Gaza War (2008–2009)

2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Map of Gaza
Date 27 December 2008–present Location Gaza Strip & Southern Israel Result Conflict ongoing
Belligerents
Israel (IDF)	Hamas (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) Islamic Jihad in Palestine File:Logoprc.jpg Popular Resistance Committees File:Fateh-logo.jpg Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades File:PFLP flag smoothed.svg Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Commanders and leaders
Ehud Barak (DefMin) Gabi Ashkenazi (CoS) Yoav Galant (SoCom)	Ismail Haniyeh Mahmoud az-Zahar Ahmed al-Ja'abari
Strength
176,500 (total) Backed by tanks, artillery, gunboats, and aircraft.	Hamas: 20,000 (total)
Casualties and losses
Total Killed: 13 Soldiers: 10 Civilians: 3 Total Wounded: 163 Soldiers: 120 Civilians: 43	Total Killed: 1,010* Fighters: 400-650** (IDF) Civilians: ~250 (IDF), 508+***(MoH) Total Wounded: 4,418****(MoH)
One Egyptian border guard officer killed and three guards and two children wounded.
*Casualty figures in Gaza cannot yet be independently verified. **Among the people killed the first day that were reported as "Hamas operatives" by the IDF at least 138 were members of the Hamas police forces, killed by the initial airstrikes. Overall the IDF said it had established that at least 400 of the dead were known Hamas operatives, and that it believed 250 of the remaining 500 fatalities were also Hamas operatives. ***No source has made an estimate of the total number of civilian dead. 508 is the total of the following reported dead, and does not include civilian non-elderly men: 4 UN and 13 medical workers, 4 journalists, 3 top soccer players, 311 children, 76 women, and 97 elderly people. Also, two foreigners, a Ukrainian woman and her child, were among the dead. ****Among the wounded there were 1,549 children and 652 women.

The 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, part of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict, intensified on 27 December 2008 (11:30 a.m. local time; 9:30 a.m. UTC) when Israel launched a military campaign codenamed Operation Cast Lead (Hebrew: מבצע עופרת יצוקה), targeting the members and infrastructure of Hamas. The conflict has been described as the Gaza Massacre (Arabic: مجزرة غزة) in much of the Arab World.

A six-month truce between Hamas and Israel ended on 19 December 2008, after Hamas blamed Israel for not lifting the Gaza Strip blockade and for continuing raids in Gaza, and Israel blamed Hamas for the rocket and mortar attacks directed at its southern cities. Israel's stated objectives in this conflict are to defend itself from Palestinian rocket fire and to prevent the rearming of Hamas. Hamas demands the cessation of Israeli attacks and an end to the Israeli blockade.

As of 13 January 2009, 14 Israelis (including 3 civilians) and 971 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed in this conflict. The Palestinian fatalities include 311 children and 100 women.

On the first day of the Israeli operation, the Israeli Air Force bombed roughly 100 targets in four minutes, including Hamas bases, training camps, headquarters and offices in all of Gaza's main towns, including Gaza City, Beit Hanoun, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Civilian infrastructure, including mosques, houses and schools, have also been attacked; Israel claims that many of these buildings hid weapons and personnel and that it is not targeting civilians. The Israeli Navy has shelled targets and instituted a naval blockade of Gaza, resulting in one naval incident with a civilian boat.

Hamas has intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against Israel throughout the conflict, hitting such cities as Beersheba and Ashdod. The strike range of these rockets has increased from 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) to 40 kilometres (25 mi) since early 2008. These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.

On 3 January 2009, the Israeli Defence Forces ground invasion began, with mechanised infantry, armor, and artillery units, supported by armed helicopters, entering Gaza. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak stated that this will be a "war to the bitter end," while Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwant declared Hamas would "fight until the last breath."

International reactions to the conflict have included calls for an immediate ceasefire, and concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the hindrances in delivering aid. In response, Israel announced daily three-hour "humanitarian ceasefires", which neither party has respected. The UN and the Red Cross welcomed the move, but have criticized it as being inadequate and accused Israel of "neglecting its obligations".

On 8 January, the UN Security Council approved Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops, with 14 of 15 member states supporting the resolution and one abstaining (the United States). Both Hamas and Israel have rejected the call for a ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the resolution "unworkable" due to continued rocket fire, and Hamas spokesperson Ayman Taha accused the UN of having "not taken into account the interests of our people".

Background

Main articles: Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Gaza–Israel conflict, 2007–2008 Israel–Gaza conflict, and Blockade of the Gaza Strip

See also: List of rocket and mortar attacks in Israel in 2008 and 2009.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the Palestinian-settled Gaza strip from Egypt and occupied it until the Oslo Accords of 1994, when Israel handed most of it over to the Palestinian Authority. Settlements and military areas in Gaza remained under Israel control until 12 September, 2005. Following the election of Hamas in 2006 and the Battle of Gaza (2007), Hamas came to power in Gaza.

Israel and Egypt subsequently sealed their border crossing with Gaza, on the grounds that Fatah was no longer providing security, and imposed a blockade on the territory, prohibiting all exports and allowing only enough goods to avert a humanitarian or health crisis. After two kidnappings in early 2007, many foreign journalists left the Gaza strip due to the lack of security in the zone.

Hamas and other Palestinian paramilitias increased the number of Qassam rockets and mortars fired from the Gaza strip into Southern Israel. Israel conducted airstrikes on Gaza during 2007 and 2008, against Hamas and other targets.

Hamas considers Israel an illegitimate state and Israel views Hamas as a terrorist group that must be dismantled. Thus, both sides refuse to recognize the other diplomatically, which makes it extremely difficult to create and enforce a formal cease-fire or armistice.

The Gaza strip is one of the most densely populated places on earth. According to the CIA Factbook as of June 2007, it holds a population of 1,482,405 on an area of only 360 square kilometers (139 sq mi). Almost half of the population are children aged 14 or younger (44.7% as of June 2007). As well, the UN has stated that 37% of Palestinian workers are unemployed, which means that about 8.6 dependants exist for every employed worker.

Israel–Hamas temporary ceasefire

Security agreements

Data sources: B'tselem and Timeline of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

On 19 June 2008, an Egyptian-brokered six-month Tahdia, an Islamic term for a temporary lull, "for the Gaza area" went into effect between Hamas and Israel. According to The New York Times, neither side fully respected the terms of the cease-fire. Some rockets still continued to fire from Gaza and the Israeli blockade of Gaza was loosened but not completely opened. According to The New York Times, Hamas hoped that the accord would lead Israel to suspend attacks on the West Bank and Israel hoped that the accord would lead to progress on negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit; neither hope was met.

After visiting Israel and Palestine in 2008, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated that "Palestinian leaders from Gaza were noncommittal on all issues, claiming that rockets were the only way to respond to their imprisonment and to dramatize their humanitarian plight. The top Hamas leaders in Damascus, however, agreed to consider a cease-fire in Gaza only, provided Israel would not attack Gaza and would permit normal humanitarian supplies to be delivered to Palestinian citizens." According to Carter, the Hamas administration itself was willing to consider a cease-fire in both Gaza and the West Bank but the Israelis only seemed interested in a Gaza agreement.

On 24 June 2008, Israel raided the city of Nablus on the West Bank, outside of the cease fire area, killing a commander of Islamic Jihad and one other Palestinian. Later the same day, three Qassam rockets were fired from Gaza into Sderot, Israel, causing two minor injuries; Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, stating the attack was in response to the Israeli raid. Israel, then closed border crossings into Gaza; this was criticized by Hamas which said Israel was "backtracking on the calm".

In this stage of the cease-fire, Hamas called on other Palestinian factions to abide by the truce, and a rocket attack on Israel by al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades was condemned by Hamas as "unpatriotic." Hamas claimed it would imprison anyone, from its own ranks or other groups, caught firing rockets, but also explicitly stated it would not police the border with Israel. In 28 June, Saeb Erekat, the PLO's chief negotiator, called upon all groups to honor the lull, callint it the “supreme Palestinian interest” above all else. The three rocket attacks made from 19 June to 28 June lead Israel to slow down the re-opening of Gaza border areas. In 29 June, the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center commented that Hamas preferred to extert outside pressure on the rocket attackers and refused to confront them directly.

Hamas believed that the 19 June agreement required it to end rocket attacks upon Israel in exchange for an end of the blockade. According to The New York Times:

It took some days, but they were largely successful. Hamas imposed its will and even imprisoned some of those who were firing rockets. Israeli and United Nations figures show that while more than 300 rockets were fired into Israel in May, 10 to 20 were fired in July, depending on who was counting and whether mortar rounds were included. In August, 10 to 30 were fired, and in September, 5 to 10.

