UPDATE: At around 1:45 PM IST, Rockets began to be fired toward Israel from Gaza. Sirens have been sounding as far north as Tel Aviv. This comes as Israel faced an eery calm, waiting for the rockets to begin.
Operation "Shield and Arrow" began with the elimination of three senior Islamic Jihad terrorists, including the man who was responsible for launching more than 100 rockets last week. At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces 'Home Front Command' announced restrictions up to 40 km from the Gaza Strip, including school closures, but as of Wednesday morning, there has been no military response from the Gaza Strip or any border whatsoever. Israel is now preparing for several days of fighting, but at the same time preparing for the possibility of lifting the restrictions; this may very well be the most bizarre IDF operation Israel citizens have experienced to date.
"The silence we are experiencing now can be deceiving," said reserve Lieutenant Colonel Yechial Sofer, the spokesman for the Home Front Command. "It can also change at any moment, so we all need to be vigilant and be ready wherever we are, whether it's at work, at home, or anywhere else."
Thankfully it was a quiet night in the south of Israel. But is still tense, as thousands of Israeli families are ready for possible rocket fire from Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
ā Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) May 10, 2023
The Israeli security establishment says that one of the reasons for this silence is the state of shock the Islamic Jihad is in from that opening blow, but in two previous operations against the Jihad in the past when Senior officials were eliminated, there was an immediate response. Therefore, it is also possible that this time the jihad is trying to carry out a more thorough and planned response, such as a reported attempt to fire anti-tank missiles that were foiled by the IDF Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, and while Israel waits, in the communities where restrictions were announced, the disruption of routine is deeply felt. "Dear residents, we remind you that the defense instructions published yesterday are still in effect," Sderot Municipality reminded their residents. "According to the guidelines, there are no studies, you must stay near sheltered spaces, workplaces will only be opened if you can reach a shelter in up to 15 seconds, gatherings in an open area are permitted up to only 10 people and in a closed building up to 100 people."
Yesterday a meeting of the axis of resistance was held in Damascus, Syria:
ā Amir Tsarfati (@beholdisrael) May 10, 2023
Commanders from Iran's Quds Force, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Syria's Fourth Division, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, Hezbollah operatives in Syria and Iranian militias were present.
Meanwhile, according to a report from the Iranian opposition news outlet, "Iran International", the Iranian regime is putting a lot of pressure on Hamas to respond to Israel along with the Islamic Jihad. On the one hand, the leaders of Hamas in Gaza understand very well the cost of harming the residents and the economy in the event they do enter the fighting against Israel, on the other hand, they are also aware of the possibility of personal harm to them, as was done to the three senior members of Islamic Jihad in the opening airstrike of the operation.
According to reports, talks between Islamic Jihad, Hamas in Gaza/Lebanon & militias in Syria are continuing "behind the scenes" regarding a significant response to the recent massacres.
ā Middle East News (@Draganov313) May 10, 2023
Analysts speculate that Hamas has no interest in fighting Israel at this time. As their popularity rises in Arab communities within Judea and Samaria, their ability to take over there could be hindered if they suffer devastating losses in Gaza as the result of a war with Israel. However, given the outrage at the Israeli attack that killed 14 in total, including the wives and some children of the terrorists within Palestinian communities, Hamas not engaging with Israel could also be seen as a weakness that would threaten to undermine their larger plans. Even still, Hamas relies on Iranian funds to survive and it could still be coaxed into a war by the Islamic Republic.
This article was updated to include the fact Rockets have begun to be fired.
