2007–2008 Israel–Gaza conflict
Encyclopedia
The 2007–2008 Israel–Gaza conflict refers to a series of battles between Palestinian militants
and the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) that began in mid-May 2007 when Israel responded to militant provocation with airstrikes. Palestinians fired more than 220 Qassam rocket
s at Israel
(Sderot
and western Negev
) in over a week. The Israeli Air Force then fired missiles and bombs back into Gaza. The fighting came amid serious Palestinian factional violence
and reports of growing level of humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Hamas said they will continue to retaliate against Israeli strikes. Israel also arrested Hamas officials in the West Bank, including two cabinet members.
and Hamas
with his ‘Izz ad-Dīn al-Qassām Brigades have shelled the Western Negev with crude homemade rockets, called Qassam rocket
s. Hamas is the ruling faction of the Palestinian National Authority
. Since the disengagement plan was executed, thereby removing the ongoing IDF military presence from the area, the militias, especially Hamas, have also smuggled large numbers of machine guns, anti-tank missiles, grenades, explosive devices, and even anti-aircraft missiles into the Gaza Strip
, making it dangerous for Israeli forces to operate. In January 2008, Israeli ground and air forces launched an operation in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire, killing 10 Palestinians and wounding 40, most of them militants. One of them was the son of Hamas leader Mahmoud az-Zahar. Several hours later, a foreign volunteer working on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha
was killed by Palestinian sniper fire. On October 18, an Israeli soldier of the Golani Brigade
was killed by sniper fire during an operation in Southern Gaza. In late April, heavy Palestinian inter-factional fighting
broke out, especially between Hamas and Fatah. Leaders of both parties asked for cessation of the violence, calling instead for uniting against Israel
. The week before the conflict broke out, more than thirty rockets a day had been fired at Israel. In response, on May 15, 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and Defense Minister Amir Peretz
decided together with military leader Gabi Ashkenazi
that they would increase efforts against the ongoing rocket fire.
On May 24, more than thirty members of the political wing of Hamas were arrested in the West Bank, including ministers and members of parliament. Some Hamas mayors and legislators were also seized by the Israeli military. The detained include the mayors of Nablus
, Qalqilyah
, and Beita
as well as Education Minister Nasser Shaer. Israel has said "as long as the Qassams will rain down on the Western Negev, all of Hamas' members will be responsible," including the political wing of Hamas. Hamas has similarly said as long as the "Zionist aggression" continues, their military wing will continue to fire Qassams on Israeli territory.
On May 26, the Palestinian Minister of State, Wasfi Kabha
of Hamas, was arrested by the IDF in a raid on his village close to the West Bank city of Jenin
. An aide to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
from Fatah
, Saeb Erekat
, reacted to the arrests: "We have urged the U.S. and the EU to intervene to release the ministers and lawmakers [...] this step does not help to achieve calm."
's blockade on Gaza
had reached a critical threshold, according to a United Nations study. Finally, on January 17, 2008, Israel sealed the border completely following a rise in rocket attacks. The breach of the Gaza-Egypt border
began on January 23, 2008, after gunmen in the Gaza Strip
set off an explosion near the Rafah Border Crossing, destroying part of the former Israeli Gaza Strip barrier
. The United Nations
estimates that as many as half the 1.5 million population of the Gaza Strip crossed the border into Egypt
seeking food and supplies. Israeli police went on an increased alert due to fears that militants will acquire more weapons in Egypt. On February 3, former Palestinian Foreign Minister
, Mahmoud al-Zahar
, announced that Hamas and Egypt would cooperate in controlling the border without Israeli oversight. The border was closed, after 11 days, except for travelers returning home.
on February 27, 2008, hours after Palestinian militants fired more than 40 Qassam rocket
s into southern Israel
. Israeli aircraft February 28, 2008 bombed a police station near the Gaza City home of Hamas
leader Ismail Haniya
. The Israeli military says its air and ground operations against militants firing rockets from northern Gaza
have killed at least 23 armed Palestinians, while Palestinian sources have reported higher death tolls and say many civilians have also been killed.
