire mortars from Gaza

11:53 am – Sirens sound in the central city of Modi’in

3:33 pm – The IDF targeted an Islamic Jihad weapons sotrage facility in the Gaza Strip

4:51 pm – Sirens sound in the city of Asheklon

6:04 pm – Sirens sound in the city of Tel Aviv

10:49 pm – IDF examination concludes that a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch hit and killed civilians in Jabaliya inside Gaza

Overnight – IDF carries out targeted strikes on:

– Khaled Mansour, Islamic Jihad’s Southern Gaza Division Commander

– Khatab ‘Amasi, Islamic Jihad’s commanding officer of the Rafah Brigade

– Ziad Madalal, Mansour’s deputy

Aug 7 — 8:14 am – Sirens sound in the area of Jerusalem

8:22 am – IDF targets Islamic Jihad terrorist tunnel designed to infiltrate into Israel and kill Israelis

3:17 pm – Sirens sound in Be’er Sheva

5:34 pm – IDF fighter jets target 2 additional Islamic Jihad rocket launch posts

7:39 pm – Sirens sound in Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport

11:17 pm – IDF conducts final aerial mission of the operation

11:30 pm – Ceasefire goes into effect

Videos show the Israeli Iron Dome intercepting rocket fire over Southern Israel, as Israel’s interim Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, is underscoring that “any attempt to harm Israel will be dealt with harshly.”

Lapid added that although Israel is “not interested in a broad campaign in Gaza” they are “not afraid of it either.”

Palestinian Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for the rocket fire, warning that the barrage is “just the beginning” and insisting that the “open campaign” is “not limited only to the Gaza Strip,” according to a spokesperson for the Gaza-based terrorist organization.

Speaking of the terrorist targeted by the operation, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, added that Israel’s “policy is clear: whoever threatens us – will not exist. This is true for the successor of Baha Abu Al-Ata, Tayseer Jabari, and it is true for any deadly terrorist who seeks to harm the citizens of Israel.”

The Israeli Defense Forces stated on Twitter that the “IDF continues to strike terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” adding that the targets include “weapons production sites, warehouses and firing positions of the terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip.”

“The IDF will continue to defend Israel against the threat of terrorism,” they underscored.

According to Behold Israel Founder and President, Amir Tsarfati, the Israeli military has “apprehended at least 20 Islamic Jihad activists in the West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) to apply pressure on the terror group in Gaza to stop their rocket launching.”

“Israel is bracing for a week long operation,” he added.

Supporting Israel Amid Deeply Rooted Anti-Israel Bias

United Nations Special Coordinator, Tor Wennesland, appeared to critize the targeting of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad this evening by Israel, saying that he is “deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation between Palestinian militants and Israel, including the targeted killing today of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader inside Gaza.”

Wennesland went on to allege that a “five-year-old child” was killed in the strikes by Israel and insisted that “there can be no justification for any attacks against civilians.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, responded to Wennesland’s critisism of Israel, asking on Twitter if the UN envoy also plans to condemn the US killing of Al-Qaeda’s leader, which took place earlier this week.

“While the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is launching missiles at Israeli civilians, the UN envoy expresses ‘deep concern’ for the neutralization of a senior terrorist behind an imminent attack on Israelis,” Erdan tweeted. “Will he also express deep concern over the neutralization of al-Zawahiri?”

“For how long will the UN continue making false immoral comparisons between a democracy that abides by international law, and designated terror orgs committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilians?” he further asked. “These comparisons only incentivize terrorists to continue their attacks.”

Arab media claimed that four children have been killed during Israeli strikes in Gaza over the last 24 hours, however, an IDF investigation found that the children, aged 5-11, were killed by an explosion during a failed rocket launch.

“Following the reports of the tragic events in Jabaliya, the IDF concluded an in-depth debrief. Based on all the IDF systems data, it appears that this event is the outcome of an Islamic Jihad rocket misfire,” the IDF stated on Twitter. “We did not conduct any activities in Jabaliya at the time of the event.”

In May of 2021 multi-day barrage of 4,300 Palestinian rockets was fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians. Instead of Israel receiving support, foreign media pointed the finger at Israel’s alleged “aggression,” and the United Nations Human Rights Council used the 11-day incident to begin a biased and blatantly anti-semitic permanent “Commission of Inquiry” to investigate the Jewish State’s treatment of Palestinians. 

As Israel is currently under fire, Christians must remember the importance of standing up for the rights of Israel to protect themselves and pray for the Jewish State as ambassadors for a God and Savior who loves them and is still keeping His promises to His chosen people and nation.