Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS on 13 May, 2021

Islamic Jihad Rocket Kills 5 Children in Gaza

Public By Aryeh Savir/TPS • 6 August, 2022

Jerusalem, 6 August, 2022 (TPS) -- A rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terror organization toward Israel on Saturday night misfired and exploded inside the Gaza Strip, killing at least five children.

Following claims in the Gaza Strip that an IDF strike killed several children, the IDF stated that at 20:40, a rocket barrage from Gaza was launched toward Israel.

At the same time, social media reports from Gaza claimed that “children were massacred” at the Imad Akel mosque in the city of Jabaliya, and at least five children were killed, and 15 were injured.

After clarification with the IDF’s fire center and the brigade command, the IDF stated that no Israeli attacks were carried out in the area during this time frame. Furthermore, the IDF’s detection systems recorded the failed launch.

“We have videos that prove beyond any doubt that this is not an Israeli attack. The Israeli security forces have not attacked in Jabaliya in recent hours,” a government spokesperson said.

The children were probably killed by an Islamic Jihad rocket launch that misfired.

“Every shooting by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is a double war crime. It shoots at civilians and uses the residents of Gaza as human shields. This incident is an example of the Islamic Jihad’s harm to the residents of the Gaza Strip. Israel is sorry for any harm to the innocent,” the spokesperson added.

Islamic Jihad terrorists fired about 400 rockets at Israeli cities across southern Israel and as far north as Tel Aviv over the weekend, sending millions of Israelis running for shelter.

The terror organization launched its onslaught on Israeli civilian targets on Friday after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a preemptive strike, Operation Breaking Dawn, against senior Islamic Jihad terror commanders and terror cells who had been planning an attack against Israeli targets in recent days.

“Due to the imminent threat of attack against Israeli civilians posed by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza, we began Operation ‘Breaking Dawn’ earlier today,” the IDF stated Friday.

The majority of the rockets fired at Israel, about 95%, were intercepted by the Iron dome defense batteries deployed across Israel. However, a home in Sderot was directly hit by a rocket, but the inhabitants were unharmed as they succeeded in running to shelter before the impact. In the city of Ashkelon, several cars were damaged by a rocket.

Dozens of Israeli were treated by emergency medical teams for light injuries incurred while running for shelter and for shock.

A high number of rockets, at least 15%, fell inside the Gaza Strip.