fbpx
Wikipedia

2012 Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip

April 17, 2024

In November 2012, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Pillar of Defense (Hebrew: עַמּוּד עָנָן, ʿAmúd ʿAnán, literally: "Pillar of Cloud"),[23] which was an eight-day campaign in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip, beginning on 14 November 2012 with the killing of Ahmed Jabari, chief of the Gaza military wing of Hamas, by an Israeli airstrike.[24][25][26][27]

Operation Pillar of Defense
Part of the Gaza–Israel conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Iron Dome launches during operation Pillar of Defense
Date14–21 November 2012
(1 week)
Location
Gaza Strip
 Israel
30°40′N 34°50′E / 30.667°N 34.833°E / 30.667; 34.833
Result

Ceasefire, both sides claim victory[6][7][8]

  • According to Israel, the operation "severely impaired Hamas's launching capabilities."[9]
  • According to Hamas, their rocket strikes led to the ceasefire deal[10]
  • Cessation of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.[11]
  • Gaza fishermen allowed 6 nmi (11 km) out to sea for fishing;[12] reduced back to 3 nmi (6 km) after 22 March 2013[13]
Belligerents
 Israel

Gaza Strip (under Hamas government)

Commanders and leaders

Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister
Ehud Barak
Minister of Defense
Benny Gantz
Chief of General Staff
Amir Eshel
Air Force Commander

Yoram Cohen
Director of Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet)

Ismail Haniyeh
(Prime Minister of the Hamas Authority)
Mohammed Deif
(Commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades)
Ahmed Jabari (KIA)
(Deputy commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades)

Ramadan Shallah
(Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad)
Abu Jamal[2]
(spokesperson of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades)
Strength
Israeli Southern Command and up to 75,000 reservists[14] 10,000 Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
8,000 Islamic Jihad
Unknown for the rest
10,000 Security forces.[15]
Casualties and losses

Civilians:
4 killed, 219 injured[16]

Combatants:
2 killed, 20 wounded

Civilians:
105 killed, 971 wounded (Palestinian claim)[17]
103 killed (UN preliminary estimate)[18]
57[19]-68[20] killed (Israeli and ITIC claim)
87 killed (B'Tselem claim)[21]

Combatants:
55 killed, 29 wounded
[17] (Palestinian claim)
101[20]-120[19] killed (Israeli claim)
55 killed (UN preliminary estimate)[18]
62 killed (B'Tselem claim)[21]

6 Palestinians killed for allegedly spying for Israel[22]

The operation was preceded by a period with a number of mutual Israeli–Palestinian responsive attacks.[28] According to the Israeli government, the operation began in response to the launch of over 100 rockets at Israel during a 24-hour period,[29][30] an attack by Gaza militants on an Israeli military patrol jeep within Israeli borders,[citation needed] and an explosion caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which occurred near Israeli soldiers, on the Israeli side of a tunnel passing under the Israeli West Bank barrier.[31][32] The Israeli government stated that the aims of the military operation were to halt rocket attacks against civilian targets originating from the Gaza Strip[33][34] and to disrupt the capabilities of militant organizations.[35] The Palestinians blamed the Israeli government for the upsurge in violence, accusing the IDF of attacks on Gazan civilians in the days leading up to the operation.[36] They cited the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the occupation of West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as the reason for rocket attacks.[24]

During the course of the operation, the IDF claimed to have struck more than 1,500 sites in the Gaza Strip,[37] including rocket launchpads, weapon depots, government facilities, and apartment blocks.[38] According to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report, 174 Palestinians were killed and hundreds were wounded.[39] Approximately 350–700 families were displaced.[40][19][41][42] One airstrike[43] killed ten members of the al-Dalu family. Some Palestinian casualties were caused by misfired Palestinian rockets landing inside the Gaza Strip.[44] Eight Palestinians were executed by members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades for alleged collaboration with Israel.[45][46][47]

During the operation, Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) further intensified their rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns, in an operation code named Operation Stones of Baked Clay (Arabic: حجارة سجيل, ḥijārat sijīl) by the al-Qassam Brigades,[48] firing over 1,456 rockets into Israel, and an additional 142 which fell inside Gaza itself.[49] Palestinian militant groups used weapons including Iranian-made Fajr-5, Russian-made Grad rockets, Qassams, and mortars.[citation needed] Some of these weapons were fired into Rishon LeZion, Beersheba, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and other population centers. Tel Aviv was hit for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War, and rockets were fired at Jerusalem.[50] The rockets killed three Israeli civilians in a direct hit on a home in Kiryat Malachi.[25][46][51] By the end of the operation, six Israelis had been killed, two hundred forty were injured, and more than two hundred had been treated for anxiety by Magen David Adom, an Israeli medical organization.[56] About 421 rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, another 142 fell on Gaza itself, 875 fell in open areas, and 58 hit urban areas in Israel.[49][57] A bus in Tel Aviv was bombed by an Arab-Israeli, injuring 28 civilians.[58]

Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other Western countries expressed support for what they considered Israel's right to defend itself, or condemned the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.[70] China,[71] Iran, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, and several other Arab and Muslim countries condemned the Israeli operation.[75] The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on the situation, but did not reach a decision.[76] After days of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, a ceasefire mediated by Egypt was announced on 21 November.[77][78][79] Both sides claimed victory. Israel said that it had achieved its aim of crippling Hamas's rocket-launching ability,[80] while Hamas stated that Israel's option of invading Gaza had ended.[81][82] According to Human Rights Watch, both sides violated the laws of war during the fighting.[83][84][85]

Etymology

Further information: Pillar of Cloud

Although the official English name of the operation is Pillar of Defense, the Hebrew name translates as Pillar of Cloud. Eytan Buchman, head of the IDF's North American media desk, explained that this usage refers to the Pillar of Cloud in the Bible that protected the Israelites during the Exodus and guided them to the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21–22).[86] The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament elaborate on the story, specifying that the Pillar of Cloud shielded the Israelites from the Egyptians' arrows and catapults. The analogy is thus to the Israel Defense Forces, which shielded Israeli citizens from rocket attacks.[87]

Hamas labelled its actions as "Operation Stones of Shale" (Qur'an 105:4).[88]

Background

Main article: Gaza–Israel conflict
Part of this section is transcluded from 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. (edit | history)
Further information: Blockade of the Gaza Strip; List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, 2012; and March 2012 Gaza–Israel clashes

The Gaza Strip is defined by the 1949 Armistice lines following the 1948 Arab–Israeli war. About 1.1 of 1.5 million residents of Gaza are registered as refugees from the war.[24] Egypt occupied Gaza from 1948 to 1967 and with the Six-Day War Israel became the occupying power.

In February 2005 Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad committed to a ceasefire, which according to some marked the end of the Second Intifada. Some place the end-date earlier in October 2004[89] Others signal the death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004 and the subsequent rise of Hamas as heralding the end of the major period conflict that was the second intifada.[90] However Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis continued following the February ceasefire. Schachter, addressing the range of end-date options, pointed to the progressive decrease in suicide bombings starting in 2004 and culminating in an indeterminate end period in 2005.[91] On 17 March 2005 the 13 main Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to be bound by the February agreement, conditional on cessation of Israeli military operations.[92]

Concurrent to the Second Intifada (2000–2005), Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon proposed the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2003, which was approved by the Israeli government in June 2004, and the Knesset in February 2005. The unilateral withdrawal plan was executed in August 2005 and completed in September 2005.[93] Nonetheless, the ICRC,[94] the UN[95] and various human rights organizations[96][97][98] consider Israel still to be the de facto occupying power due to its control of Gaza's borders, air space and territorial waters.[99][100]

The following year (2006) Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislative elections. This outcome surprised Israel and the United States who had anticipated the return of the Fatah opposition to power and, together with the Quartet, they demanded Hamas accept all previous agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist, and renounce violence.[101] When Hamas refused,[citation needed] they cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority. In mid-2006 an Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid. The United States and Israel, in response to Fatah moves in October 2006 to form a unity government with Hamas, tried to undo the elections by arming and training Fatah to overthrow Hamas in Gaza.[102] In June 2007 Hamas took complete power of Gaza by force.[103][104][105][106][101]

Israel then defined Gaza as a "hostile territory" forming no part of a sovereign state and put Gaza under a comprehensive economic and political blockade,[107] which also denied access to a third of its arable land and 85% of its fishing areas. It has led to considerable economic damage and humanitarian problems in Gaza.[108][109][110][111] The overwhelming consensus of international institutions is that the blockade is a form of collective punishment and illegal.[112][113][114][115][116] Israel maintains that the blockade is legal and necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on its cities and to prevent Hamas from obtaining other weapons.[117][118][119][120][121]