Rocket and mortar attacks continued at a rate of several rockets per month. Shortly after the start of the truce, the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center commented that "rogue terrorist organizations" opposed to Hamas continued to carry out attacks. Nevertheless, rocket fire decreased 98% in the four and a half months between 18 June and 4 November in comparison with the four and half months preceding the ceasefire since over 1,894 rockets were fired into Israel from 1 February to 18 June and just 37 were fired between 18 June and the beginning of November. However, the amount of rocket fire decreased by about 20% when comparing the lull in November 2008 to the time shortly before Hamas took power in Gaza.

Monthly rocket hits in Israel in 2008.

In 20 November 2008, Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to Ismail Haniya, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and Khaled Mishaal, leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, stating that:

We recognize that until last week Hamas took efforts to halt rocket attacks by other groups as part of the June 19 ceasefire. However, throughout the ceasefire period other armed groups have continued to intermittently fire rockets from Gaza. As the governing authority in the Gaza Strip, it is your responsibility under international law to prevent such attacks, and to arrest and prosecute those who carry them out. We also urge you to take all necessary measures to curb such unlawful attacks whether or not the current ceasefire remains in place or is extended beyond its December 19 deadline. Security forces under your control in Gaza have also demonstrated an ability to curb rocket fire. On at least two occasions, Hamas security personnel arrested people accused of firing rockets. On July 10 at least three members of the Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were detained for firing rockets. All were later released however, and no charges were brought against them.

Blockade agreements

As stated before, the Palestinians who negotiated the cease-fire believed that the commerce in Gaza was to be restored to the level preceding Israel's withdrawal in 2005 and Hamas' takeover of the areas. However, Israeli officals believed that the supply lines were to be opened up gradually, in specific stages; they thusly allowed, as calculated by The New York Times, a 20% increase in the quantities of goods trucked into Gaza in the pre-lull period, from 70 truckloads per day to 90. Israel allowed in a mix of more items beyond humantarian supplies such as clothes, shoes, refrigerators, construction materials, and other goods as well. The lull increased the amount of fuel supplies from 55MW worth to 65MW worth.

During the lull, traffic was never restored to the level delivered daily before the blockade and the mix of goods remained partially restricted; the Israel government tied further easing of the blockade on whether or not the number of rockets fired from Gaza continued decreasing. Over the one month period from 4 November to 8 December, about 700 truck loads of goods went into Gaza, which is about the amount of material that would have gone through in a single day without a blockade. BBC News reported in 11 November that Gaza then recieved only 28% of the amount of goods traded before the Hamas takeover.

Israel has stated that its food imports were restricted by its inability to operate in border checkpoints facing constant Palestinian attack and not as a matter of any Israeli-imposed limits. It has accused Hamas of exacerbating fuel shortages by leading labor union strikes by power plant workers. It has also accused Hamas of underfunding the Gaza health care system and blaming the situation on Israel despite its free trade of medical supplies; as well, some indivduals who claimed to seek medical attention in Israel were in fact planning terrorist attacks and the government had to impose travel restrictions as a response. Israel also accused Hamas of continuing the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza strip via tunnels to Egypt, pointing out that the rocket attacks had not completely ceased, and complained that Hamas would not continue negotiating the release of Israeli hostage Gilad Schalit, held by Hamas in Gaza since 2006. Hamas' decision alienated it from the government of Egypt, which had linked the opening of the Gaza-Egypt border crossing with Shalit's release. In 29 June, Israeli officals had stated that they found “a certain sense of progress” on Schalit's release.

Intensification of the conflict

On 4 November 2008, Israeli military raided a Hamas-dug tunnel between Gaza and Israel on the Gazan side of the border which the Israeli military claimed was to serve to capture Israeli soldiers. Six members of Hamas were killed. Hamas considered this attack a "massive breach of the truce," and rocket attacks towards Israeli cities around Gaza increased sharply in November 2008, approaching the pre-truce levels. According to a 17 November article in The Telegraph, "since violence flared on Nov 5, Israeli forces and militants, some of them from Hamas, have engaged in almost daily tit-for-tat exchanges."

On 13 December 2008, Israel announced that it was in favor of extending the cease-fire, provided Hamas adhered to its conditions. The conditions posed by a Hamas delegation in Cairo on December 14, were that the parties return to the original Hamas-Israel ceasefire arrangement. Hamas would undertake to stop all rocket attacks against Israel if the Israelis would agree to open up the border crossings, not to reduce commercial traffic thereafter, and not to launch attacks in Gaza. At an Israeli Cabinet meeting on December 21, Yuval Diskin, the head of Israel's internal security agency, confirmed the seriousness of Hamas’s interest in maintaining the truce.

Ceasefire ends

On 20 December Hamas officially announced that they would not be extending the cease-fire, which had expired on 19 December, citing Israeli border closures as the primary reason, and resumed its shelling of the western Negev. Hamas blamed Israel for the end of the ceasefire, saying it had not respected its terms, including the lifting of the blockade, under which little more than humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza. Israel said it initially began easing the blockade, but resumed it when Hamas failed to fulfill the agreed conditions, including ending all rocket fire and halting weapons smuggling.

On 23 December, Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, said that his group was willing to renew the hudna if Israel refrained from operating in Gaza, and lifted its blockade of the Gaza strip. The same day the IDF killed three Palestinian militants, stating that the militants were planting explosives on the Gaza border. Israel was also reluctant to open the border crossings, which had been closed since November. On 24 December the Negev was hit by more than 60 mortar shells and Katyusha and Qassam rockets, and the IDF was given a green light to operate. Hamas claimed to have fired a total of 87 rockets and mortar rounds that day at Israel, code-naming the firing "Operation Oil Stain".

On 25 December 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delivered 'Last Minute' Warning to Gaza in direct appeal to Gaza's people via the Arabic language satellite channel al-Arabiya, to pressure their leaders to stop the barrages. "I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger," he said.

The remnants of Qassam rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel.

On 26 December 2008, Israel reopened five crossings between Israel and Gaza for humanitarian supplies. Despite the movement of relief supplies, militants fired about a dozen rockets and mortar shells from Gaza at Israel on Friday. Fuel was allowed in for Gaza's main power plant and about 100 trucks loaded with grain, humanitarian aid and other goods were expected during the day. Rocket attacks continued — about a dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza into Israel, one accidentally striking a northern Gaza house and killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and thirteen, while wounding a third. According to Israeli defense officials, the subsequent Israeli offensive took Hamas by surprise, thereby increasing their casualties.

A poll conducted before the 24 December rocket attacks indicated that 46% of Israelis did not support the invasion of the Gaza Strip, while 40% did. A poll conducted on 1 January, four days after the operation begun, demonstrated that a decisive majority of Israelis support continuing the army's air campaign against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip without endangering the lives of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in a ground offensive. On January 9 public opinion poll in Israel indicated that 76% oppose truce without Gilad Shalit.

Israeli offensive

Main article: Timeline of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

Objectives

Israel's stated primary goal for its ground offensive is to end years of rocket fire on its southern towns. Some media speculate that an unspoken objective is to wipe away the tarnished image of Israel's military caused by Israel's inconclusive 2006 war in Lebanon. The 34-day Lebanon campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas was marred by hasty decisions and unrealistic expectations. The Gaza offensive is meant to restore the army's credibility at home and its power of deterrence against Arab enemies.

The inconclusive outcome in Lebanon in 2006 was widely viewed as a failure in Israel, costing the Israeli defense minister, military chief and other top generals their jobs and raising questions about the army's toughness. "Things are being done in a much more orderly way," Cabinet minister Isaac Herzog said. According to this view, Israel wants to send a message to regional powers that the Middle East's most powerful army is to be feared again.

An aim articulated by Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon in televised comments was regime change: to remove the democratically-elected Hamas government. "The goal of the operation is to topple Hamas." "We will stop fire immediately if someone takes the responsibility of this government, anyone but Hamas," Ramon said.

On January 14, Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman said "We must continue to fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II," "Then, too, the occupation of the country was unnecessary," and "We need to come to a decision that we will break the will of Hamas to keep fighting."

Planning

The operation had reportedly been in planning since mid 2007, when Ehud Barak was appointed Israel's Minister of Defense, shortly after the Hamas administration had pre-empted and suppressed an attempted American-backed coup by Fatah militants, a full a year before the approximate time that the temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was signed. On 19 November, the operation plan was submitted for Ehud Barak's final approval. On 18 December, Barak met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv to approve the operation. Later, the Israeli cabinet unanimously voted in favor of the strike, leaving it for the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister and the Foreign Minister to work out the timing.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the head of the IDF's Southern Command had been calling for a military operation against Hamas since the group took over Gaza in the 2007 Battle of Gaza, but had been opposed at the national level. The paper said that a "technological threshold" had been set for the beginning of the operation, namely when Hamas became capable of manufacturing improved rockets with a greater accuracy and shelf-life. This condition was met by December 2008, when Hamas was in the middle of the rockets' production cycle.

