While there has been a lull in tensions setting in following last week’s escalation on Israel’s southern front, the Israeli Foreign Ministry is reportedly expecting a period of quiet.
By Jonathan Hessen and Erin Viner
In an assessment by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), absent any dramatic incidents that could spark another surge of violence, the 5-7 August Operation Breaking Dawn has reinvigorated Jerusalem’s deterrence to unprecedented levels. This, according to Israel’s local Channel 13 network while citing an IMFA document
Intra-Palestinian friction due to the refusal by the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza to join the Iranian-proxy Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in battle against Israel has in effect crippled the rival terror group in the so-called effort to form an alliance. Hamas and PIJ are consequently expected to focus on improving the dire economic situation in the Palestinian enclave while simultaneously working to replenish their heavily battered military capacity in order to once again attack the Jewish State in the future.
Meanwhile in Israeli capital, the transitional government of Prime Minister Yair Lapid approved an “assistance and compensation package” for residents of the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip who sustained material losses in last week’s three-day conflict with the PIJ.
Ahead of an official review of Operation Breaking Dawn, the Premier noted that Israel had in fact achieved all of its goals from the brief conflict against the Gaza-based terror group.
“Today the Cabinet will be presented with a summary of the Gaza campaign, including the wide-ranging arrest operation in Judea and Samaria. All of the goals were achieved. Deterrence has been restored. The threat to the residents of the south has been lifted,” he said, while stressing that the “Islamic Jihad was struck hard; its leadership was targeted. The operational and intelligence might of the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA, Shin Bet) – led by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, ISA Director Ronen Bar – got it done. The resilience and adherence to directives of the residents of the south allowed us freedom of action and the ability to make decisions in order to achieve quiet and strengthen Israel’s deterrence.”