Operation Hot Winter
Encyclopedia
Operation Hot Winter, also called Operation Warm Winter was an Israel Defense Forces
military campaign in the Gaza Strip
, launched on February 29, 2008 in response to Qassam rocket
s fired from the Strip by Hamas
. At least 112 Palestinian militants and civilians, along with three Israel
is, were killed, and more than 150 Palestinians and seven Israelis were injured.
There was widespread international alarm at the scale of the operation, with the United States Department of State
encouraging Israel to exercise caution to avoid the loss of innocent life, and the United Nations
criticising Israel's "disproportionate use of force". The European Union
demanded an immediate end to Palestinian militant rocket attacks on Israel and also criticised what they called Israel's "disproportionate use of force."
by Hamas during an Israeli blockade of Gaza, Shin Bet officials concluded the Palestinian militant groups had smuggled large numbers of longer-ranged missiles, such as Katyushas and Grads
into the strip that were capable of reaching Ashkelon
, a city six times as large as the rocket-battered town of Sderot
.
On February 27, 2008, Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired a rocket barrage, in which they fired for the first time six Grad missiles at the industrial city of Ashkelon. While only a few people were lightly injured, the attack had a profound psychological impact. The Israeli Prime Minister and several other minister vowed a tough response. The next day, the IDF started an operation to halt, or at least decrease the rocket fire.
Troops from the Givati Brigade
, Combat Engineering forces
and the Armor Corps are also known to have been involved in the ground operation. The Israeli Air Force
was also involved, carrying out airstrikes and providing tactical support for the ground troops. A source in the IDF said that the cooperation between ground and air forces was satisfactory.
From February 29 to March 1, Israel mostly carried out airstrikes at ammo warehouses, rocket factories, rocket warehouses and launching cells, combined with small incursions close to the border. Despite the IAF presence in the whole Gaza Strip and the IDF presence in the border areas, the Palestinian militants managed to fire more than 200 rockets during the operation, most of them at Sderot, but at least 20 at Ashkelon and 1 at Netivot.
After a day in which 50 rockets were fired, IDF decided to change its strategy on March 2 and sent a whole regiment (about 2000 men) into the Northern Strip to occupy Jabalya and Sajiyah but met stiff resistance from the Palestinians. In the bloodiest day for Gaza since 2002, close to 70 civilians were killed. Military deaths totalled 4 Palestinian fighters and 2 Israeli soldiers.
On March 3, 2008 Israel, according to the IDF, was free to search for factories, terrorist infrastructure, Qassam warehouses and rocket launchers in the 2 towns. In the evening, Israel pulled out its troops from the Gaza Strip, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
said the operation ended but Israel would soon return to counter the rocket firing and said the airstrikes "would continue".
movement B'Tselem
expressed its grave concern at "the large number of children and other uninvolved (Palestinian) civilians among those killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip".
According to B'Tselem, there were 54 civilian casualties. Civilian casualties included children, women and even infants. A 13-year-old Palestinian youth was also killed in the West Bank
in the demonstrations staged by West Bank Palestinians in support of Hamas in Gaza. Militant deaths were mostly Hamas members, as well as some Islamic Jihad members, and one member of the PRC. The Associated Press
and other news outlets did not report that civilians accounted for the majority of Palestinian casualties, but that they accounted for "dozens". Israel's attacks in Gaza aired prominently on Arab TV news channels.
While expressing regret for civilian casualties, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak blamed "Hamas and those firing rockets at Israel," his office said in a statement, pledging to continue the offensive to protect Israeli towns and cities. The Israeli army said it was targeting rocket squads, and blamed militants for operating in populated areas. Associated Press
photos showed rockets being launched from densely populated areas in northern Gaza. On 5 March 2008, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
's office announced that Israel would maintain its pressure on Hamas. Olmert did leave the door open to an unofficial truce with Hamas. "If there is no rocket fire at Israel, there won't be Israeli attacks on Gaza," he told reporters. Israeli government spokesman David Baker said Israel was "compelled to continue to take these defensive measures" to protect more than 200,000 Israelis living under the threat of Palestinian rocket barrages.Militants "hide behind their own civilians, using them as human shields, while actively targeting Israeli population centers," Baker said. "They bear the responsibility for the results." Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich called Saturday's action a "pinpoint operation" provoked by the rocket attack on Ashkelon earlier in the week. She blamed the high civilian toll on Hamas' practice of using homes to store and produce projectiles. "We are not targeting homes and we have no intentions of targeting uninvolved civilians," she said. "We will target launchers and Hamas militants, and bunkers." In Washington, National Security Council
spokesman Gordon Johndroe
expressed regret for loss of civilian life on both sides but put most of the blame on the Palestinians. "There is a clear distinction between terrorist rocket attacks that target civilians and action in self-defense," he said in a statement.
