Live Updates: Gaza Death Toll Rises to 29, Israel Kills Second Top Islamic Jihad Commander

Maj. Gen. Oded Basyuk, head of Operations Directorate in the Israel Defense Forces, told the press that "all top Islamic Jihad security officials in the [Gaza] Strip have been assassinated" on Saturday.

Earlier in the evening, Israel reportedly killed Khalid Mansour, the head of the Islamic Jihad's military wing in the southern Strip. Islamic Jihad later confirmed his death, saying his body was found under the rubble at the site of the strike.

On Friday, Israel assassinated Islamic Jihad official Tayseer al-Jabari, head of the organization's military wing in the northern Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said at a security cabinet meeting on Saturday evening that "Israel will continue to act without hesitation to ensure the peace of its residents."

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Saturday that 24 people have been killed in Gaza since the operation Breaking Dawn started on Friday.

Among the dead are six children aged five to ten. One girl, aged five, has been identified as Alaa Abdullah Riyad Qaddoum.

The ministry also said that 203 people have been injured so far.

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An Israel Defense Forces official says the army assassinated a senior military official from Islamic Jihad in Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday evening.

At least 40 others were injured in the attack, according to Palestinian reports.

The official in question, Khalid Mansour, is the head of the Islamic Jihad's military wing in the southern Strip.

On Friday, Israel assassinated Islamic Jihad official Tayseer al-Jabari, head of the organization's military wing in the northern Gaza Strip.

Islamic Jihad has yet to respond to the reports.

At least five Palestinians have been killed, including four children, and several more injured by a strike near a mosque in the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to local reports.

The dead were aged five, nine, ten and 11 and 19, with Palestinian media laying the blame with Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said that it did not carry out any attacks on Jabalya refugee camps, and said that the deaths were caused by an errant Islamic Jihad rocket.

"We have videos that prove beyond doubt that this is not an Israeli attack," the head of Israel's public diplomacy said, though they will not imminently publish the evidence.

The total number of Palestinians killed since the conflict between the IDF and Islamic Jihad erupted on Friday stands at 20.

About 350 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel since the beginning of its military operation on Friday and until 6.30 P.M. on Saturday, according to IDF data.

Of these, 227 rockets actually crossed the border into Israel, while 94 of them landed within the Gaza Strip. 162 of the rockets were intercepted by the IDF. It was also reported that 29 rockets landed in the sea.

Israel Police will permit Jews to ascend the Temple Mount on the fast day of Tisha B'Av on Sunday, including far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The police held a situational assessment on Saturday evening amid Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, with fears that a conflagration in Jerusalem could cause the conflict to spiral.

The Religious Zionism lawmaker coordinated his visit for the holy day, slated for 8.30 A.M., ahead of time with the police: "We cannot surrender to Islamic Jihad – we are the landlords in Israel. The more we feel and act this way, the enemies will get the message."

The fragile religious status-quo permits Jewish access to the site, but only allows Muslims to pray there. In recent years, Jewish extremists have prayed at the compound in greater numbers.

A senior Egyptian official with knowledge of the ceasefire talks between Israel and Islamic Jihad said he hopes Israel will agree to a ceasefire "as soon as possible," amid fears of escalation as scores of Jews are set to ascend the Temple Mount on Sunday.

According to the source, Egypt is exerting pressure on Israel in hopes that a ceasefire will be declared "tonight or early in the morning," in order to ensure tension levels are low as religious Jews make their way to the Temple Mount.

"If there are more deaths in the Gaza Strip [tonight], and tomorrow morning events unfold in the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, it will be difficult to control the situation and prevent a deterioration into a larger conflict." the source said, referring to the events of Tisha B’Av — a holiday in which religious Jews mourn the destruction of the two ancient temples, and which has become politically-charged in recent years.

The official also stressed that a ceasefire must be agreed upon in as soon as possible because Hamas' decision to stay out of the conflict is not guaranteed to last much longer. "Currently, we are managing to stop Hamas from intervening, and this is a window of opportunity," the official said. "Every hour that passes only increases the pressure, and the fear of losing control."

