In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces along with the Federal security agency Shin Bet began "Operation Shield and Arrow" in the Gaza Strip. The initiated operation, which arrived about a week after more than 100 rockets were fired into Israeli territory, began with the elimination of three senior officials in the Islamic Jihad, including Khalil Bahitini, the Islamic Jihad’s senior operational commander and commander of the northern Gaza Strip region. Sadly, two children of one of the leaders were also killed in the hyper-targeted blasts.
Hours later, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was at the IDF’s intelligence headquarters for the duration of the operation together with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, announced a "special situation on the home front" and approved the mobilization of reservists "for the required positions, according to the needs."
Before the world decries Israel as the "aggressor":@IDF targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who were plotting imminent terror attacks against Israeli civilians and who were responsible for last week's rocket fire against Israeli civilians.
— Lidar Gravé-Lazi (@LidarGL) May 9, 2023
This is a campaign of self… https://t.co/E6LwEl8rj2
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting at 10:30 AM to assess the situation with Gallant. In an interview with the Israeli radio hosts, a member of the political-security cabinet, Energy Minister Israel Katz, assessed that the quiet response from Hamas and the Jihad is "the calm before the storm".
Katz explained: "We will act and they will shoot back." He clarified that "we will not allow damage, neither in Sderot nor in Tel Aviv. Nothing political influenced this operation. There were tactical considerations.” A series of regional councils and municipalities from the Gaza Strip area to Ra'anana, a northern suburb of Tel Aviv announced the gradual opening of public bomb shelters, anticipating a response through rocket fire. Homes and apartments in Israel built after 1991 are required by law to have a designated bomb shelter, whereas residential and commercial construction from before that use communal shelters.
As you #WakeUpAmerica Israel has eliminated 3 senior terror leaders from Gaza in precision bombings that also killed their wives and some of their kids.
— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) May 9, 2023
Make sure to join @RobFinnertyUSA @AlisonMaloni and @Alex_Kraemer3 this morning on #Newsmax 🇺🇸 https://t.co/zN9cFG25Kn
According to the IDF's announcement, in the joint operation with the Shin Bet, Bahitini, who was responsible for firing the rockets into Israel last month, was killed; along with Tarek Ezz A-Din, a senior member of the organization responsible for directing terrorist attacks in the West Bank from the Gaza Strip, and Jihad Ghanam, the secretary of the military council of the terrorist organization. The Knesset’s security cabinet was not convened before the start of the operation, with the approval of the Attorney General, who confirmed this morning that after she was presented with the relevant situation of the security forces; she found that in accordance with the provisions of the law, there is no need to convene the cabinet in order to take military action.
Trois hauts responsables du djihad islamique palestinien dezingués par Tsahal à #Gaza!
— LadyM (@LadyMercedes13) May 9, 2023
Les famosos civils innocents, "les crimes contre l'humanité d'Israël"... pic.twitter.com/1p6Bdxhw1h
The attacks in the Gaza Strip continued even after the initial opening strikes, in which the senior officials were eliminated. IDF warplanes and helicopters attacked sites for the production of weapons, including rocket production workshops, as well as a site that was also used for the production of concrete components used to build tunnels. Also, six military compounds of the Islamic Jihad were attacked, most of which were used as weapons warehouses and the logistics infrastructure of the organization. In addition, a Jihad military position in the southern Gaza Strip was attacked. The Palestinians also reported that shells were fired from Israeli naval ships, however, this remains unconfirmed by Israeli officials.
