Israel’s military operation against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, codenamed “Breaking Dawn,” lasted 56 hours. The fighting has paused with a cease-fire announced late last night. Reportedly, IDF believes Israeli strikes killed 35 people in Gaza during the fighting, 11 of them civilians and the rest PIJ militants. An additional 15 or 16 civilians were killed, it was claimed, by Gazan rockets that fell short. On the Israeli side, 47 people were injured lightly.
From the IDF’s strategic point of view, the operation went as planned, reaching most of its military goals. Within three days, the Iran-backed PIJ had been dealt blows from which it will be hard to recover. Still, it is difficult to predict how long the fragile ceasefire will last.