TEL AVIV — Despite mediation efforts by Egypt and other regional players, fighting resumed Friday on the fourth day of Israel’s Shield and Arrow Operation against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip after a 13-hour lull.
The resumption of rockets fired at Israel and Israeli counterstrikes in Gaza dashed hopes of a cease-fire between the sides. Egyptian-mediated contacts between the parties on an official cease-fire have reportedly hit a snag over Islamic Jihad’s demand that Israel pledges to stop its "targeted elimination" of the group’s leaders.
The current cycle of violence started May 2, when Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan, on hunger strike for 87 days, died in an Israeli prison. Following his death, the organization fired 104 rockets at Israel. A week later, Israel targeted and killed three senior Islamic Jihad members. This was followed by heavy rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and retaliation on the part of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Islamic Jihad, seeking to avenge its dead and declare a winner, needs a victory photo with rockets penetrating the almost hermetic defenses provided by Israel’s Iron Dome system and Israeli casualties. That is the nature of asymmetric confrontations between a military, intelligence and technological power and a small, uncompromising terrorist organization.