The plan included a large intelligence-gathering operation by Aman and the Shin Bet to map out Hamas security targets. According to Haaretz, sources in the defense establishment said Barak instructed the IDF to prepare for the operation six months before it began. This intelligence-gathering effort, which was made with help from the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, brought back information about Hamas' security infrastructure, permanent bases, weapon silos, training camps, the homes of senior officials and coordinates of other facilities.

Implementation of the plan was subsequently delayed in order to see how Hamas would react after the cease-fire's expiration. On 24 December the Israeli cabinet met to talk about the proposed operation, and approved it unanimously after a five-hour meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Abou el Gheit said that Egypt didn't have prior knowledge of the date of the attack. A final meeting of defense and intelligence chiefs took place on the morning of 26 December, followed by a meeting between Olmert, Livni, and Barak. They gave the final orders for the operation to the Israeli Air Force, and that night, into the morning of 27 December, various Israeli political leaders were told of the decision.

Refugee shelters, orphan school, and mosque in Rafah that were destroyed by the IDF during Israel's assault on Gaza.

Air strikes

Israel launched its military operation at 11:30 a.m., 27 December, when more than 50 fighter jets and attack helicopters entered Gazan airspace, killing 225-292 Palestinians and wounding more than 1,000. The IAF dropped more than 100 bombs on 50 targets, which included Hamas paramilitary bases, training camps, and underground Kassam launchers. It also hit Hamas headquarters, government offices and police stations.

About 140 members of Hamas security forces were killed, including police chief Tawfiq Jabber, the head of Hamas’ security and protection unit and the police commander for central Gaza, along with at least 15 civilians. Children were reported among the casualties. Attacks on police in Gaza were justified by Israel on the grounds that they are "combatants"; however, human rights groups say that police, even if affiliated with Hamas, are not combatants and do not represent legitimate targets unless they are actively engaged in hostilities.

Some Palestinians call this day Massacre of the Black Saturday because of the magnitude of casualties inflicted. The Israeli attack is considered to be the bloodiest one-day death toll in 60 years of conflict with the Palestinians.

Following the first day of air raids, the Israeli Air Force continued to inflict massive damage in the coming week to the Palestinian infrastructure. Among their targets were ministerial buildings, Hamas training camps, offices of the Popular Resistance Committees, homes of Hamas commanders, etc. A number of high-ranking Hamas commanders were killed in the attacks, including: Nizar Rayan, Abu Zakaria al-Jamal, Jamal Mamduch and others. Many of the killed Hamas leaders had died along with their families in their own homes. By 3 January 2009, the death toll among Palestinians was at 400, 25% of them civilians.

Ground invasion

IDF infantry and armor units amassed near the Gaza border on 28 December, engaging in an active blockade of the strip. On the evening of 3 January, Israel launched its ground operation with troops entering Gaza for the first time since the operation began. The intention of the ground invasion, termed the 'second stage' of Operation Cast Lead, according to the Israeli Defense Forces website, is to secure areas within the Gaza strip from which rockets have been launched even after the previous Israeli operations.

Israeli ground troops entered Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza in the early hours. Israeli forces reportedly bisected Gaza and surrounded Gaza City, but restricted their movements to areas that were not heavily urbanised. The Israeli military said forty sites had been targeted, including targets for weapons depots and rocket launch sites.

On 3 January, the IDF attacked the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque in Beit Lahiya during evening prayers. Witnesses said over 200 Palestinians were praying inside at the time. Thirteen people, including six children, were killed. Many more people were wounded. Israel has accused Hamas of using mosques to hide weapons and ammunition.

Another three Hamas commanders were killed on 4 January: Hussam Hamdan, Muhammad Hilou and Mohammed Shalpokh.

Smoke in Gaza, January 12, 2009

As Israeli tanks and troops seized control of large parts of the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of Gazans fled their homes amidst artillery and gunfire, and flooded into the heart of Gaza city. Gun battles reportedly broke out between Israel and Hamas on the streets of Gaza, as Israel surrounded the city. On 6 January, at least 125 Palestinians and 5 Israeli soldiers were killed. 42 of the Palestinians were civilians killed when an Israeli mortar struck a UN school which housed refuges.

On 12 January, the IDF informed that it started deploying reservists forces in Gaza.

Despite the ground operation by the IDF rocket attacks by Hamas continued against southern Israel.

On the morning of 11 January, the IDF started the third stage of the operation with an attack on the suburbs of Gaza City. Israeli forces pushed into the south of the city and reached a key junction to its north. During their advance Hamas and Islamic Jihad ambushed Israeli troops at several locations and heavy fighting ensued. Additionally, the IAF reported that Hamas operatives had tried to shoot down an IAF fixed wing aircraft with anti-aircraft missiles for the first time since operations in Gaza began. Heavy machine gun fire against helicopters had also been unsuccessful.

On 13 January, Israeli tanks continued their advance toward the headquarters of Hamas' preventative security building from the al-Karramah neighborhood in the northwest and the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in the northeast. Before dawn, during the night, troops advanced 300 yards into Tel al-Hawa, a neighborhood which has several high-rise buildings. As troops entered the narrow streets heavy street fighting with militants ensued leaving three soldiers wounded and 30 militants dead or wounded, according to the IDF. By morning IDF soldiers were still advancing slowly towards the city center and several buildings were in flames in Tel al-Hawa, where most of the fighting took place.

Humanitarian truces

On 7 January, Israel began the practice of allowing three-hour truces between 1 and 4 pm (UTC+2), to allow humanitarian operations to take place in Gaza, which continues to take place each day.

After Israel faced mounting international pressure for a ceasefire in the wake of the UNRWA school attack, it announced a three-hour "humanitarian truce" on 7 January, and opened a humanitarian corridor to allow aid supplies to reach Gazans. The Israeli army promised to refrain from attacks between 1 and 4 pm (UTC+2), and Hamas responded that they would respect such a ceasefire. 80 aid trucks entered the strip, and Israel delivered industrial fuel for Gaza's power plant. According to conflicting Israeli sources, they plan to repeat this move either daily or every other day. Fighting at large resumed immediately following the end of the truce. Aid officials and the UN welcomed the truce, praising it, but said it was not enough.

Despite the cessation of hostilities, a UN aid convoy was fired upon, and two aid workers were killed. The UN initially placed blame on Israeli tank fire, though on 10 January, an Israeli investigation stated that the IDF was blameless, and the UN's sources admitted "that they were not sure in which direction the truck was headed when it was hit, and could also not say with certainty that tank shells were responsible." The UN said the delivery had been coordinated with Israel, and Chris Gunness, a UN spokesman, said that aid shipments were being suspended until the safety of UN staff could be guaranteed. As of 8 January, four UNRWA aid workers had been killed over the course of the offensive. On 9 January, the UN said its aid workers will resume movement in the Gaza strip, having received assurances from Israel that they are not being targeted.

A three-hour truce took place on 9 January as well. Palestinian militants violated the truce, firing three Grad rockets at Ashdod, and several mortar shells at the terminal of the Kerem Shalom border crossing, as it was being used to transfer supplies into Gaza. No casualties were reported.

Hamas violated the humanitarian truce on 11 January, as several rockets hit Israeli towns, including one rocket exploding in a kindergarten in Ashdod, and again on 12 January, when it fired rockets at four cities, hitting two homes, and striking close to a high school.

Palestinian militant activity

Rocket attacks into Israel

Hamas increased its rocket attacks on southern Israeli cities and communities during the conflict. Militants also began to deploy improved Qassam and Grad rockets with a range of 40 kilometers.. Rockets reached major Israeli cities Ashkelon, Beersheba and Gedera for the first time, putting one-eighth of Israel's population in rocket range and raising concerns about the safety of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, Israel's largest population center. As of January 13, Hamas had launched approximately 565 rockets and 200 mortars at Israel since the beginning of the conflict, according to Israeli security sources. Notable Qassam strikes included a direct hit on an apartment building in the center of Ashkelon, while Grad rockets struck the Makif Alef high school in Beersheba, and a home in Ashkelon on January 12.

Engagement with IDF ground forces

A Hamas fighter reported that the group has prepared a tunnel network "designed to enable Hamas fighters to attack and retreat, to ambush and kidnap, to blow up Israeli vehicles passing overhead and move undetected by aerial surveillance". Ron Ben-Yishai, an Israeli military correspondent embedded with invading ground forces, stated that entire blocks of houses were booby-trapped and wired in preparation for urban confrontation with the IDF. Other tactics include suicide bombers, hidden gunmen and attempts to capture IDF soldiers.