According to the source, Egypt is directing its diplomatic efforts on pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire first, and only then will it call for the Islamic Jihad to follow suit. "After two or three days of quiet," the Egyptian plan for the ceasefire stipulates, "will we be ready to move on and discuss the easing of restrictions [on Gaza] and other humanitarian concerns."

The Egyptian mediators in the talks even sent messages to Israel that they expect their proposal to be brought up for discussion in the Israeli cabinet this evening: "We are in a difficult situation but there is still a possibility to prevent the expansion of the cycle of violence," adding that "every death in Gaza will only increase the pressure on Hamas [to join the fight], in addition to the humanitarian situation which is getting worse. We hope that Israel will be attentive and verify our proposal tonight."

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sissi said on Saturday that Egypt is "making great efforts with all parties involved to restore calm and peace to the Gaza Strip," and that talks are being held "around the clock". Cairo, Al-Sissi said, has "an interest in preventing the escalation and deterioration of the situation."

Around 100 people gathered on Saturday in two locations in Tel Aviv to protest Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip as part of the evolving military operation against Islamic Jihad.

Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted "free Gaza." Several demonstrations were also held on Saturday in the country's north and in the center of Jerusalem.

The Biden administration has expressed full-throated support of Israel amid the escalating conflict with Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, while calling on all sides to avoid further violence.

"We're actively engaged with Israeli, Palestinian and regional partners to work toward achieving calm in the wake of these strikes, and we certainly urge all sides to avoid further escalation," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry censured Israel for instigating the flare-up in the Gaza Strip in its statement on the recent escalation between Israel and Islamic Jihad.

Spokeswoman of Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that "Russia is very concerned about the new outbreak of armed violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," adding that Russia "observes with deep concern these developments, which may result in the renewal of large-scale fighting and the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza."

In the statement, Zakharova places the blame for the uptick in violence on Israel: "What provoked the current escalation was the bombings by the Israeli Air Force on August 5, to which the Palestinian groups responded with indiscriminate shelling into Israeli territory."

"We call on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint, to prevent an escalation of the fighting and to immediately return to a stable ceasefire," the message reads.

The statement concludes with Russia reaffirming its support for the two-state solution, but unlike their statements on past escalations, it omits any mention of Israel's security: "We emphasize once again that putting an end to the circle of violence is only possible within the framework of negotiations, the result of which should be the realization of the legal national rights of the Palestinian people the establishment of an independent [Palestinian] state within the 1967 borders."

Magen David Adom emergency service reported on Saturday that 21 people have been evacuated to hospital since Israel kicked off its military campaign on the Gaza Strip.

Two people were lightly injured from shrapnel, 13 people sustained injuries while running for shelter from rockets and six people experienced panic attacks, according to the emergency service.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued a statement "strongly condemning" that Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, stating it is "unacceptable that civilians, including children, have lost their lives during the attacks."

"We are deeply concerned by the escalating tensions in the region following the strikes. We stress the necessity for these incidents to end immediately," the ministry added.

A barrage of rockets was fired by Islamic Jihad toward central Israel on Saturday evening, with sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and locals reporting loud hearing explosions overhead.

Sirens have been blaring throughout the day along the Gaza border, the Judean Foothills, and in the coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod.

No injuries have been reported so far from this round of missiles, though material damage to property and vehicles was reported in Ashkelon.

At least 350 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip since Friday, not including the most recent volley of rockets, after Israel launched a military operation against Islamic Jihad and began shelling the Palestinian enclave.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Saturday that the Israeli army has assassinated "many terrorists who planned to launch rockets and mortars into Israel" since its military operation on Gaza was launched.

Gantz, who visited the Iron Dome battery outside the Gaza Strip, added that "We have hit dozens of Islamic Jihad military installations that are used for the production and launch of rockets." Gantz also said that "the leadership of the Islamic Jihad that sits abroad in restaurants and hotels in Tehran, Syria and Lebanon, is disconnected from its own people and seriously harms the lives and livelihoods of the residents of Gaza — they will also pay the price."

Israel's Air Force attacked three mortar shell launchers belonging to the Islamic Jihad, the Israel Defense Forces' spokesman said on Saturday.

