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 Islamic Jihad 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: 153 Soldiers: 114 Civilians: 39	Total Killed: 905* Fighters: 400-650+** (IDF) Civilians: 380-491***(MoH) Total Wounded: 3,860****(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 fighters that were reported killed by the IDF at least 138 were members of the regular police forces. ***One source claimed at least 380 civilians dead, however other sources claimed 491 dead, among them: 4 UN and 12 medical workers, 280 children, 98 women and 97 elderly people. Also, two foreigners, a Ukrainian woman and her child, were among the dead. ****Among the wounded there were 1,333 children and 587 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 into 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 prevent the rearming of Hamas. Hamas demands the cessation of Israeli attacks and an end to the Israeli blockade.

As of 12 January 2009, 13 Israelis and 905 Palestinians are estimated to have perished in the conflict. All but three of the Israeli casualties have been soldiers, while 333 of the Gaza casualties have been women and children. 257 children in Gaza have been killed, making up a third of Palestinian casualties.

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 has coordinated daily three-hour "humanitarian ceasefires", which Hamas has largely 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, Blockade of the Gaza Strip, and Hudna

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

Israel–Hamas truce

File:Graph showing total Israelis and Gazans killed by month for 2008.jpg

On 19 June 2008, an Egyptian-brokered six-month temporary truce agreement "for the Gaza area" went into effect between Hamas and Israel. Hamas called the truce a tahdiya ("period of calm"), a simple ceasefire which differs from a hudna in that it involves no acknowledgement of the opposing party's actual existence.

On 24 June 2008, Islamic Jihad, an organisation independent of Hamas, fired three Qassam rockets from Gaza into Sderot, Israel, causing two minor injuries. Islamic Jihad stated it retaliated an Israeli raid on the West Bank, outside of the cease fire area, in which a commander of Islamic Jihad and one other Palestinian were killed. In response to the Qassam attack, Israel closed the border crossings into Gaza. This was criticized by Hamas claiming Israel was "backtracking on the calm".

In this early stage of the 2008 cease-fire, Hamas called on other Palestinian factions to abide by the truce, and a rocket attack on Israel by Fatah was condemned by Hamas as "unpatriotic." Hamas claimed it would imprison anyone, from its own ranks or other groups, caught firing rockets, but explicitly stated it would not police the border with Israel.

Rocket and mortar attacks continued at a rate of several rockets per month, often with no one taking responsibility. Nevertheless, rocket fire decreased 98% in the four and a half months between Jun 18 and Nov 4 in comparison with the four and half months preceding the ceasefire. Over 1,894 rockets were fired into Israel from Feb to Jun 18, 2008 and 37 were fired between Jun 18 and the beginning of November.

Israel allowed some increase in the quantities of goods trucked into Gaza, from 70 truckloads per day to ninety, but traffic was not restored to the 500-600 truckloads delivered daily before the closing and the mix of goods was also restricted. Israel 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.

On 4 November 2008, Israeli military raided a facility on the Gazan side of the border claimed to contain a Hamas-built tunnel intended to capture Israeli soldiers. Six members of Hamas were killed. Hamas considered this attack a "massive breach of the truce," and Hamas rocket attacks increased sharply in November 2008, approaching the pre-truce levels.

Ceasefire ends

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. Israel rejected these terms.

On 20 December Hamas officially announced that they would not be extending the cease-fire, 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 plans for a military option

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 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.

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. Finally, both Amnesty International and the United Nations report that in the densely populated areas of Gaza there are no "safe" places for civilians.

Launched during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the operation was named after a line in the children's Hanukkah song "In Honor of Hanukkah" (Hebrew: לכבוד החנוכה) by Hayyim Nahman Bialik in which a dreidel made of "cast lead" is mentioned.

Months before the attack, Matan Vilnai, the Deputy Defence Minister of Israel, had issued a warning that the Gaza could face a second Holocaust if the rocket barrage doesn't stop.

Timeline

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

Initial bombardment

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.

Week of air strikes

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.

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.

On January 12 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.

Temporary humanitarian truce

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 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.

Attack on Gaza City

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.

Notable 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.

Al-Fakhura school (UNRWA)

Main article: UNRWA school

Among the three UNRWA schools hit by Israeli forces on January 6, 2009, was the al-Fakhura school in Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, where 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 shelters, which are not constructed to withstand bombardments, are already marked and their GPS locations are provided to the IDF. According to IDF officers, the number of casualties reported by Hamas is grossly exaggerated.