Attacks on Israel from outside Gaza

Rockets from Lebanon

On 8 January 2009, three Katyusha type rockets were fired at the northern Israeli city of Nahariyya from Lebanon and two Israeli civilians were injured when their home for the aged was struck. While, the IDF returned fire at the launch sites, no party has claimed responsibility for this attack. While Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made bold warnings against Israel during the commemoration of Ashura in Lebanon, the group did not claim responsibility for the attack and promised an investigation. According to the BBC, most analysts agree that Hezbollah's involvement is unlikely, though others disagree. The attacks could have come from Lebanese-based Palestinian groups with no affiliation to Hezbollah, and were condemned by the Lebanese government, which arrested 7 individuals for the attacks on January 10. UN peacekeepers also reported that a rocket cache was found near the border, apparently dating to the 2006 Lebanon War.

On 14 January 2009, at least 3 Katyusha rockets were fired at Israeli towns from within Lebanon, sending civilians in the Golan and Galilee regions into shelters, and prompting IDF artillery response aimed at the rocket launchers. No casualties were reported and no responsibilty for the attack was claimed.

Other attacks

On 11 January, Israeli soldiers performing engineering work in the Golan Heights came under fire from unidentified assailants from the Syrian-controlled parts of the Golan. while on 13 January, an Israeli army patrol on the Jordanian border was fired upon by unknown gunmen from the Jordanian side of the border. Both incidents resulted with no casualties.

Casualties

Note: Data does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants

According to Palestinian Ministry of Health and UN figures as of 12 January, 990 Palestinians have been killed and 3,860 have been injured. Of those at least 507 have been confirmed as civilians in the following breakdown: 4 UN and 13 medical workers, 4 journalists, 311 children, 78 women, and 97 elderly people. Of the 4,250 injuries: 1,497 are children 626 are women and 30 are medical workers. Among the civilians killed in the Gaza Strip were also two foreigners, a Ukrainian woman and her child.The number of children fatalities is said to have increased by 250% since the beginning of the ground operation on 3 January.

Almost one third of the victims are children including this infant burned during the Israeli offensive in Northern Gaza.

Hamas said on 4 January, that 10 of its fighters had been killed., but this number is being disputed by Israel. Four Israelis (one soldier and three civilians) had been killed in the same period by Palestinian rockets, and 9 soldiers were killed and 98 were injured during Israel's ground offensive by 9 January. Islamic Jihad also confirmed on 14 January, that two of it's fighters had been killed during fighting near the former settlement of Nitzarim.

On 31 December, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip published a list of 187 of the people killed. The UN stated that during the first three days of the operation there were over 300 dead, of which at least 60 were women or children. However, Israel claimed most of the deaths during this period were members of Hamas security forces, including Tawfik Jaber, the chief of Hamas police in Gaza. Israel said it takes careful steps to avoid harm to bystanders. In a press conference in Gaza City on 29 December, a de facto Hamas Interior Ministry spokesperson, Ihab al-Ghusein, stated that most of the victims of the attacks were "Gazans at work, not activists launching rockets." A police spokesperson, Islam Shahwan, stated that "at least 95% of the security services buildings" were destroyed, and that 138 police officers had been killed: nine in Rafah, 29 in Khan Younis, 70 in Gaza City and 30 "in the north." According to the New York Times, not all Hamas members necessarily fully accept the organisation's ideology; young men might be simply tempted by the steady work of the police force as jobs are scarce in Gaza due to an international embargo on Hamas.

Israeli military sources claim to have killed 400 to 650 Hamas and other Palestinian militants during the operation. Israeli military officials and Palestinian residents have both observed that due to the fact that many Hamas militants fight without uniforms, and are more likely to be tended by Hamas personnel than civilian hospitals in Gaza if wounded or killed, it is difficult at this time to verify the number of militant dead. Israel also claims it has captured 120 Hamas gunmen. At least one militant, that has been killed by the IDF, has been confirmed to be a foreigner and has been identified as Abu Mohammed al-Marri from Saudi Arabia.

On the Israeli side, three civilians and one soldier have been killed by rocket attacks since the Gaza offensive began. Nine soldiers have been killed in fighting in Gaza itself, of which four were killed by friendly tank fire.

Hamas gunmen publicly executed several suspected collaborators with Israel and Fatah members. Israeli and Fatah sources reported that in all between 40 and 80 Palestinians were executed and 75 wounded by Hamas.

One Egyptian border guard was killed and one was wounded by Hamas gunmen on 28 December. In addition, two border guards and two Egyptian children were wounded by shrapnel from an Israeli air strike targeting Hamas tunnels on the border on 11 January.

Israeli attempts to reduce Gazan civilian casualties

According to the Israeli government and the UN, there were widespread warnings of attacks in the form of telephone calls or leaflets dropped by the IDF to the people of Gaza. In an apparent attempt to reduce civilian casualties, Israel has employed what the IDF has named "roof knocking". Before a target is bombed, the building in question receives a telephone call in Arabic warning to evacuate the building. The procedure was used when Nizar Rayan was killed. In addition Israel warns civilian residents in areas where military operation is being escalated by dropping leaflets that read, "The IDF is not working against the people of Gaza but against Hamas and the terrorists only. Stay safe by following our orders." The UN reported that in some cases the strikes occurred only five minutes after the flee call. Given the high population density in Gaza and the proximity between their homes, this has caused "considerable" panic and uncertainty among residents. Following warnings, residents were in some cases reported to have gathered on rooftops in order to keep buildings from being bombed. Finally, both Amnesty International and the United Nations report that in the densely populated areas of Gaza there are no "safe" places for civilians.

Effects on Gazans

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that the Gaza strip humanitarian crisis is significant and should not be understated. The UN states that the situation is a "human dignity crisis" in the Gaza strip, entailing "a massive destruction of livelihoods and a significant deterioration of infrastructure and basic services". Fear and panic are widespread; 80 percent of the population cannot support themselves and are dependent on humanitarian assistance. A psychiatrist, who is the head of Gaza's mental health program, has estimated that nearly half of the population will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Prior to the IDF ground operation, Israel's foreign minister Tzipi Livni stated on January 3 that there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,and that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is "completely as it should be", maintaining Israel's earlier stance. The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, has criticised Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for declaring that there's no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. He also criticised the Security Council for not responding faster to the crisis. The International Red Cross said the situation was "intolerable" and a "full blown humanitarian crisis."

Fuel and electricity

The only power plant in Gaza is not operational due to the lack of industrial fuel and spare parts. As of 1 January, power outages last 16 hours per day. Due to localised damage following the airstrikes, some electrical lines have been cut, causing some areas to suffer from power cuts lasting 24 hours. In addition, due to the damage caused by the air strikes to 15 electrical transformers, as much as 250,000 people in central and northern Gaza have no electricity supply during the entire day and night. On the first of January, a 5MW line from Egypt to Rafah was damaged, extending the power cuts to Rafah, which usually has a continuous supply. Fuel for heating and cooking are no longer available and most of the 240 gas stations in Gaza City have been closed.

As of 4 January, there's almost total blackout in Gaza City, North Gaza, Middle Area and Khan Yunis. 90% of the telephone network, including both cellular service and land lines, is down, since it depends on backup generators with dwindling fuel stocks. Since the Israeli ground operation, 75% of Gaza's electricity has been cut off and the Palestinian technicians face difficulties reaching damaged lines because of the military attacks. As of 7 January, much of the population of the Gaza Strip continues to live without electricity.

Health

Weakened by the eighteen-month Blockade of the Gaza Strip, as of 31 December the central drug store reported that 105 drugs and 255 medical supplies of the essential drug and supplies list are still unavailable, and approximately 20 percent of the ambulances were grounded due to lack of spare parts. Ambulances are experiencing difficulties in reaching the injured because of continuous fire. Hospitals also suffer a "severe" shortage of cooking gas, which is expected to be totally depleted in the coming days. Due to this shortage, the WFP distributed canned meat and high energy biscuits. As a result of shortages, dozens of Gaza Arabs are being treated in Ashkelon's Barzilai Hospital, while others are crossing into Egypt from Gaza for treatment. According to the World Health Organisation, there are at least 1,000 medical machines out of order. As of the eighth day of war, this shortage of equipment and spare parts was still a "main challenge" but the Ministry of Health stated that "while conditions at hospitals are extremely precarious, the situation has stabilised, following the large volume of medical supplies received".

As of the fourth of January, all of Gaza City hospitals have been without main electricity for 48 consecutive hours, depending entirely on back-up generators. The hospitals warn that the generators are close to collapse. On the fourth of January, UNRWA had to close four out of its eighteen health centers because of hostilities in the vicinity, with one more center closed by the next day. On the fifth of January, generators at the Ministry of Health ambulance stations, vaccine stores, labs and warehouses shut down due to the lack of fuel, till the UNRWA delivered some short term fuel. Humanitarian organisations are receiving urgent requests for strong pain killers, body gas, bed sheets for wrapping the dead, and an urgent need for neuro-, vascular-, orthopedic- and open heart surgeons. Collateral damage to hospitals, broken windows as an example, are not being repaired. The Palestinian Red Cross has been unable to respond to many calls due to the military operations. Only urgent surgery is being carried out in hospitals and all out-patient clinics are closed, except for those dealing with urgent cases.

Danger to medical facilities and personnel

A Palestine Red Crescent medic claimed to have been deliberately fired upon by Israeli forces..

Israeli forces "completely destroyed" a clinic in the al-Meghazi area run by Catholic relief group Caritas. Twenty nearby homes were damaged in the attack. The next day, a mother and baby clinic run by Christian Aid and the Near East Council of Churches was leveled by Israeli jets. The Middle Eastern head of Christian Aid, Janet Symes, said "Now the whole clinic lies in ruins." Medical equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars was destroyed. Patients and workers were given only fifteen minutes to evacuate, before the bombing. The clinic provided essential free primary health care to the community. No reason was given for the Israeli attack.

Muhammad Ramadan of the ICRC testified to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHP-I) that his ambulance, though clearly marked with ICRC symbols was shot at by a tank despite coordination with the IDF.

On 4 January, Israeli planes bombed the A-Raeiya Medical Center and its mobile clinics. The damage is estimated to be $800,000. No warning was given prior to the bombing. The well-known center, clearly marked as a medical facility, is in the middle of a residential area, and no government or military facilities are nearby. It was serving a hundred patients a day.

Israeli forces have also attacked and damaged Danish mobile health clinics. The Danish Foreign Ministry is considering demanding compensation from Israel.

On January 12, a Palestinian doctor attempting to evacuate the wounded from a building hit by missiles in Jabaliya refugee camp was killed when a third missile was fired at the site by an Israeli helicopter.

Money

The Israeli shekel is a widely used currency in the Gaza Strip, and the territory needs at least 400 million shekels, or about $100 million each month in new currency to replace aging notes and to pay salaries. Since 24 December, the ban on the entry of banknotes into Gaza has hampered several humanitarian programs run by the UNRWA, the largest humanitarian assistance provider in the Gaza Strip. As of the 8th of January, the thirteenth day of the attacks, cash has still not entered the Gaza Strip and is urgently needed, including for the UNRWA cash distribution program to some 94,000 dependent beneficiaries, as well as for its "cash for work" program; salaries for its staff and payments to suppliers.

Shelter

The UN described the situation as a "critical protection crisis". The "entire civilian population" in the Gaza strip remains vulnerable, with no safe haven, no bomb shelters and with closed borders, making it one of the rare conflicts where "civilians have no place to flee". There is a sense of "panic, fear and distress" throughout the whole strip. Civilians have implemented a self-imposed curfew since no public warning systems or effective shelters exist. People have been evacuating their homes and staying in streets for long hours exposed to further danger, or staying with relatives. Civilians face insecurities while re-stocking basic food items, water and cooking gas. Children, 56% of the population, have no outlets and they remain "dangerously exposed" to the fighting around them.

The Palestinian Red Cross estimates that thousands of homes have been damaged and it became "increasingly difficult" for their residents to stay in them due to the cold weather. The UNRWA has prepared its schools to act as temporary shelters for displaced persons. As reported by both the Save the Children Alliance and the Al Mezan Center, prior to the IDF ground operation, more than 13,000 people (2000 families) have been displaced in the strip. The majority of those families seek shelter with relatives while others are staying at the temporary emergency shelters provided by the UNRWA. As of the thirteenth of day the Israeli military operation, 21,200 displaced Palestinian people were staying at these shelters. This number has increased by 4000 refugee, reaching 25,696 displaced Palestinians by the third week of the attacks.

Water

Since 5 November, there has been a shortage of chlorine for water treatment due to Israeli blockades, increasing the risk of outbreak of water diseases. On 27 December, Israeli airstrikes extensively damaged two water wells, rendering a population of 30,000 Palestinians without water. Since Wednesday 31 December, sewage and water systems in Beit Hanoun were hit at five locations causing considerable damage to the main sewage pipeline leading to sewage water pouring into the streets. On 2 January, airstrikes in the al-Mughraqa area damaged a main drinking water pipe, cutting off water supplies to 30,000 people in Nuseirat Camp. The UN sums the situation that as of 2 January, 250,000 people in Gaza City and northern Gaza are without water supply; seven water wells were seriously damaged and cannot be repaired due to bombardments.

As of the fourth of January, and as reported by the Palestinian Coastal Municipality Water Utility (CMWU) throughout the UN reports, 70% of the Gaza strip 1.5 million population have no access to water. The CMWU also fears that continued shelling near the Beit Lahiya sewage lagoon will cause a massive sewage overflow. In addition to agricultural areas, up to 15,000 people are directly at risk. As of the fifth of January, over 530,000 Palestinians are entirely cut off from running water and the rest are receiving water only every few days. This situation lasted till the third week of the attacks where 500,000 Palestinians still have no access to running water, another 500,000 receive water for 4-6 hours only every 5-7 days and the rest receives water for 4-6 hours every 2-3 days.

Humanitarian aid

Further information: Humanitarian aid during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

Map of countries giving emergency aid to Gaza in 2009.

As of January 14, 2009, "the IDF has facilitated the transfer of close to 900 trucks into the Gaza Strip with over 20,000 tons of basic foods and medical supplies" since the beginning of the operation.

As of January 2, twelve Palestinians wounded in the conflict had been evacuated to Israel and were being treated in Israeli hospitals. The Fatah-affiliated Palestinian Minister for Health Fathi Abu Maghli rejected further offers of medical help, saying that it would be wrong to allow Gazans injured by Israel to receive health care in Israel. The decision "raised fears political rivalry between Fatah and Hamas is causing unnecessary suffering".

On 7 January, Israel agreed to a three-hour humanitarian truce, allowing supplies and fuel into Gaza. The UN replied that "any mechanism that facilitates the distribution of assistance is welcomed", but stated that the needs of the Gaza population are so great, that humanitarian assistance need to operate around the clock providing constant supply lines to meet the population humanitarian needs.The International Red Cross, United Nations and aid workers have reported intolerable conditions and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Human Rights Council added that "clearly, a three-hour suspension of hostilities allowed by Israel does not allow humanitarian deliveries and services to reach all those who desperately need them". The Red Cross has accused the Israeli military of failing "to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law." U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness said, "We've been coordinating with them (Israeli forces) and yet our staff continue to be hit and killed." He also said that "our personnel is coming under deliberate attack by the Israeli army and our installations have been directly hit."

On January 9th, the UN said its aid workers will resume movement in the Gaza strip, having received assurances from Israel that they are not being targeted.

Israel has repeated the temporary truce every day from January 8th to 13th. Shortly after 1 pm during the January 9th truce, the truce's start-time, Palestinians fired three Grad-type rockets at Ashdod. While supplies were being transferred through Kerem Shalom border crossing On January 9th, Palestinian militants fired several mortar shells at the terminal. No casualties were reported. Several countries had pledged aid after the offensive on Gaza began, promising financial support and humanitarian assistance. These include the European Union, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Libya, Lebanon, Malaysia, and South Korea. Other countries, such as Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia Iran, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom Venezuela, and Yemen, have stated that they will send relief teams, medical supplies, and food, which will provide help and relief for those who are injured or starving. Meanwhile, money is being donated to agencies currently assisting the Palestinians such as the UNRWA, the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and the World Food Programme, by countries such as Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Addressing the aid situation on January 7, Save the Children stated that, "The small amount of aid allowed in, while better than nothing, is a pitiful gesture in the face of such an overwhelming humanitarian crisis," noting that insufficient amounts of food, fuel and medical supplies were delivered. The UN has also stated that the aid delivered is insufficient to address the chronic humanitarian crisis given the "scale of the attacks".

Hamas raids on humanitarian aid deliveries

The UN reports "instances where deliveries of humanitarian aid into Gaza have been diverted" by Hamas. According to the Israeli media, Hamas has been raiding and looting trucks carrying humanitarian aid sent by Israel and international organizations. The reports claim that while the confiscated contents, which include flour and medicine, were intended to be distributed without gain among the civilian population, Hamas militants have been selling them to civilians for profit.

Effects on Israelis

With a range of up to around 40 kilometers, Hamas Grad rockets have put more than 700,000 Israeli civilians within effective missile range. Hamas has sent messages to Israeli citizens' mobile phones, warning "rockets on all cities, shelters will not protect you." BBC News, quoting Hamas run media sources, reported that Hamas claimed to have captured two IDF soldiers during the Israeli ground offensive, though the Israeli army has declared this to be an attempt at spreading demoralising disinformation. Later, Israel confirmed that one soldier was almost captured when militants attacked him from a hidden tunnel and tried to drag him into it, but he managed to escape. A large proportion of the residents of Ashkelon, a southern coastal city put in range of Grad-type rockets since the beginning of the conflict, have fled the city for the relative safety of central and northern Israel. On January 10-11, according to Israeli media, 40 percent of the residents fled the city, despite calls by the Mayor to stay.

Beginning December 27, schools and universities in southern Israel closed due to rocket threats. On December 30, an empty kindergarten in Beersheba, the area's largest city, was struck by Grad-type rockets; the following day a high school in the city was hit as well. Studies in the region resumed gradually beginning January 11, with classes taking place in bomb shelters and IDF Home Front Command representatives present at schools. Israeli Education Minister Yuli Tamir said she hoped a return to school would provide a little structure and routine in a time of great stress and uncertainty for the children. However, students were reluctant to return, with students at Sapir College in Sderot reporting less than 25 percent attendance.

Effects on foreigners

Near the conflict

At the start of the conflict, more than a thousand foreigners were living in or near Gaza, including nationals from several Western nations, most of these Palestinian dual citizens and spouses of Palestinians. As of January 8, diplomats estimated that some 400 foreign nationals from 22 countries remained in Gaza. Agencies assisting in the evacuation of foreigners, including the Red Cross, stated that their efforts were hampered by the violence, by beaurucratic obstacles and by lack of coordination between Israel, the United Nations and host countries. On January 4, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was rushed into a bomb shelter as warning sirens sounded while he was visiting the Israeli city of Sderot. On January 8, in the city of Gaza, a Ukrainian woman and her child were killed, while her other child was injured.

Elsewhere

The Israeli offensive "has prompted a wave of reprisal attacks against Jewish targets in Europe", including arson attacks against Jewish congregations in the United Kingdom and Sweden. In France, violence against Jews has spiked upwards since December 27; media reports have described this as a repercussion from the conflict. Attacks have included firebombings of synagogues in Toulouse, Paris and Strasbourg and of a Kosher restaurant. French religious leaders have condemned the attacks and appealed for calm. In Denmark, a Palestinian-Lebanese assailant allegedly opened fire on two Israelis, injuring them; Danish police suspect the incident was motivated by the Gaza crisis. In Venezuela, Jewish schools were closed for several days due to concern that they would attract anti-Israel demonstrations.

Media coverage

Ban on foreign journalists in Gaza

Israel and Egypt have refused access to Gaza by foreign journalists since November 2008. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on 29 December that journalists must be allowed access to Gaza, though the government has refused to comply. Two reporters were indicted by Israel on 13 January: Hadir Shaheen and Mohammed Sarhan are charged with reporting the start of the Israeli attack two hours before getting approval from Israeli censors. ABC News’ Simon McGregor Wood warns that the ongoing behavior is “placing Israel at risk of appearing like a military dictatorship.”

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) of Israel issued a statement on January 6 stating that, "The unprecedented denial of access to Gaza for the world’s media amounts to a severe violation of press freedom and puts the state of Israel in the company of a handful of regimes around the world which regularly keep journalists from doing their jobs."

Two days later, the Index on Censorship reported that the FPA in Israel, "expressed anger over the Israeli government's continued refusal to allow foreign journalists into Gaza," noting that despite the Supreme Court ruling that journalists on an FPA list must be allowed into the area, the government was still refusing to comply. Israeli press spokesperson, Daniel Seaman, said that the security situation was too dangerous to allow journalists to pass through the crossing, though a BBC reporter was allowed to enter, embedded with Israeli troops.

Chris Warren, a spokesperson for the International Federation of Journalists, said that the ban on foreign media entering Gaza, combined with the Military Censor's now following strict guidelines issued by the head censorship office in Israel, meant that the world was not being allowed to see what is happening in Gaza. Warren also said that as, "It's not being monitored, because it's not being reported, then almost inevitably the loss of lives, the abuse of people's human rights, is going to be greater than it would be if it was being properly reported in a way that we would usually expect."

On January 6, Ethan Bronner of the New York Times argued that the blocking of media access to Gaza was part of an "unprecedented" effort on the part of the Israeli government to "control entirely the message and narrative for reasons both of politics and military strategy." According to Bronner, journalists prevented from entering Gaza had "full access to Israeli political and military commentators eager to show them around southern Israel, where Hamas rockets have been terrorising civilians," as well as to press tours of Israel by private groups funded by Americans.

As of January 14, Al Jazeera, whose reporter Ayman Mohyeldin was already inside Gaza when the conflict began, is the only international broadcaster with journalist from inside Gaza.

The BBC also has a local producer Rushdi Abi Alouf within Gaza.

Israeli media campaign

Haaretz reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni "instructed senior ministry officials to open an aggressive and diplomatic international public relations campaign in order to gain support for Israel Defense Forces operations in the Gaza Strip." Israeli officials at embassies and consulates worldwide have mounted campaigns in local media, and to that end have recruited people who speak the native language. Israel has also opened an international media centre in Sderot. Deputy Foreign Minister Majallie Whbee has criticised the international media coverage, claiming it has not shown the Israeli side. Israel's consulate in New York began holding online press conferences on Twitter, a microblogging website. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit, responsible for media and public relations in Israel and around the world, has opened a YouTube channel called "idfnadesk", with over 40 combat videos and growing daily and a narrative video log, on the popular website YouTube. The videos contain numerous examples of aerial surveillance, contemporary combat footage, Israeli preparations and Hamas firing positions, and appears to bolster Israel's positions on contentious issues.

One of the narratives produced in this campaign has been challenged. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit uploaded a video showing an Israeli missile killing alleged Hamas militants as they were loading rockets on a truck. However, according to human-rights groups B'Tselem and Human Rights Watch, they were Palestinian workers salvaging oxygen tanks from a welding shop.

Attacks and arrests against media facilities and personnels

Media facilities, both foreign and domestic, have come under Israeli fire since the military campaign began. On December 29, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shelled the headquarters of Al-Aqsa TV, destroying the facilities, (broadcasts continue from a remote location), and on January 5, the IDF bombed the offices of the Hamas-affiliated Al-Risala newsweekly. The rooftop of the eight-story Johara tower in Al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City, which houses more than 20 international news organizations, including Turkish, French, and Iranian outlets, was hit by the IDF on January 9. The coordinates for this building, and another media building lying meters away, are known to the Israeli military, and there are floodlights on both roofs to make their presence clear. Al-Jazeera reported that at least one journalist was injured in the attack and Press TV reported that satellite transmission equipment on the roof of the building was damaged.

An IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the building had not been targeted, though it may have sustained collateral damage. Mark Regev, Ehud Olmert's spokesperson, defended the strike in an interview with Al-Jazeera, saying that communications equipment in the building could have been used by Hamas.

Two Arab journalists from East Jerusalem who work for an Iranian TV station were arrested by Israeli authorities on January 12, and charged with violating IDF censorship protocols. It is alleged that they reported on the entrance of IDF ground forces into Gaza, hours before the media was permitted by the IDF Spokesperson Unit to mention the ground operation. The two journalists denied the charges, maintaining that they merely reported what was being said in the international media.

Reactions

International reaction to the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

  Israel-Gaza

  States that have endorsed the Israeli position or condemned only Hamas.

  States that have condemned the Israeli action.

  States that have neutrally called for halt of the hostilities on both sides.

  States with no reported position at present.

Main article: International reaction to the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

World governments

Most members of the Arab League including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen have called for an end to the Israeli "attack" and/or "aggression". Cuba, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and Venezuela also criticised Israel. Iran accused Israel's supporters of condoning "Zionist terrorism". Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and the United States defended Israel's attacks and condemned Hamas. Mauritania, and later Jordan recalled their ambassadors for "consultations" bringing the number of Arab League states which maintain relations with Israel down to just Egypt.

At the 6060th UN Security Council meeting the Egyptian representative stated that the "crippling blockade imposed by Israel" is in "flagrant violation" of Israel's responsibilities under international law, international humanitarian law and its specific obligations as an "occupying power". In a subsequent meeting, Jordan stated that "the military operations were a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention".