One Israeli 8 year-old had his leg amputated in a rocket attack. One Israeli civilian was killed in a rocket attack in Sderot. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed by Hamas forces during an incursion into the Gaza Strip. Soldiers from the Givati infantry brigade were wounded. A much larger number of civilians have been wounded or treated for shock. The rocket attacks have caused widespread fear and hardship in Israeli border towns and have damaged millions of dollars worth of property, including schools.
slammed criticism of Israel for the operation, and stated that Israel had no intention to stop it. He added that critics of Israel were not heard when Israeli civilians were being hurt. Israel has denied that it has committed war crimes. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
temporarily suspended contacts with Israel, with "Israeli aggression" as the stated reason. Palestinian observer to the United Nations referred to Israeli military actions as "war crimes".
Ban Ki-Moon
said "While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks." Ban also pointed out that there had been 26 Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel on that Saturday alone. "I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism," he said.
- Slovenia, which then held the Presidency of the European Union
, called Israeli attacks disproportionate and a violation of International law, and condemned the firing of rockets into Israel.
China
- Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his country urged restraint. China also expressed "grave" concern over Palestinian casualties and called for an immediate end to the Israeli operation against the Palestinians. - Egyptian head of intelligence Omar Suleiman put off a trip to Israel because of the latter's "onslaught on the Gaza Strip". Another date for the visit, he said, would depend on "Israel's commitment to international resolutions". - condemned the use of "disproportionate force" by Israel and called for an "immediate end to this cycle of violence." India also began making preparations to ensure the safety of its 21 citizens living in Gaza
. - The Italian
foreign minister asked both sides to stop the violence. He also urged Israel to negotiate with Hamas, in reference to a truce offered by Hamas but refused by Israel. - Libya, representing Arab nations at the United Nations Security Council
, called for "an immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including military attacks and the firing of rockets, and calls upon all parties to respect [such a] ceasefire." It also objected to the categorization of Palestinian attacks as "terrorism". - Kuwait slammed Israeli attacks, calling them "senseless" and "unjust". - Mauritania, one of only three Arab League nations to keep relations with Israel, called on Israel to end the "collective punishment" and the "bloodbath"of Gaza. In the capital, Nouakchott
, an estimated 3,000 students marched in protest denouncing "The Massacre of the Israeli Army". - Pakistan condemned the loss of life as result of Israeli attacks in Gaza, and urged restraint and respect for the right of self-determination of the Palestinians. - The Saudi Press Agency
called upon the international community to stop the "mass killings" that go against international law
and humanitarian norms. - Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said "the attacks are killing children and civilians and that the attacks can have no humanitarian justification". Turkey also offered to mediate for Middle East peace, but the Erdogan said that Israel had rejected a diplomatic solution. Turkey is Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world
. - The US delegation at the UN described Palestinian attacks on Israel as "acts of terrorism", in line with Mr Ban's statement to the council. The US, meanwhile, rejected a reference to the council's concern that Israel's response is "excessive".
, said
The term "shoah" in Hebrew means "disaster"; but Ha-Shoah (The Holocaust) is primarily used in Israel to refer to the Holocaust, and is rarely used outside that context. As a result the wire service put out a story "Israel minister warns Palestinians of 'Holocaust'", provoking a controversy. Vilnai's spokesman later insisted that he meant only meant "disaster, ruin or destruction" and not "genocide".
Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas
responded to Vilinai's comments by stating that Israel's attacks were "more than a holocaust", while Hamas Chairman Khaled Mashaal also claimed that they were "the real holocaust".
Vilnai's comments were reported by several news agencies: The Guardian
ran it under the headline "Israeli minister warns of Palestinian 'Holocaust'", The Times
stated "Israel threatens to unleash 'Holocaust' in Gaza". The Saudi Press Agency
compared Israel's actions to "Nazi war crimes".
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...
military campaign 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...
, launched on February 29, 2008 in response to 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 fired from the Strip by 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...
. At least 112 Palestinian militants and civilians, along with three Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is, were killed, and more than 150 Palestinians and seven Israelis were injured.
There was widespread international alarm at the scale of the operation, with the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
encouraging Israel to exercise caution to avoid the loss of innocent life, and 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...
criticising Israel's "disproportionate use of force". 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...
demanded an immediate end to Palestinian militant rocket attacks on Israel and also criticised what they called Israel's "disproportionate use of force."