Israel has no intentions to prevent Jewish access to the Temple Mount in light of the escalation with the Gaza Strip on Sunday for the fast day of Tisha B’Av, security officials said.

The Temple Mount, also known as the Al-Aqsa compound, is sacred to both Jews and Muslims, and incidents at the holy site have intensified broader conflagrations between Israel and the Palestinians in the past.

The fragile religious status-quo permits Jewish access to the site, but only allows Muslims to pray there. In recent years, Jewish extremists have prayed at the compound in greater numbers.

The security sources, however, conceded that the situation could change by Sunday.

Dozens of people are taking part in demonstrations in Haifa, as well as in Umm al-Fahm and the Wadi Ara area in the north against Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

In Haifa, the protest numbered around 40 people, including members of the Knesset for the majority-Arab Joint List.

The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, signs protesting the operation and pictures of some of the victims killed in Friday's attacks.

With their back to the wall, Israel’s leaders have decided to take the military initiative, hoping to extricate the country from the bind Islamic Jihad has forced it into in Gaza. Israeli communities along the Gaza border were placed under partial lockdown for three days, fearing Islamic Jihad retaliation for the arrest of one of its leaders in the West Bank, leaving the Israeli government without many other options.

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Prime Minister Yair Lapid will meet opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday for a security briefing on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Lapid's military secretary will be present in the meeting.

A rocket launched from Gaza hit a storage unit inside a house in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the municipality said Saturday afternoon.

Only material damage was reported, with the house's residents staying at a bomb shelter at the time of the strike.

Fifteen people have been killed in Gaza and another 125 injured since Israel launched its military operation on the Strip, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Saturday.

The ministry also stated that there is a 40 percent shortage of equipment and basic medicines, and a 60 percent shortage of laboratory equipment.

"Due to the shutdown of the power plant, time is running out regarding the provision of medical services in the hospitals, with an almost complete shutdown within 72 hours," it said.

Israeli fighter jets and soldiers attacked four Islamic Jihad military posts in the West Bank, the IDF spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that further operations against military posts are ongoing.

An alert was activated in the settlement of Elazar in the West Bank for fear of terrorist infiltration, the Home Front Command announced.

Local residents are asked to stay in their homes, lock the doors and windows, and wait for notification of the end of the event, the announcement said.

A rocket launched from Gaza landed inside a house in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the municipality said Saturday afternoon.

The house residents were staying at a bomb shelter and only material damage was reported.

The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said that Israel would pay a high price for its latest attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza, Iranian state TV reported.

"The Israelis will pay yet another heavy price for their recent crime," it quoted Major General Hossein Salami as saying in reference to Israeli air strikes on Gaza, as he met with Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala who is currently in Iran.

Following attacks against him on social networks by his political opponents, United Arab List chairman Mansour Abbas said Saturday that his party has no influence on foreign affairs and security issues in Israel.

In a post he published in Arabic, Abbas wrote that the Arab parties have no influence on foreign and security decisions in Israel and that anyone who claims otherwise "is selling illusions to the public." Abbas's words and the attack against him come against the backdrop of the primary election for the UAL Knesset list on Saturday.

According to Abbas, it is for this reason that over the years the Arab MKs avoided membership in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee and abstained from any vote on issues related to foreign affairs and security. "We are ready to be partners in the decisions of calm and peace and our approach is that our role as Knesset members is to take care of issues that directly concern the Arab public and its rights," he wrote.

Islamic Jihad's military wing said that 60 rockets were launched at Israel since Saturday morning. The militant group added that the rockets were fired at Ben-Gurion international Airport, Ashdod, Be'er Sheva, Ashkelon and Netivot.

"We've launched a campaign against the Israeli aggression and the Islamic Jihad fighters are prepared to continue the war," the organization said in a statement.

Three large fired broke out in the area between Sderot and the Gaza Strip.

A mortar shell landed near a plant in the Eshkol Regional Council, sparking a large fire there. Firefighting teams later managed to bring the flames under control.

