IDF Strikes Islamic Jihad Commander in Gaza

At 4:00am on November 12, 2019, the IDF carried out a surgical strike of Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza, Baha Abu Al Ata.

What is Islamic Jihad in Gaza?

Al Ata, the commander of the Northern Sector and the Gaza City Division Commander of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, orchestrated and executed numerous terror attacks killing Israeli civilians and soldiers. He was responsible for most of the terror attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip in 2019 and led the significant rocket attacks that occurred in early May, at a music festival in August and in the beginning of November.

Following the IDF strike of Al Ata, at 5:51am, Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza began intensive rocket fire from Gaza to Israel—aimed at civilian areas, including Tel Aviv. Many of the rockets fired from Gaza were intercepted by the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System before they could reach their intended targets: Israeli homes.

At 11:01am, the IDF killed two Islamic Jihad terrorists belonging to the Rocket Launching Unit in Gaza, who were in the midst of preparing to launch more rockets at Israel. At 12:11pm, the IDF began striking Islamic Jihad terror targets in the Gaza Strip. At 12:22pm, barrages of rockets were indiscriminately fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians.

After dozens more rockets were fired at Israel, at around 2:50pm, the IDF carried out strikes against Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza: training compounds, underground weapon manufacturing sites, and weapon storage facilities.

Rockets were continually fired from Gaza at Israel targeting schools, hospitals and other civilian areas. Over 500 air-raid sirens have sounded across Israel since 5:00am and more than 190 rockets have been launched from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilians.

At around 10:00pm, the Israeli Air Force targeted 3 Islamic Jihad terrorists who fired rockets from Gaza at Israel earlier in the day. At 10:53pm, another barrage of rockets launched from Gaza at Israel.

In the very early hours of November 13, 2019—at 12:41am—the IDF struck Islamic Jihad in Gaza targets: rocket launchers, underground infrastructure and operation rooms.

At 5:53am on November 13, 2019, rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. Throughout the day, at approximately a rate of one rocket every seven minutes, barrages of rockets continued to be fired from Gaza at Israel with the intention of injuring and killing Israeli civilians. Thankfully, the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, with a success rate of 90%, succeeded to intercept most of the rockets. 

At 7:47am, the Israeli Air Force targeted a squad of Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza who had fired rockets at Israel earlier that morning.  

At 8:43am, the IDF identified and targeted an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was preparing to launch rockets at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip.  

After barrages of rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel, the IDF carried out a strike on Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza at 12:13pm. A rocket warhead manufacturing facility, the Khan Yunis headquarters, a weapons storage site, and a naval commando vessel were all hit. 

Rockets began firing again from the Gaza Strip at Israel at 12:59pm. After numerous rockets, at 1:55pm, the IDF targeted two Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza who were about to launch an anti-tank missile at Israel.  

At 2:20pm, the IDF identified and eliminated another Islamic Jihad terrorist who was about to fire another rocket at Israel.  

After a large barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel, at 5:10pm, the IDF targeted an Islamic Jihad terrorist in Gaza who was preparing rockets to be launched at Israel. Rockets continued to fire at Israel throughout the afternoon and evening.  

At 8:32pm, the IDF conducted a large strike against Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza. In the strike, a military compound, a training compound, and a production site for rocket launchers were all targeted. As of that strike, approximately 20 terrorists from Gaza had been killed in the strikes carried out by the IDF.  

At 11:18pm, a large barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel. In response to the rockets, the IDF struck Islamic Jihad terror posts in Gaza hitting a military compound, a military training compound for Islamic Jihad’s naval force, and a weapons warehouse. Rockets from Gaza continued to fire into the early hours of the morning.  

In the 48 hours following the strike against Al Ata, approximately 450 rockets were successfully fired at Israel from Gaza. The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted 165 of the rockets. As Islamic Jihad chooses to fire rockets at Israel from civilian neighborhoods in Gaza, some of the rockets that Islamic Jihad launched misfired and damaged civilian buildings within the Gaza Strip.  

At 7:00am, on the 14th of November, a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza was officiated. Despite the ceasefire, terrorists in Gaza would continue to fire missiles at Israel with the intention of disrupting and endangering the lives of Israeli civilians.

After two rockets were fired by Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza at 10:03pm on the 14th, the IDF conducted a strike on Islamic Jihad terror targets in the Gaza Strip at 12:53am on the 15th. In the strike, a military compound—with a site to manufacture rockets—and Islamic Jihad’s Khan Yunis headquarters were both targeted.  

Hamas, who had been uninvolved in the conflict beforehand, was held responsible by the IDF for the launching of two rockets at Beer Sheba at 2am on the 16th of November. In response to the two rockets, the IDF struck Hamas terror targets which included a Hamas military camp used by the naval force and an underground terror infrastructure.  

The IDF is committed to defending the people of Israel and will continue to do whatever necessary to ensure this.