Background
After the Gaza-Egypt border breachBreach 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...
by Hamas during an Israeli blockade of Gaza, Shin Bet officials concluded the Palestinian militant groups had smuggled large numbers of longer-ranged missiles, such as Katyushas and Grads
BM-21
The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...
into the strip that were capable of reaching 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...
, a city six times as large as the rocket-battered town of 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...
.
On February 27, 2008, Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees
Popular Resistance Committees
The Popular Resistance Committees are a coalition of various armed Palestinian factions that oppose the conciliatory approach adopted by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel...
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired a rocket barrage, in which they fired for the first time six Grad missiles at the industrial city of Ashkelon. While only a few people were lightly injured, the attack had a profound psychological impact. The Israeli Prime Minister and several other minister vowed a tough response. The next day, the IDF started an operation to halt, or at least decrease the rocket fire.
Operation
According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the operation was aimed at disrupting terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. One of the targets was Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh's office.Troops from the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
, Combat Engineering forces
Israeli Engineering Corps
The Israeli Combat Engineering Corps is the combat engineering forces of the Israel Defense Forces.The Combat Engineering Corps beret's color is grey and its symbol features a sword on a defensive tower with a blast halo on the background...
and the Armor Corps are also known to have been involved in the ground operation. 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...
was also involved, carrying out airstrikes and providing tactical support for the ground troops. A source in the IDF said that the cooperation between ground and air forces was satisfactory.
From February 29 to March 1, Israel mostly carried out airstrikes at ammo warehouses, rocket factories, rocket warehouses and launching cells, combined with small incursions close to the border. Despite the IAF presence in the whole Gaza Strip and the IDF presence in the border areas, the Palestinian militants managed to fire more than 200 rockets during the operation, most of them at Sderot, but at least 20 at Ashkelon and 1 at Netivot.
After a day in which 50 rockets were fired, IDF decided to change its strategy on March 2 and sent a whole regiment (about 2000 men) into the Northern Strip to occupy Jabalya and Sajiyah but met stiff resistance from the Palestinians. In the bloodiest day for Gaza since 2002, close to 70 civilians were killed. Military deaths totalled 4 Palestinian fighters and 2 Israeli soldiers.
On March 3, 2008 Israel, according to the IDF, was free to search for factories, terrorist infrastructure, Qassam warehouses and rocket launchers in the 2 towns. In the evening, Israel pulled out its troops from the Gaza Strip, but 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....
said the operation ended but Israel would soon return to counter the rocket firing and said the airstrikes "would continue".
Casualties
As of March 4, 2008, 110 Palestinian fatalities have been reported. While Israel claims that most casualties were militants, Palestinians say more than half of the killed were civilians. March 1 has been noted as "the bloodiest day for Palestinians" since the Second intifada began in 2000, when almost half the dead were civilians including children. Israeli human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
movement B'Tselem
B'Tselem
B'Tselem is an Israeli non-governmental organization . It calls itself "The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories"...
expressed its grave concern at "the large number of children and other uninvolved (Palestinian) civilians among those killed and wounded in the Gaza Strip".
According to B'Tselem, there were 54 civilian casualties. Civilian casualties included children, women and even infants. A 13-year-old Palestinian youth was also killed in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in the demonstrations staged by West Bank Palestinians in support of Hamas in Gaza. Militant deaths were mostly Hamas members, as well as some Islamic Jihad members, and one member of the PRC. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and other news outlets did not report that civilians accounted for the majority of Palestinian casualties, but that they accounted for "dozens". Israel's attacks in Gaza aired prominently on Arab TV news channels.
While expressing regret for civilian casualties, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak blamed "Hamas and those firing rockets at Israel," his office said in a statement, pledging to continue the offensive to protect Israeli towns and cities. The Israeli army said it was targeting rocket squads, and blamed militants for operating in populated areas. Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
photos showed rockets being launched from densely populated areas in northern Gaza. On 5 March 2008, 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....