Israel began its air and ground operations on February 29. The IDF's offensive in Gaza killed more than 100 Palestinians in less than a week. In contrast Palestinian fired 150 rockets at Israel during a week which killed two Israeli soldiers and a civilian. The United States
called for an end to clashes between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas
, has accused Israel of "international terrorism", saying its assault on Gaza constitutes "more than a holocaust". Later on March 3 he has suspended all contact with Israel over its assault on Gaza as the Israeli government sent warplanes to hit more targets early on Monday and vowed to continue its offensive.
The European Union
on Sunday condemned what it called "disproportionate use of force" by the Israeli military in Gaza after 54 Palestinians were killed in the highest single day toll since fighting erupted in 2000.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
also issued a condemnation of what he termed Israel's "excessive and disproportionate" response and called on Israel "to cease such attacks," while denouncing the ongoing rocket attacks on Sderot
and Ashkelon
. In the Muslim world, demonstrators took to the streets to protest the IDF attacks. Iran
's Supreme Leader
Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei
called on Muslims to rise up and their leaders to hit Israel "in the face with their nations' anger,". In Lebanon
, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters gathered at the Fatima Gate at the border between Lebanon and Israel, shouting "Death to Israel" and waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags. In Egypt
, thousands of students held protests at universities across the country calling on Arab leaders to stop Israeli aggression and support the Palestinians. Some protesters burned Israeli and American flags. About 10,000 protesters, mainly from Jordan's mainstream Muslim Brotherhood
and smaller opposition groups, took to the streets in one of the country's most vocal and largest anti-Israeli demonstrations in recent years. Saudi Arabia
meanwhile compared the IDF offensive to Nazi war crimes and called on the international community to stop what it called the "mass killings" of Palestinians. Turkey
's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said that the IDF attacks can have no humanitarian justification and added that Israel was rejecting a diplomatic solution to the dispute. Most Israeli tanks and troops pulled out of northern Gaza March 3, 2008, and an Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed that the Israeli military was ending offensive operations there after five days.
On April 9, four Hamas fighters infiltrated into Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing
and raided a fuel terminal in Nahal Oz
, which was being used to deliver fuel to Gaza. Two Israeli civilian workers were killed in the attack and two others wounded. Three of the Hamas fighters were killed and one wounded by Israeli military strikes as they attempted to escape into Gaza. Shortly afterward, the Israeli Air Force
launched a series of airstrikes on Northern Gaza, killing three Palestinians. That same day, an IDF unit from the Golani Brigade
's Egoz Reconnaissance Unit
was searching for militant infrastructure near the Kissufim Crossing, and were ambushed by Hamas fighters, who attacked them with gunfire and anti-tank missiles. The IDF soldiers returned fire. One IDF soldier was killed and two were lightly wounded. One Hamas operative was also killed and at least four were wounded.
On April 16, Israeli forces supported by tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters entered Gaza from the east in retaliation to the April 9 raid. Four Hamas fighters and two Israeli soldiers were killed, and three Israeli soldiers were wounded after Hamas fighters ambushed the Israeli troops. Numerous civilians died during the fighting, including a cameraman employed by Reuters
.
On April 19, Hamas launched an attack against the Kerem Shalom
crossing on the Israel-Gaza border, which was being used to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The attack began in the early morning under the cover of fog, when three cars carrying explosives, including two disguised as IDF vehicles approached the crossing as mortars and rockets were fired at Southern Israel, and small arms fired at troops in the area. A Hamas armored personnel carrier confiscated from Palestinian Authority security forces managed to knock a hole through the fence, allowing two vehicle bombs to enter. The first vehicle detonated, after which all of the soldiers managed to get into armored cars before the second vehicle was detonated. Thirteen soldiers were wounded in the attack. The soldiers then chased the APC, which hit a concrete wall several hundred meters in Israeli territory, and killed its crew of three. At the same time, an IDF tank fired at another Hamas armored vehicle approaching the border near the Kissufim Crossing, killing the driver. The Israeli Air Force
responded with airstrikes. Nine Palestinians, including six Hamas operatives, were killed.
