The IDF successfully targeted a terrorist operative involved in recent attacks against Israel. The terrorist was planning further attacks on Israel in the coming days. Ahmad Sa’ad, a senior operative in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, was in the northern Gaza Strip when an IAF aircraft carried out the mission. The IDF operated in order to eliminate an imminent threat to the lives of Israeli civilians.
Ahmad Sa’ad was a key Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative in the Gaza Strip specializing in rocket launching. Sa’ad is personally responsible for the launching of five rockets towards Ashkelon on January 16, 2014 which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Sa’ad’s terrorist activities over the years include concealing, directing, and launching rockets at southern Israel in numerous incidents including during operation Pillar of Defense in Nov 2012, and multiple launches during an escalation of violence during March 2012. In recent days Sa’ad was involved in substantial planning of launching rockets at Israeli civilians.
“Gaza terrorists must know that there is a personal price to pay when planning and executing terror attacks against Israel,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, IDF Spokesman. “There is no immunity for those that partake in projectile terrorism. The IDF targeted an integral component of the Gaza terrorist mechanism in order to diminish terrorist capabilities and send a clear message of intolerance to the aggression from the Hamas territory.”
IDF Officer Who Intercepted Rockets above Israel: “We are always ready”
Moments after intercepting rockets aimed at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, Lieutenant Aviel Perry described his tremendous pride in serving as an operator of the Iron Dome system.
Not many soldiers finish a day of work like Lieutenant Aviel Perry, a soldier who serves as the commander of an IDF Iron Dome battery. Early Thursday morning, he intrecepted five Gaza rockets headed straight for the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
At 1:00 AM, Lt. Perry was on duty in an Iron Dome battery near Ashkelon. Although the battery’s last interception was two months ago, Lt. Perry and his soldiers always remain alert for the possibility of a rocket attack from Gaza. “We have prepared soldiers to react to an incident at any moment,” he says. “We must always remain vigilant and alert, even when we think that an upcoming shift will be normal and uneventful.”
IDF Iron Dome Officer, Lt. Perry
When five rockets from Gaza came soaring toward Israel, soldiers in the Iron Dome battery had only seconds to react. Realizing that the rockets would strike populated areas, they made a quick decision to activate the Iron Dome battery. Despite extraordinary pressure, their swift actions resulted in the interception of all five rockets.
Moments after stopping the rocket attack, Lt. Perry was filled with pride and satisfaction. “You can not describe the feeling of stopping a rocket that could hurt, injure or kill civilians. This is what we prepare for all the time – to be there at the right time and do the right thing.”
“The environment in the battery is warm and like family,” he adds. “Events like these increase the motivation of soldiers, and we prove that above all we are fighters who save lives.”
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