In late December 2008, a series of escalations culminated in Israel launching aerial and naval attacks on Gaza and a few days later, a ground invasion. The conflict resulted in between 1,166 and 1,417 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths (4 from friendly fire), with significant damage to infrastructure in Gaza. It ended with a unilateral ceasefire by Israel, followed by Hamas declaring a one-week ceasefire.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict in its current form dates to the split in the Palestinian Authority in 2006, which precipitated an armed conflict between Hamas and Fatah. By June 2007, Hamas had taken over the Government in Gaza and ousted its rival Fatah.[122] Following the takeover, Israel and Egypt largely sealed their border crossings with Gaza, making Gaza's economic and humanitarian position precarious.[123][124] The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that Israel's blockade of Gaza constituted "collective punishment" and was a violation of international humanitarian law,[125] and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization report on Gaza also concluded that the blockade was illegal.[126] A UN Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry described Israel's naval enforcement of the blockade as legal and appropriate.[127] Israel withdrew its civilian and military personnel in 2005. However, the United States, United Nations, and Arab League consider Israel to be an occupying power in the territory, as it controls the Strip's air and sea borders, as well as its contact with the West Bank.[128] Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States,[129] the European Union,[130] Canada,[131] and Japan.[132] It has called for the destruction of Israel since 1988.[133] Russia,[134] Turkey,[135] and Norway[136] do not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Tensions between Israel and the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip continued as the two sides experienced periodic fighting, which saw a major escalation in late 2008.[137] Israel launched Operation Cast Lead in three weeks of air and ground assaults. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the action was a response to repeated rocket and mortars fire into Israel starting in December 2008, rising to 2,378 attacks over an eleven-month period leading to the operation.[138] In the aftermath of the operation, there was a significant reduction in rocket and mortar fire from Gaza into Israel.

After the 2008–2009 escalation the two sides observed an informal and uneasy cease-fire, although rocket fire from Gaza never completely stopped and Israel conducted raids in Gaza. The IDF noted a steady increase in the number of rockets fired into southern Israel by militant groups in Gaza. By 2011, there were 680,[139] and in 2012, 797 (through 13 November).[citation needed] Hamas demanded that Israel end the naval blockade of Gaza's coastline as a condition to end rocket fire.[140][141][142][143] According to Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, the Israeli security forces killed 273 Palestinians in the Gaza strip between the end of Operation Cast Lead and 30 October 2012, 113 of whom were civilians not taking part in hostilities.[144]

According to Israeli security officials, Hamas, aided by Iranian technical experts and the Sudanese government, smuggled into Gaza Iranian-made Fajr-5 rockets with increased range and lethality. This move placed the highly populated Israeli central district and other metropolitan areas in range of rocket attacks.[145][146] However, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari stated, "We haven't sent any weapons to Gaza because it is under blockade, but we are honoured to announce that we gave them the technology of how to make Fajr-5 missiles."[147] Ali Larijani said Iran was "honored" to help Gaza's Hamas with "material and military aspects".[148] According to Reuters, there were roughly 35,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza as of November 2012.[149] Israel, which receives billions of dollars of military aid from the US, has a conscript army of 175,000, with 450,000 in reserve equipped with modern weapons systems including F-16 fighter-bombers, Apache helicopter gun ships, and Merkava tanks.[149][150]

According to Israeli security officials, Hamas, with aid from Iranian technical experts and the Sudanese government, smuggled into Gaza Iranian-made Fajr-5 rockets with increased range and lethality, placing the highly populated Israeli central district, and other metropolitan areas in range.[151][146] However, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari stated "We haven't sent any weapons to Gaza because it is under blockade, but we are honoured to announce that we gave them the technology of how to make Fajr-5 missiles."[147] Meanwhile, Ali Larijani said Iran was "honored" to help Gaza's Hamas with "material and military aspects".[152] There are roughly 35,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza.[149] Israel, which receives billions of dollars of military aid from the US, has a conscript army of 175,000, with 450,000 in reserve equipped with modern weapons systems including F-16 fighter-bombers, Apache helicopter gun ships and Merkava tanks.[149][153]

Pre-operation events

 
Gaza Strip, with Israeli-controlled borders and limited fishing zone

Several factors acted to increase tensions between Israel and Hamas.

Israel restricted Gazan fishing due to concerns the fishing boats could be used for smuggling arms and other contraband.[154][155] Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported 92 Israeli attacks within the 3 miles zone against Palestinian fishermen in the first half of 2012 with 43 men arrested, 18 boats confiscated and 4 times equipment damaged and confiscated.[156] Israel has imposed a limited fishing zone, limiting Gazan fishermen to fishing within three nautical miles instead of the twenty stipulated in the Oslo Accords.[157] Fishery provides Gaza with a large share of its food production and provided more than 12,000 jobs. According to Amira Hass, the Israeli Navy routinely fire on Palestinian fishermen, sometimes detaining and transferring them for a minor interrogation at the Shin Bet security service's offices in Ashdod. [28]

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, in July and August, 11 Israeli attacks took place and 2 fishermen were detained. One boat was confiscated.[158] On 28 September 2012, Israeli soldiers entered the Gaza Strip and attacked a group of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing at the beach near the border, wounding one of them and mortally wounding his brother.[159] The Israeli army said they had fired on two Palestinians who had entered a restricted zone near the security barrier.[28][160] The family of the killed fisherman said that the fishers used to fish there and that the soldiers knew who they were and used to watch the Palestinian fishermen.[161] In one of 11 other attacks in September, the Israeli Navy reportedly tried to drown two fishing boats.[159] In October, PCHR documented 11 Israeli attacks against fishermen in which 8 fishermen were arrested while fishing approximately 2 miles off the shore. Two fishing boats and equipment were confiscated.[162]

Also in October 2012, there were several mutual Israeli–Palestinian attacks, each a response to a previous response/attack by the other side.[28] Palestinian farmers accused Israeli forces of opening fire on them and on local and international activists while they harvested olives near the border in the northern Gaza Strip. Israel said the army had no record of an attack in that area.[163][164] Palestinian groups planted bombs alongside the border and attacked Israeli farmers with rockets.[165] According to a summary by Shin Bet, 92 separate attacks occurred in October 2012, with 171 rockets and mortar shells fired against Israel.[166] Gazan groups alleged retaliation against Israeli attacks that had killed or wounded civilians and militants alike.

An arms factory in Khartoum, Sudan, alleged to have participated in arms-smuggling to Hamas, exploded on 23 October 2012. The Israeli government refused to either confirm or deny its involvement, though the explosion was widely believed to be a long-range attack by the Israeli Air Force.[167][168]

On 24 October, after a week in which dozens of rockets struck Israel and Israel conducted strikes against militant targets in Gaza,[165] 80 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over a 24-hour period. Thirty-two missiles struck the Lachish region and 28 the western Negev. A rocket strike on the agricultural area of the Eshkol region severely wounded two Thai workers. Earlier that day three members of a Palestinian rocket-launching squad had been killed by airstrikes, and Israeli tanks had returned fire at launching sites in Gaza. Hamas promised to "continue carrying the rifle...until the liberation of Palestine and the defeat of the occupation."[169][170][171] On 25 October, a ceasefire was allegedly negotiated by Egypt, but the existence of any truce was disputed both by Israeli and Palestinian officials.[172] Although aggression continued in the following days,[173] there were no more casualties on either side until 2 November.