strike over the el-Burejj refugee camp. Hamas responded to the attack by firing 35 Qassam rockets and mortar shells into the Negev. Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel sharply increased throughout November 2008, approaching pre-truce levels. In the period between the November 4 incident and mid-December, over 200 rockets and mortar shells hit Southern Israel. Clashes also erupted along the border, during which 11 Palestinian militants were killed. On December 24, 2008, following the official expiration of the truce on December 19, 2008, Hamas fired a fresh barrage of rockets into Israel
. The barrage of more than 60 mortar shells and Qassam and Katyusha rockets from Gaza, reaching as far north as Ashkelon
and as far south as Kerem Shalom
, further into Israeli territory than ever before, killed one person and caused widespread panic due to the rockets' extensive ranges. Immediately following the attacks, Israel warned Hamas of intense retaliation if the attacks continued, and on December 27, with no end to the attacks, Israel launched its counteroffensive on 11:30 AM (IST
), with airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least 195 and wounded around 350. About 140 of the dead were Hamas militants, according to the Israeli army. Israeli planes targeted Hamas security and training compounds, as well as weapon storage buildings, and dropped more than 100 tons of bombs. Hamas responded to the Israeli strike by launching 30 rockets, and threatening a renewal of suicide bombing attacks against Israel in a "Third Intifada". Egypt
condemned the Israeli attacks and opened up the Rafah Border Crossing to allow the wounded into Egyptian hospitals. Egypt also deployed 500 anti-riot police along the border. Syria
also condemned the acts, calling them a
"heinous crime and convicted terrorist act." On the other hand, the United States
condemned Hamas, saying that "Hamas' continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop," but also urging "Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza." On January 3, 2009, IDF leadership began dropping leaflets into the Gaza Strip via airplane advising residents to leave "for their own safety" while continuing to amass tanks and ground forces near the border. The Israeli offensive, known as Operation Cast Lead
, continued into 2009.
- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
states that he believes that the Qassam rocket attacks by factions in Gaza are "completely unacceptable." He has also stated that he believes that the Palestinian Authority should "take the necessary steps to restore law and order, and for all factions to abide by the ceasefire." Ki-moon also stated he is "deeply concerned by the mounting number of civilian casualties from Israeli military operations in Gaza." The Secretary General also called on Israel "to abide by international law and to ensure that its actions do not target civilians or put them under risk." Ki-moon had appointed Michael Williams to the Middle East for talks with both sides. Williams soon said "I'm troubled when I see Israeli soldiers arresting Palestinian legislators. I'm troubled that the education minister was arrested," after Israel arrested several Hamas officials in the West Bank. Williams met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr
in Gaza City. After continuing Israeli attacks and arrests, and the continuing rocket fire from Gaza, Williams said that "I’m very troubled by the level of violence here [...] I think the UN, the international community in general, have been very concerned about the level of intra-Palestinian violence, but also by the Israeli attacks which I know have caused civilian deaths, considerable numbers." The International condemnation of Israeli incursion were further augmented with a scathing report prepared by eight British-based rights organizations, highlighting humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip that has reached its worst point since Israel captured the territory in 1967. The report indicates more than 1.1 million people, about 80 percent of Gaza's residents, were dependent on food aid, and hospitals faced power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, and the water and sewage systems were close to collapse. United States — After the death of a woman from a rocket attack in Sderot, a representative for the U.S. Government reaffirmed the position that Israel has the right to self-defense
. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
also stated that his country is aware of the difficulty of targeting terrorists without civilian casualties. He added that Israel must "take all possible actions in order to avoid any civilian casualties, to avoid any undue damage to the Palestinian infrastructure and always to consider the effects of their actions on the political process, the Israeli-Palestinian track and moving that forward."
Palestinian political violence
Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
and the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) that began in mid-May 2007 when Israel responded to militant provocation with airstrikes. Palestinians fired more than 220 Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s at Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
and western Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
) in over a week. The Israeli Air Force then fired missiles and bombs back into Gaza. The fighting came amid serious Palestinian factional violence
Fatah-Hamas conflict
The Fatah–Hamas conflict , also referred to as the Palestinian Civil War , and the Conflict of Brothers , i.e...
and reports of growing level of humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Hamas said they will continue to retaliate against Israeli strikes. Israel also arrested Hamas officials in the West Bank, including two cabinet members.