's office announced that Israel would maintain its pressure on Hamas. Olmert did leave the door open to an unofficial truce with Hamas. "If there is no rocket fire at Israel, there won't be Israeli attacks on Gaza," he told reporters. Israeli government spokesman David Baker said Israel was "compelled to continue to take these defensive measures" to protect more than 200,000 Israelis living under the threat of Palestinian rocket barrages.Militants "hide behind their own civilians, using them as human shields, while actively targeting Israeli population centers," Baker said. "They bear the responsibility for the results." Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich called Saturday's action a "pinpoint operation" provoked by the rocket attack on Ashkelon earlier in the week. She blamed the high civilian toll on Hamas' practice of using homes to store and produce projectiles. "We are not targeting homes and we have no intentions of targeting uninvolved civilians," she said. "We will target launchers and Hamas militants, and bunkers." In Washington, National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
spokesman Gordon Johndroe
Gordon Johndroe
Gordon Johndroe was Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush, Deputy Press Secretary and a spokesman for the United States National Security Council...
expressed regret for loss of civilian life on both sides but put most of the blame on the Palestinians. "There is a clear distinction between terrorist rocket attacks that target civilians and action in self-defense," he said in a statement.
One Israeli 8 year-old had his leg amputated in a rocket attack. One Israeli civilian was killed in a rocket attack in Sderot. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed by Hamas forces during an incursion into the Gaza Strip. Soldiers from the Givati infantry brigade were wounded. A much larger number of civilians have been wounded or treated for shock. The rocket attacks have caused widespread fear and hardship in Israeli border towns and have damaged millions of dollars worth of property, including schools.
Involved parties
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud OlmertEhud 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....
slammed criticism of Israel for the operation, and stated that Israel had no intention to stop it. He added that critics of Israel were not heard when Israeli civilians were being hurt. Israel has denied that it has committed war crimes. 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...
temporarily suspended contacts with Israel, with "Israeli aggression" as the stated reason. Palestinian observer to the United Nations referred to Israeli military actions as "war crimes".
-
A Hamas official declared that Israel has "crossed the line" by attacking Ismail Haniye's office building. Mahmoud az-Zahar, a prominent Hamas leader, claimed that Israel lost in Operation Hot Winter, and that these were 5 black days for BarakEhud BarakEhud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
and OlmertEhud OlmertEhud 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....
.
International
- UN Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
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...
said "While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children. I call on Israel to cease such attacks." Ban also pointed out that there had been 26 Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel on that Saturday alone. "I condemn Palestinian rocket attacks and call for the immediate cessation of such acts of terrorism," he said.
-
- The United Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilThe United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
, in a resolution sponsored by PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Muslim countries, condemned Israeli military actions, expressing "shock at the bombardment of civilian homes in Gaza." The resolution also urged all concerned parties, including Palestinian militants, to respect international human rights and humanitarian law and refrain from violence against civilian populations. To some, the resolution is testimony to the argument that the Council has been biased against Israel. CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and European UnionEuropean UnionThe 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...
countries found the resolution imbalanced. - The UN delegations of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and several WestWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
ern countries rejected a draft resolution circulated by Libya (on behalf of Arab countries) for failing to point out that Israeli military attacks were launched in response to militants firing missiles. - In a rare protest by members of the UN's most powerful body against one of their own members, several UN members walked out of a closed meeting of the Security Council after Libya compared the situation in Gaza to Nazi concentration campsNazi concentration campsNazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the Libyan envoy made the comments, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's ambassador walked out, immediately followed by the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. Dumisani KumaloDumisani KumaloDumisani Shadrack Kumalo is a South African diplomat, currently serving as the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations....
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's UN ambassador and the current council president, then ended the meeting.http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/29DACF46-3620-435B-845D-EBF0BAE3C263.htmhttp://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1208870478925 - EU presidentPresident of the European UnionPresident of the European Union could be a reference to any of:* President of the European Council * President of the European Commission...
SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
condemned both belligerents. Later, in an address to 27 EU leaders, Hans-Gert Poettering declared: "Only last Monday, at its plenary sitting, the European Parliament condemned in the strongest possible terms the appalling murderous attackMercaz HaRav massacreThe Mercaz HaRav massacre, also called the Mercaz HaRav shooting, was an attack that occurred on 6 March 2008, in which a lone Palestinian gunman shot multiple students at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, a religious school in Jerusalem, Israel, after which the gunman himself was shot dead. Eight students...
on a school in Jerusalem and the latest acts of violence perpetrated by HamasHamasHamas 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...
and other Palestinian extremists. The bombardment of Israel from the Gaza Strip must stop. This kind of resistance is terrorism and cannot, therefore, be the subject of negotiations. At the same time, ignoring the population of Gaza and supplying them with only the barest humanitarian necessities cannot be part of a workable, long-term solution."
- The United Nations Human Rights Council
- Non-Aligned MovementNon-Aligned MovementThe Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
- non-aligned movement passed a resolution condemning Israeli violence as "aggressive escalation".
- Slovenia, which then held the Presidency of 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...
, called Israeli attacks disproportionate and a violation of International law, and condemned the firing of rockets into Israel.
China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
- Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his country urged restraint. China also expressed "grave" concern over Palestinian casualties and called for an immediate end to the Israeli operation against the Palestinians. - Egyptian head of intelligence Omar Suleiman put off a trip to Israel because of the latter's "onslaught on the Gaza Strip". Another date for the visit, he said, would depend on "Israel's commitment to international resolutions". - condemned the use of "disproportionate force" by Israel and called for an "immediate end to this cycle of violence." India also began making preparations to ensure the safety of its 21 citizens living in 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,...
. - The Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
foreign minister asked both sides to stop the violence. He also urged Israel to negotiate with Hamas, in reference to a truce offered by Hamas but refused by Israel. - Libya, representing Arab nations at the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, called for "an immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including military attacks and the firing of rockets, and calls upon all parties to respect [such a] ceasefire." It also objected to the categorization of Palestinian attacks as "terrorism". - Kuwait slammed Israeli attacks, calling them "senseless" and "unjust". - Mauritania, one of only three Arab League nations to keep relations with Israel, called on Israel to end the "collective punishment" and the "bloodbath"of Gaza. In the capital, Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
, an estimated 3,000 students marched in protest denouncing "The Massacre of the Israeli Army". - Pakistan condemned the loss of life as result of Israeli attacks in Gaza, and urged restraint and respect for the right of self-determination of the Palestinians. - The Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Press Agency
The Saudi press agency ' was established in 1971 as the first national news agency. The main goal of its establishment was to serve as a central body to collect and distribute local and international news in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad....
called upon the international community to stop the "mass killings" that go against international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and humanitarian norms. - Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said "the attacks are killing children and civilians and that the attacks can have no humanitarian justification". Turkey also offered to mediate for Middle East peace, but the Erdogan said that Israel had rejected a diplomatic solution. Turkey is Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
. - The US delegation at the UN described Palestinian attacks on Israel as "acts of terrorism", in line with Mr Ban's statement to the council. The US, meanwhile, rejected a reference to the council's concern that Israel's response is "excessive".
- Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
- Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
called for a holy war on behalf of the Palestinians and warned of a "severe" reaction against Europe over the republishing of newspaper cartoons seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Ayman al-Zawahri released a tape calling on Muslims to "strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all those who participated in the attack on Muslims", and not to limit attacks in Israel, but "everywhere". Al-Zawahri also denounced Arab leaders he accused of supporting Israel — pointing to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, suggesting they too could be targets.
"Shoah" controversy
On 29 February, Israel's Deputy Defense Minister, Matan VilnaiMatan Vilnai
Matan Vilnai is an Israeli politician and a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces . He is currently Minister for Home Front Defense and a member of the Knesset for Independence.-Biography:...
, said
"As the rocket fire grows, and the range increases... they [Palestinians] are bringing upon themselves a greater 'Shoah' because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate..."
The term "shoah" in Hebrew means "disaster"; but Ha-Shoah (The Holocaust) is primarily used in Israel to refer to the Holocaust, and is rarely used outside that context. As a result the wire service put out a story "Israel minister warns Palestinians of 'Holocaust'", provoking a controversy. Vilnai's spokesman later insisted that he meant only meant "disaster, ruin or destruction" and not "genocide".
Palestinian President
President of the Palestinian National Authority
The President of the Palestinian National Authority is the highest-ranking political position in the Palestinian National Authority ....
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...
responded to Vilinai's comments by stating that Israel's attacks were "more than a holocaust", while Hamas Chairman Khaled Mashaal also claimed that they were "the real holocaust".
Vilnai's comments were reported by several news agencies: The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
ran it under the headline "Israeli minister warns of Palestinian 'Holocaust'", The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated "Israel threatens to unleash 'Holocaust' in Gaza". The Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Press Agency
The Saudi press agency ' was established in 1971 as the first national news agency. The main goal of its establishment was to serve as a central body to collect and distribute local and international news in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad....
compared Israel's actions to "Nazi war crimes".
See also
- Violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 2008Violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 2008Israel now seeks to halt the rocket and mortar fire from Gaza that has killed four Israeli civilians this year and has caused widespread trauma and disruption of life in Israeli towns and villages close to the Gaza border. In addition, Israel has insisted that any deal include an end to Hamas's...
- Rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel
- Mercaz HaRav shooting