On 2 November, a 22-year-old Palestinian who, according to the IDF, was suspected of attempting to place an explosive device on the Gaza-Israel border, was seriously wounded on Friday morning by Israeli tank fire.[174][175] According to the IDF, he had been suspected of attempting to place an explosive device on the Gaza-Israel border. On 5 November, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 20-year-old Palestinian man who approached a fence near Gaza's side of the border with Israel, reportedly ignoring warning shots and instructions to leave the area. Palestinians said that the man was unarmed, suffered from mental issues, and was constantly on medication.[176][177][178][179] His relatives later said that he had approached the border before, and that at those times, Israeli soldiers used to take him back to Gazan authorities.[180]

On 5 November, a Palestinian roadside bomb exploded and Israeli soldiers were injured. On 7 November, the armed wing of the Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad group fired a volley of rockets at Israel, a day after an Israeli strike against targets in the Gaza Strip. In the Israeli strike, one Islamic Jihad fighter had been wounded, as well as four children at a suspected rocket launch area. It also damaged a mosque and a water tower.[181] On 8 November, the IDF made a short-range incursion into Gaza after finding more bombs along the border, leading to a gunfight with the Popular Resistance Committees.[182] During the clash, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was killed. Palestinians claimed that his death occurred "by machine-gun fire, either from IDF helicopters or tanks that took part in the incident."[183][184] Later that day, Palestinian militants detonated an explosives-packed tunnel they had dug on the border, wounding four Israeli soldiers.[184][185][186] Hamas's military wing claimed responsibility for the blast, stating that it was in response to the killing of the boy.[187]

According to Arutz Sheva, 2 Qassam rockets were fired into Israel on 9 November, exploding on open ground.[188]

On 10 November, militants fired an anti-tank missile at an IDF Jeep on routine patrol near Israel's side of the border. Four soldiers were wounded, one of whom was in critical condition following the attack.[30][186][189][190] The IDF shelled the source of the fire and pre-chosen targets in the Sa'ajiya area. Four teenagers, aged 16 to 18, were killed by an Israeli airstrike in a sports stadium while they played soccer.[189][191][192] Gaza militants then fired at least 30 rockets and several mortar shells into southern Israel, The Color Red siren was sounded in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gan Yavne, and surrounding areas causing Israelis within seven kilometers of the Gaza Strip to remain near protected areas. The Gan Yavne regional council canceled school because of the rocket barrage.[182][193]

The sides continued to exchange fire for several days after the incident. Palestinian militants fired more than 100 rockets, striking homes in Israeli cities, one landing near a school. Several Israelis were wounded by shrapnel in a barrage designed to coincide with the morning commute to work. Two people were injured when their car sustained a direct hit.[30][194] Schools across southern Israel were closed. The mayor of Beersheba, Ruvik Danilovich, explained, "We have experienced hits on our education institutions in the past ... 40,000 children will remain at home today because of the attack that hit us out of the blue."[195] Israel carried out further airstrikes in Gaza. Six Palestinian militants were killed, including one militant belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.[189]

In the days before the operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel's reaction would come "at the appropriate time." However, following a cabinet meeting in the morning before the operation, Minister Benny Begin said that "the current exchange of hostilities seems to be over." According to one Israeli analyst, these mixed messages, the expected diplomatic repercussions from Egypt and the risks of a war on the eve of the Israeli elections were three factors designed to foster a laissez-faire atmosphere for Gaza's Palestinian leaders.[vague][196]

On 12 November, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) officials indicated a willingness to discuss a ceasefire. A PIJ spokesman said, "The ball is in Israel's court. The resistance factions will observe Israel's behavior on the ground and will act accordingly." However, Palestinians fired 12 rockets at Israel throughout the day.[197][198] A factory and a house were hit, and three civilians were wounded.[199] Israel asked the UN Security Council to condemn the rocket attacks, with Minister Barak saying that Israel "would not accept the harm to daily life of our civilians."[198][200]

Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist who was a mediator between Israel and Hamas in the negotiations that resulted in the release of Gilad Shalit, reported that hours before the strike that killed Ahmed Jabari, Jabari had received a draft of a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.[201][202][203][204] According to Reuven Pedatzur, the negotiations had been conducted with the consent of Ehud Barak, and a week before the strike IDF officials had asked to be briefed on their progress, but permission for the briefing was denied.[205][citation needed]

Operation timeline

Main article: Timeline of Operation Pillar of Defense

Ceasefire

The two main parties, Israel and Hamas, refused to deal with each other directly. Instead, negotiations were conducted thorough intermediaries. Officials from the US and Egypt acted as the facilitators.[206]

Attempts at ceasefire

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas were mediated by Egypt. Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi predicted the negotiations would lead to positive results very soon. By contrast, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after meeting with Netanyahu, said that the process would take place in the "days ahead." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also met with Netanyahu to attempt to end the violence. Turkish foreign ministers and Arab League diplomats were sent to Gaza to promote a truce between the warring parties.[207]

According to reports in Cairo, Israel made six demands for a ceasefire:[208]

  1. No violence for a period of more than 15 years.
  2. No smuggling or transfer of arms to Gaza.
  3. End of all rocket fire and attacks on Israeli soldiers.
  4. Israel reserves the right to attack terrorists in case of an attack or of a potential attack.
  5. Israeli-Gaza crossings will remain closed (although Gaza-Egypt crossings may remain open)
  6. Egypt's politicians must guarantee the above demands.

Hamas's demands for a ceasefire included the lifting of the naval blockade of Gaza, international community guarantees for the cessation of targeted killings, an end to IDF cross-border raids, and the cessation of attack.[208][209] Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal additionally wanted "international guarantees" for the lifting of the blockade.[210]

Ceasefire of 21 November

On 21 November, Mohamed Kamel Amr, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, and Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, announced a ceasefire that would take effect at 21:00 GMT+2.[211][212] The agreement distributed by the Egyptian presidency reads:[213][214]

Understanding Regarding Ceasefire in Gaza Strip

1.a. Israel shall stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals.
  b. All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel including rocket attacks, and all attacks along the border.
  c. Opening the crossings and facilitating the movements of people and transfer of goods, and refraining from restricting residents' free movements, and targeting residents in border areas and procedures of implementation shall be dealt with after 24 hours from the start of the ceasefire.
  d. Other matters as may be requested shall be addressed.
2. Implementation Mechanism:
  a. Setting up the zero hour for the Ceasefire Understanding to enter into effect.
  b. Egypt shall receive assurances from each party that the party commits to what was agreed upon.
  c. Each party shall commit itself not to perform any acts that would breach this understanding. In case of any observations, Egypt – as the sponsor of this understanding – shall be informed to follow up.

Authored and distributed by: Office of the Egyptian president

Khaled Meshal, the exiled leader of Hamas, thanked Egypt for mediating the ceasefire and claimed that Israel had been defeated. He also praised Iran for providing militants with financing and arms.[215] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Operation Pillar of Defense had been successful and thanked US President Obama for his "unwavering support for Israel's right to defend itself."[216]

Post-ceasefire incidents

See also: 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict § Violations of the truce

An explosion took place in Gaza in unclear circumstances after the ceasefire; no casualties were reported.[217] A Palestinian man was killed and three others wounded by stray gunfire as gunmen in Gaza fired in the air to celebrate the ceasefire deal.[218] In the hour after the ceasefire was declared, twelve rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel. All of them landed in open areas.[217][219] Air raid sirens sounded in Eshkol, Sderot, Hof Ashkelon, Ashdod, Kiryat Malachi and Sha'ar Hanegev. One rocket over Ashdod was intercepted by the Iron Dome.[220]

The day after the ceasefire Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian farmer and wounded another 19. The survivors, who thought the terms of the truce allowed them access to their land, said they ventured into the Israeli-established "buffer zone" inside Gaza's border to pray, while climbing on the Israeli Defense Wall.[221] The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, complained to the organization that the attack was a violation of the ceasefire.[222] On 28 November, Israel opened fire on two fishing boats off the coast of Gaza and detained nine Gazan fishermen. According to Mahfouth al-Kabriti, the head of Gaza's fishing association, the fishermen were six miles off the coast – the limit within which, as Israel agreed in the ceasefire deal, Gazan fishermen could sail. According to the Israeli Navy, the fishermen had ventured beyond the area designated as allowable for fishing, and did not heed requests to return to the area before being detained.[223] On 30 November, another young Gazan man, 21-year-old Mahmoud Jaroun, was shot dead by Israeli forces in Rafah. According to Ma'an News Agency, Israeli forces had already violated the ceasefire several times by the beginning of December 2012 by firing at Palestinian farmers.[224] On 1 December, Islamic Jihad warned that more "Israeli violations of a ceasefire deal" would move the group to respond.[225]

Spillover

West Bank

The conflict sparked widespread protests in the West Bank, leading to an upsurge in clashes between Palestinians and the IDF.[46][226] On 14 November, two Israelis were lightly injured when their vehicle was stoned near Gush Etzion. The road from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion was closed as a result of fierce protests.[227]

On 18 November, a 31-year-old Palestinian man participating in a demonstration in Nabi Salih was killed by Israeli fire. The IDF, which described the protest as "illegal and violent", launched an investigation into the incident.[228][229] By 19 November, over 50 Palestinians had been reported injured during solidarity protests held in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Beit Ummar, and Qalandia.[230]