Background
Since the latest truce, signed on November 26, 2006, militiamen of Islamic Jihad Movement in PalestineIslamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
and Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
with his ‘Izz ad-Dīn al-Qassām Brigades have shelled the Western Negev with crude homemade rockets, called Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s. Hamas is the ruling faction of the Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
. Since the disengagement plan was executed, thereby removing the ongoing IDF military presence from the area, the militias, especially Hamas, have also smuggled large numbers of machine guns, anti-tank missiles, grenades, explosive devices, and even anti-aircraft missiles into the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, making it dangerous for Israeli forces to operate. In January 2008, Israeli ground and air forces launched an operation in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire, killing 10 Palestinians and wounding 40, most of them militants. One of them was the son of Hamas leader Mahmoud az-Zahar. Several hours later, a foreign volunteer working on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha
Ein Hashlosha
Ein HaShlosha is a kibbutz in the western Negev desert in Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council.-History:The kibbutz was named named in memory of three of the founding members who were killed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and it was established during the 1950s by...
was killed by Palestinian sniper fire. On October 18, an Israeli soldier of the Golani Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
was killed by sniper fire during an operation in Southern Gaza. In late April, heavy Palestinian inter-factional fighting
Fatah–Hamas conflict
The Fatah–Hamas conflict , also referred to as the Palestinian Civil War , and the Conflict of Brothers , i.e...
broke out, especially between Hamas and Fatah. Leaders of both parties asked for cessation of the violence, calling instead for uniting against Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The week before the conflict broke out, more than thirty rockets a day had been fired at Israel. In response, on May 15, 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
and Defense Minister Amir Peretz
Amir Peretz
Amir Peretz is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for the Labour Party. He is a former Defense Minister of Israel and former leader of the Labour Party, having left those positions in June 2007....
decided together with military leader Gabi Ashkenazi
Gabi Ashkenazi
Gavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :...
that they would increase efforts against the ongoing rocket fire.
Airstrikes
In the first days of the conflict Israel responded with airstrikes at the very mobile Qassam launching cells, vehicles carrying Hamas militiamen, and buildings belonging to Hamas. The airstrikes may have been chosen because Hamas has very little AA weapons to defend themselves, so that the Israeli casualties will remain low. On May 20, Amir Peretz told the IAF to maintain pressure on Hamas. As a result of the ongoing aerial attacks, Hamas members stopped using cellphones, driving in cars, and gathering in groups to avoid further assassinations. A total of thirty Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, two-thirds of them militants.Arrests
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
, Qalqilyah
Qalqilyah
-Bibliography: p. -External links:**...
, and Beita
Beita
Beita is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate in the northern West Bank located southeast of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 9,709 in 2007. It consists of five clans which branch out to thirty families. There are many houses...
as well as Education Minister Nasser Shaer. Israel has said "as long as the Qassams will rain down on the Western Negev, all of Hamas' members will be responsible," including the political wing of Hamas. Hamas has similarly said as long as the "Zionist aggression" continues, their military wing will continue to fire Qassams on Israeli territory.
On May 26, the Palestinian Minister of State, Wasfi Kabha
Wasfi Kabha
Wasfi Kabha was the former Minister of Prisoners' Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority and is a Hamas member. He was detained by Israeli authorities in June along with other Hamas ministers and parliament members in a clampdown against their organization. During his eleven-day detainment...
of Hamas, was arrested by the IDF in a raid on his village close to the West Bank city of Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
. An aide to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
from Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
, Saeb Erekat
Saeb Erekat
Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat (also Erakat; Ṣāʼib ʻUrayqāt or ʻRēqāt, born April 28, 1955 in Jordanian controlled East Jerusalem was the Palestinian chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee until 12 February 2011...
, reacted to the arrests: "We have urged the U.S. and the EU to intervene to release the ministers and lawmakers [...] this step does not help to achieve calm."
Breach of the Gaza-Egypt border
By January 2008, the economic effects of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's blockade on Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
had reached a critical threshold, according to a United Nations study. Finally, on January 17, 2008, Israel sealed the border completely following a rise in rocket attacks. The breach of the Gaza-Egypt border
Breach of the Gaza-Egypt border (2008)
The breach of the Gaza-Egypt border began on January 23, 2008, after Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip set off an explosion near the Rafah Border Crossing, destroying part of the Israel and Egypt – Gaza Strip barrier. The United Nations estimates that as many as half the 1.5 million population of...
began on January 23, 2008, after gunmen in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
set off an explosion near the Rafah Border Crossing, destroying part of the former Israeli Gaza Strip barrier
Israeli Gaza Strip barrier
The Israel and Egypt − Gaza Strip barrier is a separation barrier first constructed by Israel in 1994 between the Gaza Strip and Israel. An addition to the barrier was finished in 2005 to separate the Gaza Strip and Egypt....
