BICOM

A five day long escalation over the Gaza-Israel border appears to be passing despite several ceasefire violations yesterday. Palestinian armed groups fired seven rockets and five mortars on Tuesday, including one that hit the town of Netivot, despite a truce called late on Monday night. Israel responded last night by targeting what the IDF called two ‘terror activity sites.’ However, this level of activity was far lower than on previous days, and this round of violence seems to be declining.

The IDF is claiming a series of achievements, including the remarkable success of the Iron Dome missile defence system, which intercepted 56 out of 73 rockets heading for populated areas, and the precision of its strikes against those involved in firing rockets out of Gaza. Of 26 Palestinians killed since Friday, at least 22 were directly involved in the violence. IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz expressed his ‘deep regret over the deaths of the four uninvolved civilians,’ pointing out that terrorists in Gaza operate from within residential areas. Despite the achievements, the attacks from Gaza severely disrupted the lives of approximately one million Israelis living in the south, causing schools and kindergartens to shut for three days.

Senior Israeli Defence official Amos Gilead denied yesterday that Israel had given guarantees to Palestinian armed groups not carry out targeted killings against its activists, saying that the deal was “very simple – quiet in exchange for quiet.” The implementation of the truce reflects the underlying interest of Israel, Hamas and Egypt – which brokered the truce – to avoid further escalation. However, the terror activities of the smaller groups in Gaza, and the opportunities they have to use the destabilised Sinai desert as a base, means the situation remains unstable.