Two other conflagrations broke out in kibbutz Nir Am and the area between kibbutz Erez and the Gaza border, and teams are still battling to subdue the flames.

Two Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded by mortar shells in the Eshkol Regional Council in the country's south.

The soldiers were hit by shrapnel and taken to the hospital to receive medical attention.

Rocket sirens were activated again in the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot, as well as across communities along the Gaza border.

Israel's Home Front Command said a hostile aircraft might have penetrated Israeli airspace, near the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz.

Rocket sirens blared in the central Israeli city of Modi'in and the southern city of Ashdod, sending Israelis to bomb shelters.

Meanwhile, Palestinians reported that the Israel Defense Forces struck a compound south of Gaza City in the Strip.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz instructed the Israeli army to continue targeting Islamic Jihad cells and foil rockets attacks from the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, Gantz held a situation assessment with the attendance of Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and other senior defense officials.

Gaza's lone power plant will shut down at noon due to diesel shortage resulting from the closure of the crossings to the Strip over the past week, according to the enclave's electricity authority.

Power supply to households in the Strip will resume after 12 hours and will be shut down again after four hours.

The Israeli army is currently striking Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit.

Meanwhile, rocket sirens are going off in the communities of Alumim, Nahal Oz and Sa'ad in southern Israel.

The Israeli army said its aircraft struck an Islamic Jihad cell planning to fire mortar shells at Israeli communities near the Gaza border.

A rocket shrapnel landed in the Eshkol Regional Council in southern Israel, near a cowshed. One person was lightly wounded and received treatment at the scene.

One person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli attack Saturday morning near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke with Egypt's intelligence head in an effort to pressure Israel to stop attacking the Gaza Strip, according to the Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen.

At least two people were wounded in an Israeli attack east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians reported on Saturday.

Beaches of Rishon Letzion will be closed for visitors, the central Israeli city said on Saturday as rocket sirens continued to sound across southern Israel.

The Israeli military struck some 30 Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav says, as operation Breaking Dawn enters its second day. Israeli aircraft and tanks targeted and destroyed five rockets launchers, as well as six weapon production workshops and several Islamic Jihad observation posts, he added.

Kochav said that 10 Palestinians were killed and 80 were wounded in the strikes. No Israeli casualties were reported and Home Front Command instructions remain unchanged.

According to the Israeli army, some 160 rockets were fired toward Israel from the Strip so far, with 60 of them intercepted. Israel's Iron Dome Defense system intercepted 95 percent of the rockets launched from the enclave, Kocahv said, with some of the them not reaching Israeli territory.

Kochav noted that the IDF is preparing for the operation to last for a week and added that Israel is not holding any negotiations for a ceasefire at the moment.

Rocket sirens sounded in southern Israel, including the town of Sderot, and Sapir College.

In addition to the air strikes in Gaza, the IDF announced that 19 Islamic Jihad members were arrested overnight in the West Bank.

The Israeli army has destroyed a rocket launch pad that was used by Islamic Jihad. According to the IDF Spokesperson's unit, the target that was destroyed had been used to launch rockets towards Israel overnight.

After a few relatively quiet hours for Israelis living near the Gaza border, sirens were activated in the kibbutz of Kerem Shalom, near the Egyptian border, as well as Kissufim.

Rocket sirens were activated in several Israeli towns Gaza border towns, including Nahal Oz and Kfar Aza.

The Israel Defense Forces is continuing to strike Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza strip. According to the IDF, fighter jets have attacked rocket manufacturing sites run by the group.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz following the escalation in the Gaza Strip on Friday evening.

The U.S. Department of Defense said that "the Secretary received updates on IDF strikes targeting Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and steps the Government of Israel is taking to protect its citizens from rockets launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip."

"He underscored Israel's right to self-defense and the enduring U.S. commitment to Israel's security. Secretary Austin urged steps to de-escalate the situation. He also expressed concern regarding reports of civilian deaths and called for a timely and thorough investigation into any civilian casualties."

A rocket exploded in an open area in the border town of Sderot, in a neighborhood currently under construction. There were no injuries reported.

The rocket was one of dozens launched towards the southern-Israeli town during a late-night barrage.