On 19 November, thousands marched in response to the killing of a protester the previous day.[226] An Israeli civilian vehicle was firebombed on Highway 60 in the West Bank. The passengers managed to flee before the vehicle was incinerated.[231] According to Israel Hayom, a protester in Halhul who attempted to attack an Israeli soldier was shot and killed.[231] Agence France-Presse (AFP) stated that the circumstances of the killing were unclear. The Palestinian police and ambulance service stated that no clashes had taken place where the man was killed.[226] The IDF launched an investigation into the incident. Five firebombs were thrown at an Israeli Border Police base in Atarot. Assailants opened fire on Israeli soldiers at a military base near Jenin. Palestinians tried to infiltrate Nahliel by cutting through the security fence surrounding the Israeli town. Palestinians stoned Israeli vehicles on Route 443, a main highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. A 22-year-old Palestinian in Hebron attempting to throw a firebomb at a soldier was shot and wounded. A Border Police officer was injured during a demonstration in Qalandiya.[231]

On 20 November, an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded in clashes with Palestinian protesters near Gush Etzion, and an Israeli civilian woman was moderately injured in a stoning attack on a vehicle near Husan.[46] Palestinian demonstrations throughout the West Bank that day praised the rocket strikes and called for a new uprising and the abandonment of diplomacy with Israel. According to The Christian Science Monitor, the demonstrations signaled a blow to the prestige of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has supported talks with Israel.[232]

Further protests and clashes occurred throughout the West Bank on 21–22 November. Thousands of Palestinians protested the death of Rushdi al-Tamimi, whose funeral procession passed through Ramallah and Birzeit University before ending in Tamimi's hometown of Nabi Salih. Several protesters attending the funeral lobbed stones at Israeli troops manning the entrance of the village, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of the Palestinian man killed in Hebron on 20 November. Following his burial many young protesters approached an Israeli settlement near Bab al-Zawiya Square, sparking clashes with Israeli forces who fired rubber bullets and tear gas. About 40 Palestinians were injured.[233] In the city of Nablus, hundreds of protesters waved Hamas flags.[234] The entrance to Bani Naim was closed by the IDF after clashes between them and the town's residents. Meanwhile, the northern West Bank village of al-Jalama was declared "a closed military zone" after hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators protested at the village checkpoint. Five Palestinians were arrested in house raids by the Israeli military in Ya'bad and Tubas. Israel alleged that the detained men had previously thrown stones at Israeli troops.[233]

Other

On 14 November, the Egyptian military confirmed that four rockets had been fired from Sinai toward Israel by militant groups in an area with a history in the prior eighteen months of cross-border shootings and rocket launches.[235][236]

On 20 November, a Lebanese army patrol discovered two ready-to-launch 107mm Grad rockets between the villages of Halta and Mari, about 2 miles from the Israeli border. The forces defused the rockets. IDF official Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said Palestinian factions in Lebanon were probably behind the plot. (See: List of Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel.)[237]

On 21 November, the day of the ceasefire, two rockets fired from Lebanon at Israel landed within Lebanon, according to Beirut officials.[238] The next day, the Lebanese army disarmed an additional rocket aimed at Israel, this one in Marjayoun, about 10 kilometers from the border.[238]

Casualties

Israeli casualties

 
An Israeli apartment building in Kiryat Malakhi which was hit by a rocket, killing three residents
 
Aftermath of the Tel Aviv bus bombing incident on 21 November.

Four Israeli civilians and two soldiers were killed in Palestinian rocket attacks.[239] Three of the civilians died in a direct hit on an apartment building in Kiryat Malakhi. The fourth Israeli civilian death was an Israeli-Arab contractor for the Israeli Defense Ministry who was killed in a rocket attack in the Eshkol Region.[46][240][241][242] Both of the Israeli military fatalities were killed in rocket and mortar barrages on the Eshkol Regional Council. One of them was wounded on the last day of the conflict and died of his injuries on 22 November.[243][244] By 20 November, almost 250 Israelis had been injured in rocket attacks,[245] including at least 10 soldiers.[246] Another 28 people were injured in a bus bombing in Tel Aviv.[247]

 
Building in Rishon le Zion hit by Hamas rocket
 
Israeli children running for shelter as an air-raid siren sounds.

The IDF credited the low Israeli casualty rate to a number of factors, both offensive and defensive: its preemptive targeting of launching pads and rocket arsenals, its ability to strike militants in the act of launching rockets, the 80%+ success rate of Israel's Iron Dome missile interception system, the existence of bomb-proof rooms in every Israeli house, the implementation of the Red Color alarm system, and public outreach efforts by its Home Front Command.[248]

Palestinian casualties

 
The damaged floor of a building in Gaza after Israeli strikes

In March 2013 the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a report stating 174 Palestinians in total died, 107 of them civilians.[39] According to B'Tselem, 167 Palestinians were killed, including 62 Palestinians who took part in the hostilities and seven other who were targets of assassination.[21] The Israel Defense Forces have stated that out of 177 Palestinians killed, 120 were militants, and that the IDF never deliberately targets civilians.[19][249] Based on a large-scale survey, Al Mezan counted 129 civilians and 39 combatants killed.[250] The Israeli air force says that it takes all possible measures to avoid harming Palestinian civilians, utilizing precision strikes and issuing preemptive warnings to Palestinian residents.[251] The IDF alleges that it disseminated warning leaflets instructing civilians to avoid areas used by Hamas for firing rockets, and also phoned residents in warnings. It says targets were deliberately missed on the first strike to allow the non-combatants to vacate the area and missions were aborted because of a civilian presence.[252]

 
Debris in Gaza

On 19 November 2012, an Israeli airstrike killed ten members of the Dalu family, including five children as well as two neighbors, in the deadliest single strike of the entire operation.[253] According to the UN, a relative said to be a member of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades was the target.[254] Human Rights Watch stated it had found evidence on the ground in Gaza that supported the Israeli's claim that the suspected target, Mohammad Al-Dalou, was a member of Hamas' armed wing.[255] A surviving family member denied that a warning had been given to his family to flee the home: "They didn't give us a warning. They just hit the house with the children in it. My daughters were in their youth. What did they do to them?".[256] The IDF policy of targeting family homes of alleged militants has been criticized due to the high potential of creating civilian casualties.[257] Competing theories for the attack were offered. One Israeli paper stated the IDF believed a militant was inside, while two others said the wrong house was targeted.[253] IDF spokeswoman Avital Leibovich at first stated that the event was an accident and the target was a man, Yihia Abayah, supposedly responsible for launching 200–300 rockets into Israel.[256] A relative of the family said that man is not known and rejected his existence.[258] Later, the IDF changed justification for the attack to say that it was intentional and aimed at Mohamed al-Dalu, a Gazan police officer who died in the strike.[259]

The most notable fatality of a Palestinian militant was that of Ahmed Jabari, a high-level commander in Hamas.[260] The PCHR stated that the number of injured people had reached 1,000.[261]

Combatants versus non-combatants

The media and combating parties, in counting the casualties, often use different definitions of "combatants" or "militants".[262][263] The International Committee of the Red Cross regards persons as civilians if they do not fulfill a "continuous combat function" (for example, many police officers) or do not participate directly in hostilities. Civilians are entitled to protection and may not be the object of an attack. The fact that a person killed was a member of any particular Palestinian organization does not, in and of itself, prove that he took part in the hostilities or that he lost the protection given him as a civilian.[262]

Some political or armed groups often declare killed persons, including children, one of their members and adopt them as "martyrs" placing their photographs on their websites and commending their contribution to resisting occupation. Their families may accept this for various reasons, including the willingness of armed groups to provide financial support to the families and pay for funeral costs of the persons killed. This does not mean that those persons killed were involved in militant activities in any way.[250]

Public execution of alleged informants by Hamas

Seven Palestinians have been publicly executed by militants for alleged collaboration with Israel.[46] One man, Ashraf Ouaida, was killed on 16 November near a mosque in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. An eyewitness said he saw two masked men emerge from a Jeep, drag the victim underneath a Hamas billboard and shoot him multiple times in the head, before hanging a poster citing his alleged crimes.[264]

Militants shot six other Palestinians in the street on 20 November.[46] According to witnesses, the men were pulled out of a van, forced to lie face down on the street and then shot dead. Five of the bodies were left in a pile while a mob stomped and spit on them. A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the main streets of Gaza City as onlookers screamed, "Spy! Spy!". Militants posted a sign naming the six victims. Hamas's radio station, Voice of al-Aqsa, quoted security sources, alleging that they "possessed hi-tech equipment and filming equipment to take footage of positions".[265][266]

The man whose body was tied to a motorcycle, Ribhi Badawi, was a member of Jaljalat, an Islamist group that maintains a rivalry with Hamas. Badawi's family, neighbors, and friends maintained that the allegations of his having spied for Israel were "absurd", noting that he had spent the previous four years in a Hamas prison under armed guard. His widow stated that he confessed to aiding Israel after being tortured by Hamas for seven months with methods that included being burned, having his jaw and teeth broken, and being hung for 45 days by his arms and legs.[267]