. The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
estimates that as many as half the 1.5 million population of the Gaza Strip crossed the border into Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
seeking food and supplies. Israeli police went on an increased alert due to fears that militants will acquire more weapons in Egypt. On February 3, former Palestinian Foreign Minister
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority
The Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority is in charge of foreign relations. In June 2006, Israel attacked the ministry's office in Gaza City twice...
, Mahmoud al-Zahar
Mahmoud al-Zahar
Mahmoud al-Zahar is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Since the formation of the Hamas/"Change and Reform" government in the Palestinian National Authority in March 2006, al-Zahar has served as foreign minister in the government of prime minister Ismail...
, announced that Hamas and Egypt would cooperate in controlling the border without Israeli oversight. The border was closed, after 11 days, except for travelers returning home.
Military operations
Conflict continued as three Israeli missiles hit the Palestinian Interior Ministry in GazaGaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
on February 27, 2008, hours after Palestinian militants fired more than 40 Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s into southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Israeli aircraft February 28, 2008 bombed a police station near the Gaza City home of Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
leader Ismail Haniya
Ismail Haniya
Ismail Haniyeh ; is a senior political leader of Hamas and one of two disputed Prime Ministers of the Palestinian National Authority, the matter being under political and legal dispute. He became Prime Minister after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won...
. The Israeli military says its air and ground operations against militants firing rockets from northern Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
have killed at least 23 armed Palestinians, while Palestinian sources have reported higher death tolls and say many civilians have also been killed.
Israel began its air and ground operations on February 29. The IDF's offensive in Gaza killed more than 100 Palestinians in less than a week. In contrast Palestinian fired 150 rockets at Israel during a week which killed two Israeli soldiers and a civilian. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
called for an end to clashes between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
, has accused Israel of "international terrorism", saying its assault on Gaza constitutes "more than a holocaust". Later on March 3 he has suspended all contact with Israel over its assault on Gaza as the Israeli government sent warplanes to hit more targets early on Monday and vowed to continue its offensive.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
on Sunday condemned what it called "disproportionate use of force" by the Israeli military in Gaza after 54 Palestinians were killed in the highest single day toll since fighting erupted in 2000.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
also issued a condemnation of what he termed Israel's "excessive and disproportionate" response and called on Israel "to cease such attacks," while denouncing the ongoing rocket attacks on Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
and Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
. In the Muslim world, demonstrators took to the streets to protest the IDF attacks. Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Supreme Leader
Supreme leader
A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
called on Muslims to rise up and their leaders to hit Israel "in the face with their nations' anger,". In Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters gathered at the Fatima Gate at the border between Lebanon and Israel, shouting "Death to Israel" and waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags. In Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, thousands of students held protests at universities across the country calling on Arab leaders to stop Israeli aggression and support the Palestinians. Some protesters burned Israeli and American flags. About 10,000 protesters, mainly from Jordan's mainstream Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
and smaller opposition groups, took to the streets in one of the country's most vocal and largest anti-Israeli demonstrations in recent years. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
meanwhile compared the IDF offensive to Nazi war crimes and called on the international community to stop what it called the "mass killings" of Palestinians. Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
said that the IDF attacks can have no humanitarian justification and added that Israel was rejecting a diplomatic solution to the dispute. Most Israeli tanks and troops pulled out of northern Gaza March 3, 2008, and an Israel Defense Forces spokesman confirmed that the Israeli military was ending offensive operations there after five days.
On April 9, four Hamas fighters infiltrated into Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing
Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom is a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council and a border crossing near the meeting of the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt borders.- Kibbutz :The kibbutz was founded in 1966 adjacent to the triborder area by members of Hashomer Hatzair...
and raided a fuel terminal in Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northwestern part of the Negev desert close to the border with the Gaza Strip and near the development towns of Sderot and Netivot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of...
, which was being used to deliver fuel to Gaza. Two Israeli civilian workers were killed in the attack and two others wounded. Three of the Hamas fighters were killed and one wounded by Israeli military strikes as they attempted to escape into Gaza. Shortly afterward, the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
launched a series of airstrikes on Northern Gaza, killing three Palestinians. That same day, an IDF unit from the Golani Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
's Egoz Reconnaissance Unit
Egoz Reconnaissance Unit
The Egoz Reconnaissance Unit is an elite special forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces that specializes in guerrilla and anti-guerrilla warfare among other things. The Egoz Battalion is part of the Northern Command's Golani Brigade....
was searching for militant infrastructure near the Kissufim Crossing, and were ambushed by Hamas fighters, who attacked them with gunfire and anti-tank missiles. The IDF soldiers returned fire. One IDF soldier was killed and two were lightly wounded. One Hamas operative was also killed and at least four were wounded.
On April 16, Israeli forces supported by tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters entered Gaza from the east in retaliation to the April 9 raid. Four Hamas fighters and two Israeli soldiers were killed, and three Israeli soldiers were wounded after Hamas fighters ambushed the Israeli troops. Numerous civilians died during the fighting, including a cameraman employed by Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
.
On April 19, Hamas launched an attack against the Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom is a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council and a border crossing near the meeting of the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt borders.- Kibbutz :The kibbutz was founded in 1966 adjacent to the triborder area by members of Hashomer Hatzair...
crossing on the Israel-Gaza border, which was being used to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The attack began in the early morning under the cover of fog, when three cars carrying explosives, including two disguised as IDF vehicles approached the crossing as mortars and rockets were fired at Southern Israel, and small arms fired at troops in the area. A Hamas armored personnel carrier confiscated from Palestinian Authority security forces managed to knock a hole through the fence, allowing two vehicle bombs to enter. The first vehicle detonated, after which all of the soldiers managed to get into armored cars before the second vehicle was detonated. Thirteen soldiers were wounded in the attack. The soldiers then chased the APC, which hit a concrete wall several hundred meters in Israeli territory, and killed its crew of three. At the same time, an IDF tank fired at another Hamas armored vehicle approaching the border near the Kissufim Crossing, killing the driver. The Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
responded with airstrikes. Nine Palestinians, including six Hamas operatives, were killed.
Conflict after truce
On November 4, 2008, Israel carried out a minimal incursion into the Gaza Strip to destroy what Israel claimed was a tunnel being dug by militants to infiltrate into Israel and kidnap soldiers. Israeli infantry, tanks, and armored bulldozers crossed 250 meters into Gazan territory to destroy the tunnel. After Palestinian militants were alerted to the presence of the forces, a gunfight broke out, during which one Hamas fighter was killed. Hamas fighters launched a mortar and rocket barrage against the Israelis. Three Israeli precision airstrikes on Hamas mortar and rocket positions were conducted, killing five Hamas fighters. Three Israeli soldiers were also injured during the operation. According to eyewitnesses, another three Hamas fighters were wounded by an Israeli UAVUnmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
strike over the el-Burejj refugee camp. Hamas responded to the attack by firing 35 Qassam rockets and mortar shells into the Negev. Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel sharply increased throughout November 2008, approaching pre-truce levels. In the period between the November 4 incident and mid-December, over 200 rockets and mortar shells hit Southern Israel. Clashes also erupted along the border, during which 11 Palestinian militants were killed. On December 24, 2008, following the official expiration of the truce on December 19, 2008, Hamas fired a fresh barrage of rockets into Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The barrage of more than 60 mortar shells and Qassam and Katyusha rockets from Gaza, reaching as far north as Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
and as far south as Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom
Kerem Shalom is a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council and a border crossing near the meeting of the Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt borders.- Kibbutz :The kibbutz was founded in 1966 adjacent to the triborder area by members of Hashomer Hatzair...
, further into Israeli territory than ever before, killed one person and caused widespread panic due to the rockets' extensive ranges. Immediately following the attacks, Israel warned Hamas of intense retaliation if the attacks continued, and on December 27, with no end to the attacks, Israel launched its counteroffensive on 11:30 AM (IST
Israel Standard Time
Israel Standard Time is the standard time zone in Israel. It is two hours ahead of UTC .-History:...