Five Israelis were taken to the hospital following siren-related injuries, including four who were injured while making their way to a shelter and one who suffered from anxiety. Three additional people received treatment from paramedics due to similar injuries.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke on Friday evening with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin. According to Gantz, he updated the Secretary of Defense about the operation in the Gaza Strip, saying that Israel is defending itself.

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, reacted to the situation in Gaza, saying he is "deeply concerned" by the escalation between the Israelis and Palestinians, including the "targeted killing today of an Islamic Jihad leader."

Wennesland added that he was "deeply saddened by reports that a five-year-old child has been killed in these strikes. There can be no justification for any attacks against civilians."

Wennesland called on both sides to prevent further escalation, saying that "the UN is fully engaged with all concerned in an attempt to avoid a further conflict which would have devastating consequences, mainly for civilians."

The Israel Defense Forces resumed its strikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday night, targeting two warehouses used for manufacturing rockets, as well as a rocket launch pad and a military installation belonging to Islamic Jihad.

More than a hundred rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip so far Friday, with about 60 crossing into Israel. More than a quarter fell inside Gaza.

Hamas has not taken part in the firing of rockets into Israel on Friday, with Islamic Jihad responsible for all the launches, the Israeli military said.

Militant groups from the Gaza Strip continued to shoot rockets toward Israel, with the coastal city of Ashkelon and Gaza coming under fire.

Islamic Jihad's leaders in the West Bank have announced a state of "high alert" and called for their followers to attack Israeli targets, following the assassination of one of the organization's leading figures in the Gaza Strip.

Since the call, armed Islamic Jihad supporters held a rally in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Israel killed Tayseer al-Jabari, the head of the organization's military wing in northern Gaza, in an airstrike earlier Friday, alleging that he was on the way to carry out an attack on Israelis.

Islamic Jihad had been threatening retaliation for the arrest this week of one of its senior officials in the West Bank, Bassam al-Saadi.

The Israel Defense Forces said it resumed its strikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday evening, targeting two warehouses and a rocket launch pad belonging to Islamic Jihad.

According to Palestinian reports, Israel is carrying out further airstrikes in the city of Beit Hanoun and eastern Gaza.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Israel's military operation against the Gaza Strip "will take as long as it needs," as the first rockets were fired into Israel since its attacks on the enclave began Friday.

Lapid added that Israel "will not accept any ultimatum on the activities of the IDF and the security forces, even in other arenas. Anyone who needs to be arrested will be arrested. Anyone who tries to harm civilians and soldiers will be met with a heavy hand. The operation in Gaza was against concrete threats to harm the residents of the south. Israel doesn't want a campaign in Gaza, but isn't afraid of it either."

Militant groups from Gaza fired rockets at several locations in Israel on Friday – including the central cities of Rishon Letzion and Bat Yam as well as Gaza-border towns – after Israel launched a military operation targeting Islamic Jihad and killed one of its leaders in the Strip.

Ashdod and Sderot, two cities bordering the Gaza Strip, faced heavy rocket fire, with Ashdod reporting that most of the rockets were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. No injuries were reported.

Sirens also sounded in the central city of Yavneh, as well as Rishon Letzion and Bat Yam, two suburbs of Tel Aviv.

Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket strikes, claiming that it fired "more than 100 missiles" as retaliation for the assassination of Tayseer al-Jabari, the head of the organization's military wing in northern Gaza. Israel says al-Jabari was plotting an attack on Israelis.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh blamed Israel for the escalation with Islamic Jihad on Friday and threatened that "all options are open" in response to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

According to a senior Israeli security official, whether the violence spirals into an all-out war will depend on Hamas' willingness to join the fighting.

Public bomb shelters across Israel have opened Friday in anticipation of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

These include southern cities such as Ashdod, Sderot and Be'er Sheva, which normally face the heaviest onslaught due to their proximity to the enclave, but also several central Israel cities. The Tel Aviv municipality said that "shelters will open automatically" if there are sirens.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that the military will call up as many as 25,000 reservists, according to its needs, in light of the escalation with militants in the Gaza Strip.

