"[40] On 3 August, Khaled al-Batsh, head of the politburo of the PIJ in Gaza said: "We have every right to bomb Israel with our most advanced weapons, and make the occupier pay a heavy price.

[15][16] Early on 5 August, Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, reportedly visited the home of al-Saadi in Jenin and met with his family members as part of efforts to prevent an escalation between Israel and the PIJ.

The Associated Press stated that "His political fortunes could rest on the current fighting, either gaining a boost if he can portray himself as a capable leader or take a hit from a lengthy operation as Israelis try to enjoy the last weeks of summer."

[46] Serious questions were raised in Israel about the appropriateness of Lapid making the decision to strike Gaza without prior consultation and discussion with members of his cabinet.

[47] Israel began its attack on the Gaza Strip enclave in mid-afternoon on 5 August, with one targeting a building in the residential area where Tayseer Jabari, a PIJ military leader, lived.

[58][59] The next day, other airstrikes were launched on Gaza, killing five people, including two men in Khan Yunis and an elderly woman in Beit Hanoun who had just celebrated a wedding.

[60][better source needed] The escalation continued as Israeli fighter jets dropped two bombs destroying the house of a PIJ member.

[63] As of 7 August, UN humanitarian chief for the occupied Palestinian territories, Lynn Hastings, urged that "fuel, food, and medical supplies" be delivered to Gaza.

Sirens blared in Abu Ghosh, Mevaseret Zion and Kiryat Anavim, and an IDF spokesperson stated that rockets headed to Jerusalem were intercepted.

[66] On 9 August, the IDF stated that the PIJ failed in its attempt to launch an Unmanned aerial vehicle towards the Tamar gas rig during the fighting.

[68] According to the Israeli military, approximately a third of the 449 rockets fired by the Palestinians on Friday and Saturday failed to cross the boundary with Israel and fell inside Gaza.

"[72] On 8 August,the Associated Press reported that missiles fired by militants in Gaza that fell short may have resulted over a dozen Palestinian deaths.

AP reporters examined the two explosions sites in Jabaliya that resulted in twelve fatalities, and found support for the claim that they were misfires.

[26] On 10 August, Al Jazeera reported that the father of one of the victims denied the Israeli claim in respect of the first Jabaliya incident and that Israel was still investigating the second.

[28] According to Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Palestinian militants fired around 1,100 rockets of which "some 20 percent" fell within the borders of the Gaza strip.

Following discussions with the Foreign Press Association, the restrictions were officially reversed by Salama Marouf, director of the government media office in Gaza.

I reiterate my call to the Israeli and Palestinian leadership, along with the international community, to strengthen diplomatic efforts to return to meaningful negotiations towards a viable two-State solution.

[80][81] UN chief António Guterres also welcomed the ceasefire and reaffirmed the UN's commitment to the achievement of a two-state solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions.