Israel launched a deadly strike in the Gaza strip on Friday, August 5th, 2022, targeting senior military leaders of the Palestine Islamic Jihad. Tayseer Al Jabari, commander in the Quds Brigade of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, was killed along with 10 others and at least 75 were injured. 

The goal of this military attack according to the Israeli army was to preemptively stop Al Jabari and anti-tank squads that were headed to attack Israeli forces. “The goal of this operation is the elimination of a concrete threat against the citizens of Israel and the civilians living adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as the targeting of terrorists and their sponsors,” explained Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz in a joint statement. Lapid followed that statement by saying “The Israeli government will not allow terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to set the agenda in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. Anyone who tries to harm Israel should know: We will find you.”

Islamic Jihad responded with an escalating threat: “All options are open, with all means that the Palestinian resistance has, whether in Gaza or outside… The battlefield is open… The resistance will respond with all force. We will not say how but it is inevitable,” exclaimed spokesman Daoud Shehab on Al Jazeera. 

The escalation of the conflict is worrying, and the United Nations is “extremely concerned” about the recent attack, particularly for civilians that are caught in the crossfire. The United Arab Emirates mission to the UN along with France, Norway, China, and Ireland have requested a closed-door meeting at the United Nations Security Council in the following week to discuss the recent events that have occurred in the Gaza Strip, as well as to consider strategic measures to deescalate the conflict in the region moving forward. 

The future relations between Iran and Israel are uncertain, and the recent attack on the Gaza Strip has added yet another layer of turmoil in the region. With Iran attempting to build nuclear weapons, there is a lot at stake in the following decisions that will be made to mediate the conflict. In order to stop the rising violence, it is essential that peace talks are promoted between Israel, Iran, and the Palestine Islamic Jihad. In the meantime, it is urgent that Israel opens its crossings to humanitarian aid in order to give immediate assistance such as food and medical care to the civilians in the targeted area.