On 21 November, Hamas deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk condemned the killings as "unlawful", adding that any punishments or executions must follow the legal process. He further added that those behind the killings must be punished.[268]

Palestinian casualties from Palestinian fire

Some of the Palestinian civilian deaths are believed to have been caused by a Palestinian rocket that fell short of its target, not by Israel, and two were "high-profile" incidents.[44][51][254][269] The UN report into the events by the High Commissioner for Human Rights found that of the 174 Palestinians killed, 168 were killed by Israeli military action, while 6 civilians may have been killed by Palestinian armed groups firing rockets from Gaza.[270]

BBC Arabic photojournalist Jihad Masharawi lost his 11-month-old son and sister-in-law to what appeared to be an Israeli airstrike. Many international organizations condemned Israel for their deaths. Human Rights Watch reported that Israel was responsible for the deaths, based on "news reports and witnesses". The Palestinian Center for Human Rights stated that "an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a house belonging to Ali Nemer al-Mishrawi in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Two members of the family (a woman and a toddler) were killed: Hiba Aadel Fadel al-Mishrawi, 19; and Omar Jihad al-Mishrawi, 11 months." The latest investigation by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights suggested that the incident was most likely the result of an errant Palestinian rocket launched towards Israel, but fell back into Gaza. Two members of the family (a woman and a toddler) were initially killed: Hiba Aadel Fadel al-Mishrawi, 19; and Omar Jihad al-Mishrawi, 11 months."[270][271][272][273] Ahmed al-Mishrawi, 18, later died from his injuries.[254] According to Jihad al-Mishrawi, his residential neighborhood in the Sabra district saw no fighting before this incident.[274][275]

The death of four-year-old Mohammed Sadallah after an explosion in Annazla appeared to have been the result of a misfiring home-made rocket, not a bomb dropped by Israel as originally alleged by Hamas. Hamas officials and relatives said that the four-year-old Gazan boy was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 16 November. Israel denied that it carried out any attacks in the area at the time.[44][276] According to The New York Times, "the damage was nowhere near severe enough to have come from an Israeli F-16, raising the possibility that an errant missile fired by Palestinian militants was responsible for the deaths."[277] Experts from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights examined the site and opined that the explosion was caused by a Palestinian rocket; the boy's mother acknowledged that Palestinian militants might have been responsible.[44][269] The Associated Press reported that "no one appeared to have witnessed the strike" and that "local security officials quickly took what remained of the projectile, making it impossible to verify who fired it."[278] A United Nations Report released in March 2013 concluded that Sadallah "[was] killed by what appeared to be a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel" and not by an Israeli airstrike.[279]

The UN reported that at least one other child and adult had also been killed by Hamas fire.[254]

Damage

Based on a large-scale survey by workers in the field, which Al Mezan claims to be extremely accurate, Al Mezan reported the total destruction of 124 houses located in all of the Gaza Strip, and partial damage of 2,050 homes. In just one week, the Israeli army destroyed numerous public and private premises, including 52 places of worship, 25 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 97 schools, 15 health institutions, 14 journalist premises, 8 police stations, 16 government buildings, and 11 political sites. Fifteen factories and 192 trade shops were damaged or destroyed. Twelve water wells as well as agricultural lands were destroyed.[250]

Alleged war crimes

Hamas

Targeting of civilians

Both U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned the continuing indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians in Israel by militants from Gaza.[33][280]

 
A burning car after a Grad rocket from Gaza hit it near a residential building in the city of Beersheba during Operation Pillar of Defense, November 2012.

Human Rights Watch stated that armed Palestinian groups fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities, violating international humanitarian law, and that statements by Palestinian groups that they deliberately targeted Israeli civilians demonstrated an "intent to commit war crimes." HRW's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said that Palestinian groups made clear that "harming civilians was their aim" and said that the launching rockets at populated areas had no legal justification. International humanitarian law prohibits deliberate attacks on civilians, and intentional violations can be war crimes.[84][85]

A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that "Palestinian armed groups continuously violated international humanitarian law, by launching indiscriminate attacks on Israel and by attacking civilians".[270][273] The report further stated, "While some projectiles were directed at military objectives, many, if not the vast majority of the Palestinian attacks on Israel constituted indiscriminate attacks. Such attacks violate international humanitarian law. ... Most rockets fired by the armed groups did not seem to be directed at a specific military objective. Furthermore, many Palestinian armed groups directly and indirectly indicated their determination to – and took responsibility for – attacks on Israeli civilians or large population centres in Israel. Such acts clearly violate international humanitarian law."[254]

Firing rockets from populated areas

Human Rights Watch stated that Palestinian groups endangered civilians by "repeatedly fir[ing] rockets from densely populated areas, near homes, businesses, and a hotel". Under international law, parties to a conflict may not place military targets in or near densely populated areas. One rocket was launched close to the Shawa and Housari Building, where various Palestinian and international media have offices; another was fired from the yard of a house near the Deira Hotel.[84][85] Human Rights Watch said it had not been able to identify any instance where civilians had been warned to evacuate an area before a rocket launch by Palestinian militants.[85]

Col. Richard Kemp, former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, said: "The use of the civilian population by Hamas is undoubtedly a war crime because not only are they hiding themselves under a civilian population, [but] they are also putting the civilian population at risk. In my view, if there are civilian casualties, the responsibility does not lie with the IDF, but with Hamas, who deliberately placed them there."[281] Richard Landes criticised Hamas for firing from the midst of civilians, a practice leading to casualties blamed on Israeli counter-strikes to garner Western sympathy.[282] Danny Ayalon said that Hamas's firing of rockets from built-up civilian areas was a "double war crime", noting that ten percent of them did not reach Israel.[283]

The IDF stated that Hamas makes use of "human shield" tactics and said "By operating from densely populated areas, Hamas willingly endangers its own people, turning their houses and schools into terror sites and weapon depots."[284] The Jerusalem Post and Fox News said Palestinian rocket launch-sites were put next to hospitals, schools, mosques, and playgrounds.[252][285] On 21 November a long-range Qassam rocket, of the type Israel has accused Iran of supplying to Hamas, was fired from within 500 yards of the hospital and hit Gush Etzion, southeast of Jerusalem.[286] An IDF spokesman stated they had released footage of "rocket fire from a mosque courtyard, prayer houses, public places and homes".[287]

 
A Hamas rocket launch site and its civilian surroundings.

In March 2013, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report criticizing Palestinian groups for launching rocket attacks from densely populated areas. The report stated that "The [Palestinian] armed groups failed to take all feasible precautions in attacks, in particular by launching rockets from populated areas, which put the population at grave risk."[254]

Allegations that Islamic Jihad members were disguised as journalists

The IDF accused Gaza militants of abusing the protection afforded to journalists. On 20 November 2012 Muhammed Shamalah, commander of Hamas forces in southern Gaza and head of its militant training programs, was targeted by an Israeli air strike. At the time, he was driving a car which, according to the IDF, was clearly labeled "TV," indicating it to be a press vehicle.[288]

The PCHR reported that an Israeli strike had killed al-Quds Radio journalist Muhammed Abu Eisha. The UN, The New York Times, Reporters without Borders, and Human Rights Watch condemned Israel for the attack.[289][290] Frankfurter Allgemeine reported that PCHR failed to mention that Eisha was also a member of the Islamic Jihad and had participated in rocket attacks against Israel.[291] Eisha's name and photo appeared on the Islamic Jihad's website at the time of his death.[291]

Killing of alleged collaborators

The March 2013 report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) criticized Palestinian militant groups for "summarily executing alleged Israeli spies in breach of humanitarian law".[254]

Israel

Disproportionate force/Targeting of civilians

A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was harshly critical of the conduct of the Israeli army. The report stated that the IDF had "failed in many instances to respect international law", and that it did not "consistently uphold the basic principles of conduct of hostilities, namely, the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions".[270][273]

The Israeli airstrike that killed 12 civilians, including 10 members of the Al-Dalu family, has been called a "disproportionate" use of force and a war crime by Human Rights Watch, which stated that the attack had yet to be justified by Israel, and called for the perpetrators of the strike to be punished and the surviving members of victims' families to be compensated.[292] Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned it as "an example of blatant targeting of civilians".[293] According to The New York Times, "political leaders and human rights advocates have called the [Dalu family] deaths a massacre and a war crime."[256]

