Some 25 Islamic Jihad operatives were killed in the three-day Israeli Operation 'Breaking Dawn'

Israel's Operation "Breaking Dawn" has ended. The guns have fallen silent and the smoke is clearing from the battlefield, replaced, as usual, by the question which arises after each bout of Israeli-Palestinian violence: Who won and who lost.

And as usual, the answer to that depends on who you ask.

So far as the bald numbers are concerned, there is no dispute. Some 25 Islamic Jihad operatives were killed in the three-day Israeli operation. These fatalities include the entire top brass of the Iranian-backed organization as the Israeli army hit some 170 of its targets.

Despite the large number of attacks, very few Palestinian civilians were directly killed in the Israeli strikes. And the vast majority of those who were, were actually killed from Islamic Jihad rocket misfires. Including in Jebalia in the north of the Gaza Strip, which Palestinian quickly blamed on Israel, even after video emerged showing the rocket misfiring.  

On the Israeli side, damage was minimal. Only three people were wounded by shrapnel from rockets or Iron Dome anti-missile and interceptors. A total of 47 Israelis were taken to hospitals, mostly because of anxiety or minor injuries sustained while running to shelters.

The very high percentage of interceptions by the Iron Dome missile interception system is another reason for Israeli satisfaction. Some 96 percent of rockets headed to populated areas were ultimately intercepted, which explains the very few Israeli casualties. More than anything, Israelis feel that for the first time in years, the Israeli army was the one setting the tone this time around, and not the other side.

"This government has a zero-tolerance policy toward any attempted attacks, of any kind, from Gaza toward Israeli territory," interim Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid declared. "Terrorist organizations will not set the agenda on the Gaza border. We will not accept any threats to the residents."

But one side's claim of victory is not necessarily accepted by the other side. The Islamic Jihad is proud of the fact that despite the constant Israeli attacks it was able to fire some 1,100 rockets towards Israel until the final minute before the ceasefire and even shortly after it began. The organization does not mention that nearly 20 percent of its rockets landed inside the Gaza Strip.

"The Zionist enemy had a clear and specific slogan, which is the annihilation of the Islamic Jihad movement and its military wing, the Al-Quds brigades," Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhala said.

"Now that the clashes have stopped, we have a clear scene. The Islamic Jihad movement is still strong and stable and even more powerful," he added.

For all the claims and counter-claims, Israel's Operation "Breaking Dawn," like so many operations before, has now been relegated to the history books. Whether it will have any effect in the long run, is anyone's guess. That, perhaps, is the real measure of who won, and who lost, this round.