On January 6, the IDF claimed that mortars had been fired at Israeli forces from inside the school "just moments before the strike", and that the attack was in response to that. The IDF stated that a number of Hamas gunmen were inside the school (including Abu Asker and Hassan Abu Asker ) and said their bodies had been found following the attack. Hamas called the claims "baseless". 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." 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. The IDF released footage of militants launching rockets from a UNRWA school in a different incident in 2007.. On January 11, the IDF released their preliminary investigation of the incident, according to which the Israeli troops who fired the shells were targeting militants in a yard adjacent to the school, but one shell missed the target by some 30 meters, the standard margin of error, and inadvertently hit the UNRWA site. Israeli officers said that the official death toll of 42 was "grossly exaggerated", comparing the incident to one in which three IDF soldiers were killed when a tank fired two rounds, believed to have a larger impact than mortar rounds, into a building occupied by 50 IDF soldiers.

UNRWA officials in Gaza claimed that there was no militant activity at the school at the time preceding the attack, but did not rule out any activity from outside the school. Two residents stated that two Hamas fighters had fired mortars from near the school, while others stated that Hamas was firing from elsewhere within the neighborhood.

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 U.N. wanted 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.

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, but did not make any "accusations of deliberate action" at this time.. 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 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. 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 that the incident displayed elements of a war crime, 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,

Attacks from Lebanon and Syria

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 11 January, Israeli soldiers performing engineering work in the occupied Golan Heights near Syrian border came under fire from unidentified assailants in Syria. No casualties were reported.

Casualties

Citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the UN reported that as of 9 January, 800 Palestinians have been killed and 3,300 have been injured. The last official UN statement that noted the women and children casualties was on 8 January, when 758 Palestinians had been killed; 34% (257) of the dead were children and 7.4% (56) were women. An additional 3,100 injuries were then reported: 34.8% (1,080) children and 14.6% (452) women. Among the dead were also 12 Palestinian medical workers and four UN aid workers. The UN also reported that "tens of thousands" of children were traumatized. The number of children fatalities is said to have increased by 250% since the beginning of the ground operation on 3 January.

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.

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 are 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. As of 31 December, the death toll among Gaza Strip residents had reached 410, according to the director of the al-Shifa Hospital, Dr. Hussein, and more than 1,720 people were wounded, "hundreds" of them seriously. In the first 48 hours of the airstrikes, at least 32 Palestinian children were killed. A day earlier, the United Nations humanitarian chief had said that about 320 Palestinians had been killed and 1400 injured. The UN said that civilian casualties, defined only as women and children, were 62. Israel said that most of the deaths and injuries were Hamas militants, and 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." 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. 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." Israeli military sources claim to have killed 305 Hamas 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.

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

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. Hamas gunmen publicly shot five suspected collaborators with Israel. Amira Hass reported in Haaretz that Hamas had executed some people suspected of collaborating with Israel. On January 5, news sources reported that Hamas claimed that it had killed nine Israeli soldiers while fighting them in the Gaza strip. Israel denied these claims. Israel claims it has captured 120 Hamas gunmen.

One Egyptian border guard was killed and one was wounded by Hamas gunmen on December 28.

By 10 January, it was confirmed that 12 Palestinian medical workers had been killed and 30 more injured since the beginning of Israel's offensive.

Humanitarian crisis

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.

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."

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. Families are moving to safer places at night to sleep.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cash

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 7 January, the eleventh 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.

Humanitarian aid

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

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 (sic) 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 on January 8th and 9th. During the January 9th truce Palestinians fired three Grad-type rockets at Ashdod, shortly after 1 pm, the truce's start-time. While supplies were being transferred through Kerem Shalom border crossing, 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.

Israel has opened the Kerem Shalom crossing, for the purposes of allowing aid (food, supplies, fuel and ambulances) to be delivered to Gaza. Palestinians have also entered Israel for medical treatment, and medics have been able to enter Gaza on several occasions.

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".

Expatriate community

Besides Palestinian civilians, the large expatriate community living in Gaza has also been a victim to the conflict, many of them trapped and unable to leave due to the bombardment as well as the blockade on its borders. Before the attacks, more than a thousand foreigners were living inside the territory, including nationals from several Western nations such as Canada, France, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United States. Philippine nationals had also been evacuated. The territory is home to foreign nationals of more than 22 countries, including people from Austria, Romania, and Spain, many of whom were allowed to leave during the attacks, although over 400 hundred still remain. The Red Cross began assisting the community's exodus in buses on December 27, 2008, but was hampered due to the lack of coordination between the United Nations and the Israeli government. On January 8, 2009, the first expatriates to die from the attacks were a Ukrainian mother and her child, while her other child was injured.