British MP Gerald Kaufman criticized the Israeli offensive, and its broader context — of occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza — as war crimes.[294] In an emergency meeting of the Arab League, foreign ministers of member-states accused Israel of perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity.[295]

Turkey and Iran accused Israel of committing war crimes and refused to consider the Israeli airstrikes self-defense. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.[296][297]

Bombing of media facilities

In four Israeli attacks on media facilities and journalists, ten media workers were wounded, and two cameramen and a two-year-old was killed.[298]

The Israeli government stated that each of the attacks were on a legitimate military target. The Israeli army stated that foreign journalists were used as human shields by Hamas, after attacks on two media centers in Gaza containing Hamas communications devices.[299]

Human Rights Watch conducted an investigation into these incidents and concluded that "there were no indications that these targets were valid military objectives." and thus "violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations". HRW further stated that journalists and civilian broadcasting facilities were not legitimate military targets simply because they broadcast pro-Hamas or anti-Israel propaganda.[298][300]

In one separate incident, according to the IDF, it hit four Islamic Jihad militants hiding out in a media center in Gaza, the Al-Sharouk compound.[301][302] PIJ reported by text message that one of their senior militant operatives, Ramez Harb, was killed in the airstrike.[303][304][305] as well as Palestinian cameramen. Israel warned the foreign journalists to leave the building before the strike.[306][307][308] One foreign journalist that worked there spoke of his anger that the building was being used as a hideout by Palestinian militants, endangering many people.[304] Human Rights Watch said this attack appeared to be on a military target, and that if Palestinians conducting military operations were present, they were violating international law by placing civilians at unnecessary risk.[298]

The Israeli military's alleged targeting of journalists was also condemned by Reporters without Borders.[305][309] Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of RWB, said "Even if the targeted media support Hamas, this does not in any way legitimize the attacks. ... Attacks on civilian targets are war crimes and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions. Those responsible must be identified."[310][311] Writing for The New York Times, David Carr noted that IDF spokeswoman Avital Leibovich, who said that the journalists were "people who have relevance to terror activity", did not identify the strike as a mistake. Carr accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists under the cover of war, using "amorphous" phrases such as "relevance to terror activity" to justify the attacks.[312]

NGO Monitor stated that Hamas in Gaza "terrorizes the international press" because it put its own operational communication antennas on top of buildings whose lower floors house foreign media outlets.[313]

Social media and Internet

 
The military wing of Hamas and the Israeli military both made use of Twitter.[314]

The IDF made widespread use of Twitter and a liveblog to give an up-to-date account of its operations. The military wing of Hamas also made use of Twitter, publicising its rocket and mortar attacks and tweeting when Israeli casualties were reported.[315][316] Foreign Policy magazine labeled this effort a "milestone in military communications."[316][317] Twitter had previously been used to present information regarding military engagements by both the Kenya Defence Forces and Al Shabaab during the KDF's operation against Al Shabaab in Somalia in 2011.[318][319][320] The IDF's Twitter account gained more than 50,000 new followers in 24 hours.[321]

An app based on an idea provided by a 13-year-old was developed to supply up-to-date reports of imminent missile attacks and send information of the location and timing of the public "Color Red" alerts. The app allowed users extra time to run to bomb shelters.[322]

Hamas produced a video that threatened the lives of Israeli citizens and warned, "Wait soon for us in the bus stops and cafes." The video became a popular target for parody because of its technical problems and the broken Hebrew written and spoken in it.[323]

During the campaign, pro-Palestinian hackers launched a concerted effort to cripple Israeli websites. Israeli websites faced over 60 million hacking attempts, which failed to cause any significant damage.[324] In April 2013 Anonymous attacked many Israeli websites in response to the IDF offensive in Gaza. They called the attack #OpIsrael and claimed to have taken down at least 700 sites as of 18 November 2012. The Israeli Defense Forces claimed to have deflected 44 million cyber attacks by that date.[citation needed] Many of the websites were replaced with messages condemning the Israeli campaign and expressing support for the citizens of Gaza.[325] Hackers from Kuwait disrupted the website of Likud MK Danny Danon, who had posted an online petition urging the government of Israel to cease providing the Gaza Strip with electricity.[326] The Facebook and Twitter accounts of Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Likud MK Silvan Shalom were hacked by a pro-Palestinian group called ZCompanyHackingCrew.[327]

Criticism of IDF media campaign

 
"What Would You Do" IDF graphic.

The IDF's blog incorporates gamification features where visitors are awarded points and given badges for things such as visiting the blog or sharing its contents on their social networks.[328] Although the blog had had these features previously, they had been disabled before Operation Pillar of Defense due to "high traffic."[329] They were re-enabled shortly after the operation began. Multiple commentators have described the timing of their re-enablement just after the launch of Operation Pillar of Defense as offensive. ReadWrite's Jon Mitchell described it as "absolutely horrendous", and The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg called it "disgraceful."[329][330][331]

Israel's social media campaign around Operation Pillar of Defense has been perceived by some parties as overly aggressive or otherwise inappropriate. Wired described Israel's efforts as "hyper-pugnacious," and Foreign Policy's Michael Koplow expressed fears that Israel's social media campaign might contribute to some people's "fear of Israel run amok with no regard for the collateral damage being caused."[330]

Allegations of Hamas disinformation

Hamas attempted to conduct "psychological warfare" consisting primarily of fake emails and Facebook postings. Many Israelis received a false announcement from an "IDF Spokesman" warning that "terrorists in Gaza can track you and direct their Katyushas to your location!" if they opened their text messages. Thousands received emails in broken Hebrew that "the military censorship of military intelligence" was concealing information about attacks on soldiers and urged them to view the "picture of the field of death in which our soldiers are falling in Gaza." The attached YouTube videos, though claiming to show an IDF jeep struck by a missile, was in fact a vehicle of the Reuters news agency that had been hit on the border.[332][333]

Hamas warned Gazan civilians against spreading unsourced information, claiming that such behavior harmed national security and aided Israel's "psychological war". The Interior Ministry said that it would convey any "needed information" in order to "safeguard the truth." The statement came after Hamas gunmen publicly shot a Gaza resident multiple times in the head for allegedly collaborating with Israeli authorities.[334] Richard Landes, a blogger and American Associate Professor of history at Boston University, accused Hamas of "brazen hypocrisy" and exploiting a death they had caused in order to garner Western sympathy.[282][335]

Hamas fabricated achievements and used pictures of children injured or killed in Syria, presenting them in the social media as Palestinian dead. One of its tweets about the Israeli strikes contained a picture of a dead girl, previously posted on the "Syrians & Friends" Facebook page in October 2012.[336][337][338][339] Another photo of explosions that was uploaded to the Facebook page affiliated with Hamas appeared to be digitally altered.[315] Hamas staged several fake deaths and scenes of injury in front of TV crews.[336]

Some[who?] argued that Hamas' manipulation effectively undermined their own cause, as readers could not be certain of the authenticity of what they were seeing.[336]

Media coverage

See also: Media coverage of the Arab–Israeli conflict

Noam Chomsky, Seumas Milne, Glenn Greenwald, John Mearsheimer, Paul Pillar, and several other writers have blamed Israel for the conflict.[340][341][342][343][344][345][346] Former British commander, Richard Kemp, by contrast, said there was a "very effective anti-Israel propaganda machine" that misunderstands what he considers the reality that Hamas is a terrorist organization.[347]

Sharine Tadros, an Al Jazeera correspondent to the Middle East who covers the conflict from Gaza, criticized several aspects of the media approach to the conflict. Tadros criticized what she said was an uncritical and repetitive use by journalists of Israel's justifications for targeting homes and other civilian structures. Tadros further criticized the use of terms such as "Hamas school". According to her, "Hamas" is used as an adjective by Israel as justification for targeting civilian infrastructure.[257]

Images

The Arab news site Alarab Net released a photo on 18 November which depicted three bloodied children and their mother lying on a floor, who were allegedly massacred in Gaza. Inciting a flurry of comments on Facebook, they turned out to be Syrian massacre photos from 19 October reused to depict a "Gaza tragedy".[348]

On 19 November, BBC Gaza correspondent Jon Donnison retweeted a photograph of a dead or injured child titled "Pain in Gaza", with his own comment "heartbreaking". It was soon shown that the photo was apparently taken in Syria and is dated to 28 October 2012, before the beginning of the events in Gaza. Donnison apologized for the incident.[349][350]

Pro-Palestinian activists co-opted another photograph on Twitter, identifying an injured infant held by a rescue worker as a "young injured Palestinian child". However, Facebook and Twitter users recognized it as that of an Israeli baby wounded by a Hamas rocket attack; "Kiryat Malachi" was printed on the rescue worker's vest.[351]

