PIJ spokesperson Abu Hamza stated in an interview with Al-Jazeera that when the terrorist organization found out there were children present at targets, "these missions were stopped," adding "the enemy knows very well what I am talking about."
Abu Hamza also claimed that the Iron Dome was not able to intercept 90% of rockets and that the PIJ has produced rockets that have not yet been revealed. The spokesperson added that the PIJ managed to work around the Iron Dome by launching concentrated and intense bursts of rocket fire.
Two Israeli children were killed by rocket fire from Gaza during the operation, including five-year-old Ido Avigal and a 16-year-old Nadin Awad.
The rockets which Gaza terrorist groups possess are unguided, meaning that the terrorist organizations cannot target specific locations with much accuracy. During Operation Guardian of the Walls, which Palestinians referred to as Operation Sword of Jerusalem, over 4,000 of these rockets were fired indiscriminately towards civilians in Israel.
The terrorist spokesperson's statement echoed statements the IDF often makes during operations to explain its policies to avoid civilian casualties. The IDF often calls off missions if civilians are spotted at the targeted location.
In one video and audio recording released by the IDF during Operation Guardian of the Walls, a fighter pilot could be heard calling off an airstrike after he noticed civilians, including children, in the area.
Palestinian terrorist groups have repeatedly been found to violate the rights of children and place children at risk.
UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip have been used as sites to store and fire rockets. Attack tunnels have also been found to lead to these schools.
Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza also run summer camps which train children to take up arms and be terrorists. Hamas has released footage of the summer camps in recent weeks, with children seen carrying weapons and undergoing militant training.