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, the report of witnessses suggests that these were Palestinian workers salvaging oxygen tanks from a welding shop and demanded "independent investigation"

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. On January 6, the New York Times reported 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 the article, 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.

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."

Attacks on journalists and media installations

Four Palestinian journalists were killed during the Israeli offensive in Gaza. One was a cameraman for the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, killed along with his wife and mother-in-law, on January 8 when Israeli forces shelled their home in Gaza City. His children were wounded, but survived.

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.

Psychological warfare

In an attempt trying to turn Gazans against Hamas, Israel sent messages stating "Urgent message, warning to the citizens of Gaza: Hamas is using you as human shields. Do not listen to them. Hamas has abandoned you and are hiding in their shelters", or dropping leaflets reading "that the IDF will continue using full force against Hamas...the toll will be very painful." At the same time, Hamas has sent its own messages to Israeli citizens' mobile phones, warning "rockets on all cities, shelters will not protect you."

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

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". It is worth mentioning that Egypt imposed Gaza Strip blockade with Israel following the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. In a subsequent meeting, Jordan stated that "the military operations were a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention". Elements in Indonesia are seeking to put together a coalition such as the one put together after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

On January 6, Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador and Hugo Chavez called for Ehud Olmert to be tried for war crimes.

Cardinal Renato Martino, a high-ranking Vatican official 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". 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 reaction

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."

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, 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. 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, 50,000 people marched to the Israeli embassy - the largest ever pro-Palestinian demonstration in the UK. In Paris 30,000 people marched with banners reading "We are all children of Gaza". Further protests were held across Europe.

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, Human Rights Watch and other international organizations 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. "It is clear to everybody what is right and what is wrong... IDF has its own version on every incident and its doing its research" he added.

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. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), regarding it a "war crime", called for an international trial for the perpertrators. 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 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 allow 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.

On 10 January, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of using white-phosphorous munitions during its offensive. The group based its accusations on its researchers based in Israel who claimed to have seen white phosphorous artillery shells being fired. Israel has denied the accusation.

Doctors have reported that the IDF is again using Dense Inert Metal Explosives in attacks.

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

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 Gilad Shalit. B'Tselem has stated that, "international humanitarian law absolutely prohibits taking and holding a person by force in order to compel the enemy to meet certain demands, while threatening to harm or kill the person if the demands are not met," and thus holding Gilad Shalit as a hostage to their demands is a war crime. Shalit is also denied rights to Red Cross visitation, which was also noted as a violation of international law.

Israeli intelligence officials suspect senior Hamas officials in Gaza are hiding in the bunker built by Israel during Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip in the basement of the Shifa, largest hospital complex in Gaza City. Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said senior Hamas officials found refuge in the hospital basement because they know Israel would not target it, due to the patients in the upper floors. Palestinian sources told Haaretz that not all the senior Hamas leaders are hiding in one place.

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."

Miscellaneous

File:Raidgaza.jpg

"Raid Gaza!" rewards the player with bonus points for striking hospitals in Gaza.

Three days after Israel's military campaign had started, a game called "Raid Gaza!" based on the event was anonymously submitted to web site Newgrounds. The game, featuring cartoony graphics and The Carpenter's song "Close to you" lets the player control the Israeli army, and awards high scores based on the number of Palestinians killed per Israeli death, ending with a quote from a UN report, stating there were 25 Palestinian deaths per 1 Israeli death during 2007. The game was before long picked up by Israeli media, which criticized it, partly because of an Ehud Olmert quote presented therein, taken out of context.

The game started a debate on the use of tragedy and satire in computer games. Raid Gaza! was criticized for being "music for the choir" and persuading no one, but lauded by Ian Bogost of Persuasive Games for offering "coherent gameplay and taking a strong position." .

See also

• Military equipment of Israel
• Palestinian domestic weapons production

External links

• Ongoing news coverage from Aljazeera, BBC News, CNN, Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Los Angeles Times, Palestine News Network
• 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict at Discourse DB
• The Palestinian Information Center
• "Israel's Attack on Gaza Strip - The reason." – 6 minutes 44 seconds long film at Google Video
• "International Law and the Fighting in Gaza" – Global Law Forum at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]

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.

Photos

• "Operation Cast Lead - A familiar story in Gaza - Israel, Hamas, World". The Daily Banter. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2009.