On January 6, Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador and President Hugo Chavez called for Ehud Olmert to be tried for war crimes. On January 12, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that Bolivia will sever its ties with Israel over the "genocide" in Gaza.

Cardinal Renato Martino, a representative of the Vatican, said on January 8: "Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp." While noting that Hamas rockets into Israel were "certainly not sugared almonds", he called the situation in Gaza "horrific" and said conditions there went "against human dignity". Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, called his comments Hamas propaganda. According to The New York Times, "A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry ... said [that] 'We are astounded that a spiritual dignitary would have such words, that are so far removed from truth and dignity'", and that, in line with this, "The Vatican sought to downplay the cardinal's remarks... [so] the Vatican spokesman, Reverend Federico Lombardi, called Cardinal Martino’s choice of words 'inopportune'." While calling the cardinal "an authoritative person," Rev. Lombardi added that "The more authoritative voice and line would be that of the Pope."

United Nations

File:01-04-security-council.jpg

The United Nations Security Council meets to vote on Resolution 1860.

The United Nations Security Council issued a statement on 28 December, 2008 calling, "for an immediate halt to all violence", the Arab League, and the European Union made similar calls, as did Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philipines, South Korea, and Vietnam. Libya pushed to issue a Security Council Resolution urging for a cease-fire, an effort which the US blocked, citing the failure of the statement made December 28.

On 9 January, 2009, the United Nations Security Council voted on Resolution 1860, which was presented by the United Kingdom. Fourteen of the 15 Council members voted in favor of the resolution, with the United States abstaining. The Resolution called for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza leading to a full Israeli withdrawal, unimpeded provision through Gaza of food, fuel and medical treatment, and intensified international arrangements to prevent arms and ammunition smuggling." All members stressed the importance of an "immediate and durable ceasefire". Both Israel and the Hamas rejected the resolution and the call for a cease fire.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, has called for independent investigations into possible war crimes committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

On January 12th, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in which it strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza, which had according to the body "resulted in massive violations of human rights of the Palestinian people," and "demanded the occupying power, Israel, to immediately withdraw its military forces from Gaza." The resolution was rejected by Israel in a communique issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which said: "The resolution is not relevant and is one-sided, and was made without the support of the western democratic world," and "The Council is controlled by a majority of Muslim countries."

The president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, described Israel's Gaza offensive as a "genocide" against the Palestinian people.

Civilian protests

Further information: Civilian demonstrations and protests to the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict

Demonstrations in San Francisco

Protesters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Major protests against Israel were held world-wide in Damascus (largest to date; claimed up to 1 million people), Istanbul, London (50,000 people) Paris,, Berne, Berlin, Moscow, Athens, Malta, Amsterdam, Dublin, Madrid, The United States, Iran, Syria, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and throughout Africa. In Israel demonstrations were held both in support of the operation and against it. A hunger strike started in York Minster [16]. In Egypt, the protests resulted in the government's reopening of the Rafah border crossing to allow passage of food and medicine to Gaza. Fewer pro-Israel demonstrations were held in several American cities, and other cities.

Protesters in London, Paris, Oslo, and other cities clashed with the police. Throughout the West Bank, daily demonstrations were held against the Israeli attacks. Some demonstrations developed to "violent" clashes between stone throwers and Israeli security forces who responded with live ammunation, rubber-coated bullets, teargas and physical assault. Two protesters were killed by Israeli police. Many others suffered from teargas inhalation. There were global isolated attacks against Jews, Israelis and Jewish targets, and 300 Israeli Websites were defaced, all of which were interpreted to be in response to the conflict.

On January 10, a new wave of protests were held in Europe. In London, 20,000 people (police estimate) marched to the Israeli embassy - the largest ever pro-Palestinian demonstration in the UK. Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, gave a speech there criticizing Zionism . In Paris 30,000 people marched with banners reading "We are all children of Gaza". Further protests were held across Europe.

Controversial incidents

The Dignity

On 29 December 2008, the Free Gaza Movement sailboat Dignity set sail from Cyprus, headed for Gaza, attempting to deliver 3.5 tonnes (3.9 short tons) of medical supplies to its residents. The boat, which was boarded by Caoimhe Butterly, Cynthia McKinney, journalists from Al Jazeera and CNN, three surgeons including Dr. Elena Theoharous, was forced to turn back after a confrontation with Israeli naval vessels. According to passengers and crew, their boat was approached after dark, in international waters 90 miles off the coast of Gaza, ordered to halt, and upon refusal fired upon and rammed, thus sustaining heavy damage. Israel responded that no shooting had occurred, the sailboat was inside Israeli territorial waters, that it had failed to respond to Israeli naval radio contact, crashed into an Israeli vessel and refused Israeli assistance. Not having enough fuel to return to Cyprus, the boat docked in Lebanon.

Cyprus lodged a formal complaint regarding the incident. The Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast USA called McKinney "irresponsible", accusing her of a "provocation" that endangered many. The Free Gaza movement is contemplating a suit against Israel for deliberately damaging the boat.

Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque

Main article: 2009 Ibrahim al-Maqadna Mosque strike

On 3 January 2009, the Israeli Defense Force attacked the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque in Beit Lahiya at dusk. Witnesses said over 200 Palestinians were praying inside at the time. Thirteen people, including six children, were killed. Many more people were wounded.

Israel has accused Hamas of using mosques to hide weapons and ammunition. The IDF's Spokesperson Unit has published videos showing secondary explosions that occurred after destroying mosques, alleging that these were caused by the weapons and ammunition hidden in them.

Zeitoun incident

According to witnesses reports, on January 4, Israeli troops ordered about 110 Palestinians, mostly women and children (separately detaining the men), into a single building without running water or food in the Zeitoun district, only to shell the building 24 hours later. Initial reports suggested that anywhere between 11 (including 5 infants) and 70 were killed. Later reports stated that 30 people died in the incident. The United Nations confirmed the witnesses testimonies in a report published on January 9. The report, by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the incident was "one of the gravest" in the conflict, and called an investigation into the incident. The report offered no evidence that the attack was deliberate, and Allegro Perched, a senior U.N. official in Jerusalem who helped draft the report on the incident for OCHA, added: "We are not making an accusation of deliberate action" by the Israelis. Report of the incident was also given to the media by Norwegian doctors stationed in the Shifa Hospital, Gaza, on January 5th, and newspapers reported that the survivors of the incident were treated at Shifa hospital.

According to eyewitness accounts, while rounding up the Palestinians, Israeli soldiers shot dead several civilians, including children.

According to the Red Cross, ambulances were not given permission to enter the neighborhood to retrieve the injured from the building that day, but did so a day later. Three children had later died after they were transported to hospital. After the attack, ambulances found four children clinging to their mothers' corpses for 48 hours, though Israeli soldiers were stationed nearby and did nothing to help. Several newspapers reported that the survivors of the incident were treated at Shifa hospital, Gaza. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, said "Incidents such as this must be investigated because they display elements of what could constitute war crimes.", and called for "credible, independent and transparent" investigations into possible violations of humanitarian law.

The IDF stated that it had no knowledge of the incident, and that its forces weren't present in the area on January 4th. Israeli television reported that Gaza hospitals had no knowledge of the incident,

Al-Fakhura school (UNRWA)

Main article: UNRWA school attack

Among the three UNRWA schools hit by Israeli forces on 6 January 2009, was the al-Fakhura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, in which at least 350 Palestinians had sought refuge from the ongoing fighting. Palestinian medics and international media both reported that 42 people were killed when two mortar shells exploded near the school, spraying shrapnel on people inside and outside the building. The UNRWA later claimed that as much as 1,300 people were present at the school compound. The UNRWA shelters, which are not constructed to withstand bombardments, are already marked and their GPS locations are provided to the IDF. According to a 11 January Haaretz story, a prelimarly investigation by the IDF disputes the number of victims being reported, calling them grossly exaggerated.

On 6 January, the IDF claimed that mortars had been fired at Israeli forces from inside the school just moments before the strike and that they attacked in response. The IDF stated that a number of Hamas gunmen were inside the school, including Abu Asker and Hassan Abu Asker, and the IDF has said that their bodies were found following the attack. On January 7, an Israeli MFA spokesperson stated that the IDF had responded to mortar shells that had been fired from "the immediate vicinity of the school." The IDF has released footage of militants launching rockets from a UNRWA school in a different incident in 2007 to support its account.

