Operation Shield and Arrow In the Gaza Strip – Summary
After five days of fighting, at 10 p.m. on May 13, 2023, Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) declared a ceasefire. During the next hour PIJ terrorist operatives continued firing rockets and mortar shells at Israel and the IDF responded with aerial attacks on PIJ military terrorist targets; quiet was restored at 11 p.m. During the five days of fighting six PIJ high ranking operatives died in targeted killings and 422 terrorist targets were attacked. Over the five days of the operation, terrorist operatives in the Gaza Strip, primarily from the PIJ, fired 1,469 rockets and mortar shells at Israel, 1,131 of which landed inside Israeli territory; 291 fell inside the Gaza Strip and 39 into the sea. The Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted 437 rockets, and two long-range rockets were intercepted by the David’s Sling aerial defense system (IDF spokesman, May 14, 2023). Two people were killed in Israel and dozens were wounded; there was considerable property damage.