Israel at War Again in Gaza; Operation Shield and Arrow began Tuesday

As a result of escalating tensions, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) commenced with Operation Shield and Arrow Tuesday morning, flying more than 158 targeted airstrikes so far into Gaza.

This round of fighting is in response to aggressions from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)—funded by Iran—and not Hamas (also funded by Iran). The PIJ is growing in status as a powerhouse in the Palestinian political world (where political power comes through terrorism). It is the second-largest armed group in the Gaza Strip and has established armed terror cells in Nablus, Jenin, and other parts of the West Bank.

Israeli forces have killed several top commanders in the PIJ through Operation Shield and Arrow. The IDF has also knocked out weapons depots, ammunition stockpiles, and rocket launch areas. One has to wonder from where Israel is getting this intelligence. They have had real time locations of hideouts of senior leaders. Could it be Hamas, who has stayed out of the fighting, seeking to sideline a growing rival?

More than 500 missiles have been launched into Israel by the terrorist group. While the Iron Dome successfully destroys most of the missiles, some have broken through the defense. At least one Israeli has been killed, and several have been injured. More than 20 Palestinians have been killed according to reports from the United Nations (but be sure to read THIS article on how Israeli forces go out of their way to make sure civilians—especially children—are not hurt, despite the terrorists using them as human shields).

Despite efforts by Egypt to broker a ceasefire on Wednesday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the IDF still had more to do in order to disable the PIJ. “It’s still not over yet,” he said.

One medium-range missile aimed at Tel Aviv was taken out by a new defensive weapon in Israel’s arsenal—David’s Sling. This was the Sling’s first real-world test and it was successful in intercepting a rocket. The missile was one of three fired at the metropolis on the Mediterranean on Wednesday afternoon. The other rockets fell into the sea or an open area. The Iron Dome works on close-range missiles, and the Arrow system is effective at long-range ballistic missiles. David’s Sling is calibrated to take out the mid-range missiles in between.