), with airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least 195 and wounded around 350. About 140 of the dead were Hamas militants, according to the Israeli army. Israeli planes targeted Hamas security and training compounds, as well as weapon storage buildings, and dropped more than 100 tons of bombs. Hamas responded to the Israeli strike by launching 30 rockets, and threatening a renewal of suicide bombing attacks against Israel in a "Third Intifada". Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
condemned the Israeli attacks and opened up the Rafah Border Crossing to allow the wounded into Egyptian hospitals. Egypt also deployed 500 anti-riot police along the border. Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
also condemned the acts, calling them a
"heinous crime and convicted terrorist act." On the other hand, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
condemned Hamas, saying that "Hamas' continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop," but also urging "Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza." On January 3, 2009, IDF leadership began dropping leaflets into the Gaza Strip via airplane advising residents to leave "for their own safety" while continuing to amass tanks and ground forces near the border. The Israeli offensive, known as Operation Cast Lead
2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
The Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...
, continued into 2009.
International response
United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
states that he believes that the Qassam rocket attacks by factions in Gaza are "completely unacceptable." He has also stated that he believes that the Palestinian Authority should "take the necessary steps to restore law and order, and for all factions to abide by the ceasefire." Ki-moon also stated he is "deeply concerned by the mounting number of civilian casualties from Israeli military operations in Gaza." The Secretary General also called on Israel "to abide by international law and to ensure that its actions do not target civilians or put them under risk." Ki-moon had appointed Michael Williams to the Middle East for talks with both sides. Williams soon said "I'm troubled when I see Israeli soldiers arresting Palestinian legislators. I'm troubled that the education minister was arrested," after Israel arrested several Hamas officials in the West Bank. Williams met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr
Ziad Abu Amr
Ziad Abu Amr is a Palestinian politician, author, and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. From 18 March 2007 to 17 June 2007, he was Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority.-Background:...
in Gaza City. After continuing Israeli attacks and arrests, and the continuing rocket fire from Gaza, Williams said that "I’m very troubled by the level of violence here [...] I think the UN, the international community in general, have been very concerned about the level of intra-Palestinian violence, but also by the Israeli attacks which I know have caused civilian deaths, considerable numbers." The International condemnation of Israeli incursion were further augmented with a scathing report prepared by eight British-based rights organizations, highlighting humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip that has reached its worst point since Israel captured the territory in 1967. The report indicates more than 1.1 million people, about 80 percent of Gaza's residents, were dependent on food aid, and hospitals faced power cuts of up to 12 hours a day, and the water and sewage systems were close to collapse. United States — After the death of a woman from a rocket attack in Sderot, a representative for the U.S. Government reaffirmed the position that Israel has the right to self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack is a former United States Assistant Secretary of State. He was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005, and served until January 20, 2009.-Early career:...
also stated that his country is aware of the difficulty of targeting terrorists without civilian casualties. He added that Israel must "take all possible actions in order to avoid any civilian casualties, to avoid any undue damage to the Palestinian infrastructure and always to consider the effects of their actions on the political process, the Israeli-Palestinian track and moving that forward."
See also
- Timeline up to 2006 Gaza crisis
- 2004 Israel-Gaza conflict2004 Israel-Gaza conflictThe 2004 Israel–Gaza conflict refers to the series of battles between Palestinian militants and the Israel Defense Forces . IDF carried out airstrikes and land incursions after several qassam rocket attacks on Israel...
- 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict2006 Israel-Gaza conflictThe 2006 Israel–Gaza conflict refers to the series of battles between Palestinian militants and the Israel Defense Forces . Large-scale conventional warfare beyond the peripheries of the Gaza Strip began when Israel launched Operation Summer Rains , the codename for an IDF military operation in the...
- 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict casualties timeline2006 Israel-Gaza conflict casualties timelineThis is the account of major events and casualties suffered by Israelis and Palestinians during the 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict.-2006:-June 25, 2006:...
- 2008 Israel-Gaza conflict
- List of Qassam rocket attacks
- Israeli casualties of war
External links
- Israel Politik A blog by Israel’s New York Consulate set up to present all aspects of the situation in Sderot to international media http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3402523,00.html#n
- UNwatch, Goldstone Gaza Report: Col. Richard Kemp Testifies at U.N. Emergency Session