Photographs of a distraught Palestinian man, Jihad al-Masharawi,[254] a BBC journalist, carrying the body of his 11-month-old son, Omar, wrapped in a white shroud were printed in newspapers worldwide and widely distributed on social media. Masharawi, the BBC Middle East bureau chief, and at least two human rights organizations initially blamed Israel for the incident, and the infant's death quickly became a powerful symbol of the conflict. However, in March 2013, the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the eight-day conflict stated that Omar was most likely the victim of "what appeared to be a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel."[352]

Video

BBC News and CNN broadcast Reuters footage of an apparently injured Palestinian man being carried away by a group of people. But the BBC's footage later showed the man walking around on his own.[353] CNN said that Reuters did not know the source of that film, while the BBC News responded that to the best of their knowledge, the events were not staged, and that the footage had been cut from a longer reel that showed the man lying on the sidewalk, being lifted and receiving treatment, and then walking away having recovered. The BBC said that it had taken steps to ensure that any re-broadcast would make this sequence of events clear to its audience.[354][355]

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) expressed concern for the use of footage by the IDF which suggested the agency's complicity in "terrorist activities" targeting Israel.[citation needed]

Reactions

Main article: Reactions to Operation Pillar of Defense

See also

References

  1. ^ "IDF believes Hamas, Islamic Jihad will honor cease-fire". The Jerusalem Post. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b . Ma'an News Agency. 17 November 2012. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Occupied Quds City Targeted by Palestinian Missile". Fars News Agency. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  4. ^ "Fatah: We also fought against Israel in Pillar of Defense". The Jerusalem Post. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Jaysh al-Ummah (Gaza)". European Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  6. ^ Londoño, Ernesto; Birnbaum, Michael (21 November 2012). "After Israel, Hamas reach Gaza cease-fire, both sides claim victory". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  7. ^ Kalman, Matthew; Sengupta, Kim (21 November 2012). . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  8. ^ Ahren, Raphael (21 November 2012). "Israel says it 'fulfilled all its goals,' while Hamas hails an 'exceptional victory'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  9. ^ Lyon, Alistair, ed. (21 November 2012). "Israel's battle damage report says Hamas crippled". Jewish Journal. Reuters. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  10. ^ Balmer, Crispian (21 November 2012). "Analysis: Relief at Gaza ceasefire can't mask its frailty". Reuters. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  11. ^ Ravid, Barak (22 November 2012). "Israel's Pillar of Defense achieved its goals". Haaretz. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Israel eases restrictions on Gaza fishing – Middle East – Al Jazeera English". Aljazeera.com. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  13. ^ Williams, Dan (22 March 2013). "Hamas appeals to Egypt after Israel halves Gaza fishing zone". Reuters. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  14. ^ "Rocket fired from Gaza lands near Jerusalem". Al Jazeera English. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  15. ^ "The main armed groups in Gaza". gulfnews.com. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  16. ^ a b "Israel under fire – November 2012". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  17. ^ a b . Palestinian Center for Human Rights. 24 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  18. ^ a b "Gaza baby 'only knew how to smile'". BBC News. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  19. ^ a b c d "After eight days of fighting, ceasefire is put to the test". Times of Israel. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  20. ^ a b "Operation Pillar of Defence" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  21. ^ a b c . B'tselem. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  22. ^ "Hamas executes six suspected informants for Israel on Gaza street". The Guardian. Associated press. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  23. ^ "Chief of Staff Declares 'Operation Pillar of Cloud'". Arutz Sheva. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  24. ^ a b c "Q&A: Israel-Gaza violence". BBC News. 20 November 2012.
  25. ^ a b "Day 2: 300+ Rockets Fired at Israel Since Start of Operation Pillar of Defense" (live updates). Algemeiner. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  26. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (14 November 2012). "Israeli air strike kills top Hamas commander Jabari". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  27. ^ Kalman, Matthew (15 November 2012). . The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  28. ^ a b c d "Why the mullet, not the Israel Navy, are to blame for the death of a Gaza fisherman". Amira Hass, Haaretz, 29 October 2012 (premium article)
  29. ^ "Gaza groups pound Israel with over 100 rockets". The Jerusalem Post. 11 December 2012.
  30. ^ a b c Lappin, Yaacov (12 November 2012). "Gaza groups pound Israel with over 100 rockets". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  31. ^ "Israel: Tunnel Explodes on Gaza Border". ABC News. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.[dead link]
  32. ^ "Operation Pillar of Defense – Selected statements". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, israel. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  33. ^ a b Nebehay, Stephanie (20 November 2012). "UN rights boss, Red Cross urge Israel, Hamas to spare civilians". Reuters. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  34. ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (16 November 2012). "Jerusalem and Tel Aviv under rocket fire, Netanyahu warns Gaza". Chicago Tribune.
  35. ^ "Israeli air strike kills top Hamas commander Jabari". The Jerusalem Post. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  36. ^ . 11 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  37. ^ "LIVE BLOG: Day 8 of Israel-Gaza conflict 2012". Haaretz. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  38. ^ "Factbox: Gaza targets bombed by Israel". Reuters. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  39. ^ a b Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1, Addendum, 6 March 2013.
  40. ^ (PDF). Situation Report. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  41. ^ "Israel Gaza Attacks Intensify Despite Truce Talks". The Huffington Post. The Associated Press. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  42. ^ Initial Findings: 40 of the Palestinians killed by the Israeli military up to the night of 19 Nov. were civilians, among them 19 minors., B'Tselem 21 November 2012 2 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ "Dalu Family in Gaza Mourns Dead After Israel Bombs House". The Huffington Post. Reuters. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  44. ^ a b c d "Israeli forces prepare for war as troops mass on Gaza border". Telegraph. London. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  45. ^ Mistaken Lull, Simple Errand, Death in Gaza, The New York Times, 16 November 2012
  46. ^ a b c d e f g LIVE BLOG: OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE, DAY 7, PART 2, Times of Israel, 20 November 2012
  47. ^ JODI RUDOREN. "Collaborators fall prey to both sides in Gaza ; Price of being suspected, much less convicted, can be fatal – and gruesome." International Herald Tribune. 2012
  48. ^ "كتائب القسام تبدأ عملية "حجارة سجيل" ضد إسرائيل". Al-sharq.com. 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  49. ^ a b Ban Ki-moon; UN Secretary-General (21 November 2012). "Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council [as delivered]". Tel Aviv. Retrieved 22 November 2012. Overall, in that same time period, more than 1,456 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel. 142 have fallen inside Gaza itself. Approximately 409 were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. (...) Since Israel's targeted assassination from the air, on 14 November, of Ahmed Jaabari, chief of Hamas' military wing, and with Israel's offensive in Gaza in its eighth day, the Israel Defense Forces publicly reported that it has conducted strikes at more than 1,450 targets in Gaza.
  50. ^ Lappin, Yaakov; Lazaroff, Tovah (15 November 2012). "Gaza rocket hits area south of Tel Aviv for first time". The Jerusalem Post.
  51. ^ a b Israeli envoy arrives in Egypt for Gaza ceasefire talks, Guardian 18 November 2012
  52. ^ Rettig, Haviv (21 November 2012). "Title: After eight days of fighting, ceasefire is put to the test. TOI. Nov 2012". Timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  53. ^ "MDA: 16 injured in South on sixth day of operation". The Jerusalem Post. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  54. ^ 70 Israelis injured in rocket attacks in last 24 hours, Jerusalem Post 15 November 2012
  55. ^ Oster, Marcy (22 November 2012). "Title: six Israelis die in Operation Pillar of Defense. JTA. 12 Nov". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  56. ^ [16][52][53][54][55]
  57. ^ Levinson, Charles; Adam Entous (26 November 2012). "Israel's Iron Dome Defense Battled to Get Off the Ground". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  58. ^ "Terror attack: Blast on Tel Aviv bus; 28 hurt". Ynet News. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  59. ^ Lazaroff, Tovah (16 November 2012). "Ashton, Merkel say Israel has right to defend itself". The Jerusalem Post.
  60. ^ "Gaza Rocket Attacks" (Press release). US: Department of State. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  61. ^ "Foreign Secretary statement on Gaza and southern Israel". UK: Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  62. ^ al-Mughrabi, Nidal (14 November 2012). "UPDATE 8-Rockets hits near Tel Aviv as Gaza death toll rises". Reuters. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  63. ^ Hall, Bianca (16 November 2012). "Gillard condemns attacks on Israel" (Press release). AU: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  64. ^ [European ministers warn Israel about escalade of violence in Gaza] (in French). EurActiv. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013.