The reservists will be from the Home Front Command, the air force and the Southern Command, as well as troops in other combat and administrative roles.

Earlier Friday the Israeli military announced that it was moving the Golani Brigade and the Armored Corps to the Gaza border.

A senior Israel Defense Forces official said Friday the defense establishment expects rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in retaliation for attacks on Islamic Jihad, and warned that the operation "will take time."

The Israel Defense Forces killed "several" Islamic Jihad operatives in artillery strikes on the southern Gaza Strip on Friday evening, hours after at least eight people, including a senior Islamic Jihad official and a 5-year-old girl, were killed in the first Israeli airstrikes of its new military operation.

The attacks took place between Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, according to Palestinian reports.

The IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi also ordered the military to go into "a state of emergency" and open its Supreme Command Post.

An Egyptian official told Haaretz that mediation between Israel and Gaza was still underway, with the focus now on preventing Friday's violence from escalating.

He said the Gaza factions' response to the number of dead and wounded would set the pace for further reactions by Israel.

A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said that Washington is "monitoring developments" and urging "all sides for calm," adding that "we firmly believe that Israel has the right to protect itself."

Israel redirected commercial air traffic leaving Ben-Gurion International Airport to the north instead of the west, following the launch of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces has said that 10 members of Islamic Jihad were killed in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip as they were on their way to carry out attacks on Israeli targets using anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles.

According to the military, Israeli aircraft targeted military bases and other buildings used by Islamic Jihad.

The Islamic Jihad official who was killed in the attack on Gaza has been identified as Tayseer al-Jabari, the head of the organization's military wing in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli army, al-Jabari held senior positions in the organization including head of operations, and was in charge of coordination with Hamas.

According to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces, al-Jabari had recently been pushing for the use of anti-tank fire against Israeli military and civilian targets.

During the 2019 conflict between Israeli and Gaza, he oversaw rocket launches into Israeli territory and was responsible for an incident in which a military jeep was hit and a civilian was injured.

At least ten people have been killed, including a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman, and 55 have been wounded by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported.

The Israel Defense Forces, however, has reported that 15 people have been killed.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said his government would "not allow terror organizations to set the agenda in the Gaza Strip and threaten Israel's citizens," after the Israel Defense Forces bombed the Strip on Friday.

The Israeli army has published special orders for Israelis living within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Gaza Strip. As posted online on the National Emergency Portal, the orders are in effect until 8 P.M. Saturday.

Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala said: "This is a day destined for victory, and the enemy must understand that there will be a war without surrender. ... The resistance fighters must stand as one. "There are no red lines in this battle and Tel Aviv will fall under the rockets of resistance, as well as all Israeli cities,"

"We will certainly have martyrs in the campaign," al-Nakhala added. "We will go on to the end. ... Israel is continuing its violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Tomorrow Israel plans to invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The resistance will survive this war with courage and heroism, and God willing, the victory will be a gift to the Palestinian people."

Reuters contributed to this report.

The army is deploying additional batteries for its Iron Dome missile defense system in central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as a precaution against possible rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces killed a senior Islamic Jihad official in strikes on Gaza on Friday, after days of threats by the militant group brought the area near the enclave to a standstill.

The Islamic Jihad official is Tayseer al-Jabari, head of the organization's military wing in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces has announced that the new Gaza operation will be called Breaking Dawn and will focus on Islamic Jihad sites in the Strip.

Ahead of the strikes, Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz held meetings to assess the security situation in Gaza.

"To our enemies in general and to the heads of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, I say explicitly: Your time is limited," Gantz said at the end of the meeting. "The threat will be eliminated one way or another. The situation in which irresponsible terrorists, some of whom aren't even in the area, took the residents of Gaza hostage will come back and bite them."

Israeli jets struck the Gaza Strip on Friday after days of threats from Islamic Jihad brought the area around the enclave to a standstill.

Israel had set up roadblocks in areas near the Strip for a fourth straight day and declared a "special situation" on the home front after Islamic Jihad threatened retaliation for this week's arrest of one of its senior officials in the West Bank, Bassam al-Saadi.