UNRWA officials in Gaza have said they were "99.9 percent certain" that there was no militant activity at the school at the time preceding the attack, but that it does not necessarily contradict Israel's claim that the militants were operating close by A spokesperson for Hamas called the IDF claims "baseless". According to an unconfirmed UN claim, on 9 January the IDF conceded in private briefings that the attack was unintentional and no fire originated from the school. According to a 11 January Haaretz story, a premilinary investigation by the IDF found that the soldiers who hit the school building itself had targeted the schoolyard beside it instead and missed. However, later stories stated that the IDF believes that it did not miss, with a spokesperson saying that they "are still sticking by our official position" that the "IDF returned fire to the source".

In the words of Ynet News, "[g]lobal news agencies have decried the Israel Defense Forces strike". British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the incident and the fighting preceeding it represents "the darkest moment yet for the Middle East". Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon condemned the attack, calling it "totally unacceptable". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered officials to look into taking Israel to international courts. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the incident was a "very extreme example of how Hamas operates" and that shooting out of a UN facility at Israeli soldiers is a war crime under international law. The UN wants an inquiry into both the assault and the Israeli allegations about militants firing from its schools. Barack Obama broke his silence on the Gaza offensive and said the loss of life among civilians was "a source of deep concern" for him.

White phosphorus

Human Rights Watch and some news agencies have accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions against Palestinian civilians, with them allegedly being fired into refugee camps. The use of white phosphorus bombs against civilians is banned under international law, but it is legal to use the substance in other conditions such as to illuminate areas during night. In 13 January 2009, the International Red Cross asked Israel to exercise "extreme caution" but stated that it had "no evidence" of its illegal use against civilians.

Alleged violations of international law

Under international law warring parties are obliged to distinguish between combatants and civilians, ensure that attacks on legitimate military targets are proportional, and guarantee that the military advantage of such attacks outweigh the possible harm done to civilians. Violations of these laws are considered war crimes.

Also under international law occupying powers have certain responsibilities to those under occupation. Israel asserts that it ended its occupation of Gaza when it disengaged from the coastal strip in 2005. However, the United Nations and Human Rights Watch disagree and consider Israel an occupying power.

By the Israel Defense Forces

On 27 December, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a statement by Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and United Nations Special Rapporteur on "the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories", in his official capacity as Special Rapporteur. The statement described the Israeli airstrikes as "severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the requirements of the laws of war." In a Houston Chronicle article Falk wrote that he had "called on the International Criminal Court" to investigate Israeli leaders responsible for possible violations of international criminal law.

The UNHRC statement alleges three violations: “collective punishment” of all 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip in response to the actions of a few; ”targeting of civilians” by carrying out air strikes in “the most densely populated area of the Middle East"; and ”disproportionate military response” in that Israeli’ attacks have "destroyed every police and security office of Gaza's elected government," and "killed and injured hundreds of civilians."

Israel's response is that its military action (use of force) in Gaza constitutes acts of self-defense rather than being reprisals or punishment. Justus Weiner and Avi Bell of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs state that Israel's actions do not fall under the legal definition of collective punishment, because it has not imposed any criminal-type penalties, and there is no precedent for prosecuting collective punishment in circumstances such as these. They defend the proportionality of the Israeli attacks on the grounds that targeting of military installations is not a violation, even if attacks cause collateral damage to civilians, and that attacks were not intended to cause excessive civilian damage, even if Israel erred in its estimates.

Deliberations by the IDF during the conflict resulted in a decision that striking homes that may be used to store weapons when "sufficient warning" is given to the residents falls within the boundaries of international law and is therefore legitimate.

Attorney General of Israel Menachem Mazuz said on 11 January that the Israeli legal system is ready for wave of international lawsuits over Israeli offensive in Gaza. Mazuz further stressed that Military Advocate General participates with the approval of all military attack goals, but the decision to perform the attack is by the military: "The IDF has its own version for everything, and it performs investigations. […] It is clear to everybody what is allowed and what is forbidden, but accidents do happen."

Louis Michel, the EU Aid Commissioner, said on January 13 that Israel's military strikes in the Gaza Strip were "totally disproportionate" and that established experts in the field acknowledged and denounced Israel's lack of respect for international humanitarian law. Michel also said that, "The first obligation is that an occupying power has the obligation to preserve the life of populations, to protect them, to nourish them and to care for them. That is manifestly not the case here."

With regard to specific incidents

President Mahmoud Abbas stated he was considering taking Israel to international courts after Israeli tank shells killed 42 Palestinians seeking shelter in a U.N. school. Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza stated that "The repeated bombing of clearly marked civilian buildings, where civilians were sheltering, crosses several red lines in regard to international law."

When, after several days' delay, a team of the International Committee of the Red Cross was allowed access by Israel to parts of Gaza on 7 January, the team expressed "shock" at the deplorable conditions found in areas of Israeli operation. The Red Cross stated that "the Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded." It found instances of starvation, along with chronic illness, within 80 meters of Israeli soldiers' positions. The ICRC has concluded that the Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but neither assisted the wounded nor allowed the ICRC or the Palestine Red Crescent to do so.

On 7 January, Amnesty International accused both the Israeli Defence Forces and Palestinian gunmen of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. It accused Israeli soldiers of taking positions in Palestinian residential areas, forcing families to stay inside the building while the soldiers use the house as a military base and sniper position. This, the group said, increased the risk of attack on the Palestinian families concerned, effectively being used as human shields.

By Palestinian militants

The BBC reports that, "Witnesses and analysts confirm that Hamas fires rockets from within populated civilian areas, and all sides agree that the movement flagrantly violates international law by targeting civilians with its rockets."

Israel argues that Hamas blurs the line between civilians and combatants, and is therefore responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleges that Hamas' alleged use of "human shields" and "operational use of heavily built-up and densely populated civilian areas" violates Article 8(2)(b)(xxiii) of the Rome Statute. This statute defines as a war crime the act of "Utilizing the presence of a civilian […] to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations." It also defines Palestinian attacks as terrorist in nature, because they kill civilians in order to "sow terror" within the broader civilian population. This would constitute violation of the Laws of Armed Conflict, as outlined in Article 51(2) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

In 2007 exiled Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal, called recent rockets attacks on Israel "self defense." Hamas leaders “argue that rocket attacks on Israel are the only way to counter Israel's policies and operations, including artillery strikes. But Human Rights Watch has said that, "Such justifications do not overcome the illegality of the attacks under international humanitarian law."

The New York Times quotes a study about to be published by the Israel-based Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an independent research group that has close ties to the Israeli military establishment, saying that Hamas has methodically built its military infrastructure in the heart of population centers. According to the study, Hamas not only hides among the population, but has made a main component of its combat strategy “channeling” the army into the most densely populated areas to fight.

With regard to specific incidents

Israel has also found a map which, it argues, shows "'the deployment of explosives and Hamas forces' in the Al-Attara neighborhood in northern Gaza." This map shows that Hamas has placed many explosives and firing positions in residential areas, several mosques, and even next to a gas station. Israel concedes these are designed to kill Israeli soldiers, but says that they put the local population in extreme danger.

The house of Muhammed Barud, a senior member of the Popular Resistance Committees, was attacked on 30 December. Secondary explosions indicated the home's dual-purpose as a weapons storehouse. Nizar Rayyan and his family were killed during the attack. Israel alleges that their presence was designed to ward off Israeli attack. It pointed Arab media reports that civilians had, back in 2006, taken shifts serving as "human shields" of the Barud residence.

Hamas continues to hold Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. According to human rights group, B'Tselem holding Gilad Shalit hostage is a war crime, since "international humanitarian law" prohibits "hostage taking". B'Tselem also said that the denial of Red Cross visits to the prisoner was a "blatant violation of international law".

Israel alleges that Hamas used the Jabaliya mosque to store ammunition, and fire rockets, as evidenced by a series of secondary explosions following its bombardment. It further states that, "the Hamas police force operations room in the northern Gaza Strip was moved to the Kamal Adwan hospital, and operatives of Hamas’s naval police were situated in a school in Khan Yunis."

See also

• Military equipment of Israel
• Palestinian domestic weapons production

External links

• Ongoing news coverage from Aljazeera, BBC News, CNN, Christian Science Monitor, Radio France International, The Guardian, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Los Angeles Times, Palestine News Network
• The Palestinian Information Center
• "International Law and the Fighting in Gaza" – Global Law Forum at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]
• Occupation 101
• Historical amnesia and Gaza, by Phyllis Bennis
• Who will save Israel from itself? By Mark LeVine
• Richard Falk, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, about war crimes in Gaza

Individual news articles

• "Israelis Face Satisfaction, Fear Over Gaza Attacks". FOXNews.com. FOX News Network. Associated Press. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
• Byers, David (31 December 2008). "Gaza: secondary war being fought on the internet". Times Online. Times Newspapers. Retrieved 7 January 2009.