Israeli PM says goals of 'Breaking Dawn' operation accomplished

MOSCOW: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday that the objectives of the Breaking Dawn operation against the Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip have been reached. "The goals of the operation have been achieved, we are at the final stage," Lapid was quoted by Yediot Ahronot newspaper as saying to the heads of Israel's southern cities.

Earlier in the day, Lapid visited the southern military district and the area along the border with the Gaza Strip. The prime minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz held an operational meeting with Chief of General Staff Aviv Kochavi to assess the situation on the ground. Lapid has also met with the heads of local councils and mayors of the southern cities. The prime minister briefed the local authorities about the outcomes of the Saturday meeting of the ministries' general directors on the issue of timely aid to citizens affected by the Breaking Dawn operation.

The Israel Defense Forces launched an operation dubbed Breaking Dawn against the Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip on Friday. The IDF press office told Sputnik that the Israeli forces are preparing for the Breaking Dawn operation in the Gaza Strip to continue for one week. Israel introduced a state of emergency and has since been repelling missile attacks while continuing to launch new airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Since Friday afternoon, air raid sirens have been heard in areas bordering Gaza in Israel and some central cities of the country.