Israel blames Gaza rocket misfire for child deaths

RT
Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:07 UTC

© AP/Fatima Shbair

Rockets fired by Palestinian militants toward Israel, in Gaza City, August 6, 2022

The IDF has accused Palestinian militants of using civilians as "human shields"

The death toll in Gaza amid Israel's Operation Breaking Dawn has grown to 24, including six children, with over 200 people wounded as of Saturday night, according to Palestinian health officials. The Israeli military accuses Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militants of using civilians as "human shields" and killing their own people in botched rocket attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it struck multiple "terrorist targets" across Gaza on Saturday, but denied any responsibility for a deadly blast in the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the enclave that reportedly killed at least six people, including three children.

The IDF in a tweet on Saturday night, said:

"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. It did not conduct any activities in Jabaliya at the time of the event."

The Israeli military said their radar data can "prove beyond any doubt that this is not an Israeli attack." A video of the alleged failed launch circulated on social media and was aired by Israeli TV stations, but its authenticity could not be immediately confirmed. A spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid added:

"Tonight, Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza fired a rocket towards Israeli children, but ended up killing Gazan children instead."

The flare-up of tensions began on Monday, after Israel arrested Islamic Jihad's West Bank leader, Bassem Saadi, with a Palestinian teenager killed during the raid. Amid an outcry among Palestinians, the PIJ threatened retaliation and placed its fighters in Gaza on high alert.

On Friday, the IDF launched Operation Breaking Dawn, citing the "imminent threat of attack against Israeli civilians posed by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization." The first strikes killed a senior PIJ commander, Taysir al-Jabari, while an additional 10-20 operatives were allegedly targeted with missiles and artillery.

In retaliation, PIJ militants launched multiple volleys of rockets at Israel, over 350 in total since Friday, according to the Times of Israel. The IDF says at least 90 of these projectiles veered off-course or fell short within Gaza, while nearly 95% of the rest were intercepted mid-air by the Iron Dome missile defense systems.

Gaza's health ministry said the hostilities claimed 24 lives so far, including six children and two women. There were no reports of casualties on the Israeli side.

The IDF vowed to continue the military operation until its objectives are reached, saying on Saturday they are prepared for a "week of fighting," and that there are no peace talks at the moment. Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted:

"[The] State of Israel is working to defend its citizens and... we will operate decisively and with as great precision as possible against terror operatives and infrastructure."

Comment: Israel has only one strategy: Refute all blame and do it again.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a video on Sunday showing what it says was a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that killed several children in Gaza.

The clip appears to show a rocket barrage, with one missile losing speed and falling. The IDF said it was launched by the militant group Islamic Jihad in Gaza last night and killed Palestinian civilians, including children. The IDF also accused PIJ of using civilians as "human shields."

Meanwhile, according to the Palestinian authorities, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 29, including six children and four women, with 253 civilians wounded.

Earlier, the IDF confirmed that it conducted strikes on multiple "terrorist targets" across Gaza on Saturday, but denied responsibility for a deadly explosion at the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the enclave, which reportedly killed several people, including children.

The IDF said:

"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. It did not conduct any activities in Jabaliya at the time of the event."

Tensions in Gaza erupted on Monday, after Israel arrested Islamic Jihad's West Bank leader, Bassem Saadi. A Palestinian teenager was killed during the raid on Saadi's home. Amid an outcry among Palestinians, the PIJ threatened retaliation, placing its fighters in the enclave on high alert.

On Friday, the IDF launched Operation Breaking Dawn, citing the "imminent threat of attack against Israeli civilians posed by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization." The Israeli strikes killed a senior PIJ commander, Taysir al-Jabari, and targeted other operatives of the militant group.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz came out with a statement saying the operation would continue as long as required:

"The IDF, the Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency] and security forces will continue to act against Islamic Jihad until we restore peace and remove the threat to children [living in the Gaza border region]."

Vowing to carry on the attacks against Islamic Jihad targets, Lapid stated that Israel is doing its best to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. "We are acting in a targeted and responsible manner in order to minimize harm to those not involved," the prime minister said.