  65. ^ "Foreign minister Nikolay Mladenov commenting on the situation in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria). 15 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  66. ^ "Canada Condemns Hamas and Stands with Israel" (Press release). CA: Foreign Affairs and International Trade. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  67. ^ Statement of MFA on Israel and the Gaza Strip 23 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic 15 November 2012
  68. ^ Timmermans condemns rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, Government of the Netherlands 13 November 2012
  69. ^ a b "Russia condemns 'disproportionate' strikes on Gaza". The Daily Star. LB. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  70. ^ [59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]
  71. ^ "Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on November 19, 2012". Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  72. ^ "At the UN, Pakistan slams Israel's offensive in Gaza". The Express Tribune. PK. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  73. ^ "Morocco Strongly Condemns Israeli Raids on Gaza". Rabat, BH. Bahrain News Agency. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  74. ^ "Lebanese president: Israeli attack on Gaza obstructs peace". NOW Lebanon. 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  75. ^ [69][72][73][74]
  76. ^ "Gaza toll rises as UN calls for end to the bloodshed". The Daily Telegraph. UK. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  77. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D.; Rudoren, Jodi (21 November 2012). "Cease-Fire Between Israel and Hamas Takes Effect". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  78. ^ Owen, Paul (19 November 2012). "Israel-Gaza: truce talks ongoing in Cairo – live updates". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  79. ^ Iron Dome protects Tel Aviv as army warns of long fight ahead, Times of Israel 17 November 2012
  80. ^ Israel dealt Hamas 'a heavy blow' and is prepared to resume offensive if need be, Netanyahu says, Times of Israel 22 November 2012
  81. ^ Gaza leader Haniyeh thanks Iran for helping make Israel ‘scream with pain', Times of Israel 22 November 2012
  82. ^ IBRAHIM BARZAK and KARIN LAUB The Associated Press (22 November 2012). "Hamas claims victory as ceasefire starts". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  83. ^ Sarah Leah Whitson; Middle East director (20 December 2012). "Israel/Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  84. ^ a b c "HRW: Hamas rockets from Gaza violated laws of war". The Jerusalem Post. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  85. ^ a b c d "Gaza: Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians". Human Rights Wwatch. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  86. ^ Gilgoff, Dan (20 November 2012). . CNN. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  87. ^ Rosenberg, Yair (14 November 2012). "Here's What 'Pillar of Defense' Actually Means". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  88. ^ "Israel, Hamas escalate fire as IDF prepares ground troops". Israel HaYom. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  89. ^ Sever Plocker (22 June 2008). "2nd Intifada Forgotten". Ynetnews. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  90. ^ Ruth Tenne (Autumn 2007). "Rising of the oppressed: the second Intifada". International Socialism (116). Retrieved 13 November 2011. Review of Ramzy Baroud; Kathleen Christison; Bill Christison; Jennifer Loewenstein (2006). The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People's Struggle. Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0-7453-2547-7.
  91. ^ Schachter, Jonathan (2010). "The End of the Second Intifada?" (PDF). Strategic Assessment. 13 (3): 63–69. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  92. ^ "Palestinian Militants Agree to Cease-Fire". Fox News. Associated Press. 2006. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  93. ^ 'The Guardian view on the causes of the fighting in Gaza', The Guardian, 25 July 2014.
  94. ^ Maurer, Peter. "Challenges to international humanitarian law: Israel's occupation policy" (PDF). ICRC. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  95. ^ Neuer, Hillel (4 January 2012). "Hamas says Gaza 'not occupied'; UN disagrees". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  96. ^ "Amnesty International Public Statement" (PDF). Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  97. ^ "Israel: 'Disengagement' Will Not End Gaza Occupation". Human Rights Watch. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  98. ^ "The scope of Israeli control in the Gaza Strip". B'Tselem. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  99. ^ "Is Gaza 'occupied' territory?". CNN. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  100. ^ Goldstone, Richard; Jilani, Hina; Travers, Desmond; Chinkin, Christine. "Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" (PDF). UNHRC. Retrieved 2 September 2014. page 16
  101. ^ a b Rose, David (April 2008). "The Gaza Bombshell". Vanity Fair.
  102. ^ Nathan Thrall,'Our Man in Palestine,' The New York Review of Books, 14 October 2010: 'Dayton, meanwhile, was overseeing the recruitment, training, and equipping of Abbas's rapidly expanding security forces. Khaled Meshaal, chief of Hamas's politburo, delivered a fiery speech denouncing "the security coup" as a "conspiracy" supported by "the Zionists and the Americans"—charges Fatah denied. In February 2007, on the brink of civil war, Fatah and Hamas leaders traveled to Mecca, where they agreed to form a national unity government, a deal the US opposed because it preferred that Fatah continue to isolate Hamas. Fayyad became finance minister in the new government, despite, he says, American pressure not to join. The Peruvian diplomat Alvaro de Soto, former UN envoy to the Quartet, wrote in a confidential "End of Mission Report" that the violence between Hamas and Fatah could have been avoided had the US not strongly opposed Palestinian reconciliation. "The US", he wrote, "clearly pushed for a confrontation between Fateh and Hamas."'
  103. ^ Shlaim, Avi (2014). The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World (2nd ed.). W. W. Norton. p. 798. ISBN 978-0-393-34686-2.
  104. ^ Spencer C. Tucker (2010). Priscilla Mary Roberts (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars : The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts. Anthony C. Zinni. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-85109-947-4.
  105. ^ Chomsky, Noam (9 September 2014). "Ceasefires in Which Violations Never Cease". Huffington Post. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  106. ^ Ismael, Tareq; Ismael, Jacqueline; Ismael, Shereen (2011). Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East : Continuity and Change (1st published ed.). London: Routledge. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-415-49144-0.
  107. ^ Elizabeth Spelman, 'The Legality of the Israeli Naval Blockade of the Gaza Strip', Web Journal of Current Legal Issues, Vol 19, No 1, 2013
  108. ^ "Gaza closure: not another year!". International Committee of the Red Cross. 14 June 2010.
  109. ^ Roy, Sara (19 July 2014). "Deprivation in the Gaza Strip". The Boston Globe.
  110. ^ "Deprived and Endangered: Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip". Human Rights Watch. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  111. ^ (PDF). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  112. ^ "Deep flaws in the UN's Mavi Marmara report (Al Jazeera, 9 September 2011)". English.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  113. ^ * "UN independent panel rules Israel blockade of Gaza illegal", Haaretz (story by Reuters), 13 September 2011.
    • "U.N. envoy Tutu calls Gaza blockade illegal". Reuters. 28 May 2008.
    • Gray-Block, Aaron (5 June 2010). "Gaza blockade illegal, must be lifted – UN's Pillay". Reuters.
    • Nebehay, Stephanie (13 September 2011). "U.N. experts say Israel's blockade of Gaza illegal". Reuters. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  114. ^ . Maannews.net. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  115. ^ "ICRC says Israel's Gaza blockade breaks law". BBC News. 14 June 2010.
  116. ^ Palmer, Geoffrey; et al. "Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident" (PDF). UN. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  117. ^ . Middle East Monitor. 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013.
  118. ^ "Gaza's Tunnel Economy". Borgen Magazine. 4 August 2014.
  119. ^ "Inquiry urged into Israel convoy raid". BBC. 1 June 2010.
  120. ^ "Court extends remand of Israelis aboard Gaza ship". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  121. ^ "Position paper on the naval blockade on Gaza." 16 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine 8 September 2010.
  122. ^ , in International Institute for Strategic Studies Volume 13, Issue 5, June 2007: 'While there was truth in Fatah's charge that the Hamas offensive in Gaza was tantamount to a coup, Hamas's counter-claim that it was defending a democratically elected government against a campaign to remove it from power was also not unfounded. Over the previous year, Fatah gunmen had repeatedly assaulted parliamentary premises and Hamas-run ministries. Fatah commanders of the PSF openly refused to take orders from the government, while the Fatah-dominated civil service conducted a debilitating strike from September 2006 to January 2007. The PA's preventive security apparatus in Gaza conducted a small-scale campaign of assassinations and abductions against Hamas, to which it responded in kind; by early June it had effectively decapitated the preventive security and smaller, Fatah-dominated general intelligence frameworks.'
  123. ^ Raji Sourani, in Chantal Meloni, Gianni Tognoni (eds.) Is There a Court for Gaza?: A Test Bench for International Justice, T.M.c. Asser Press, 2012 p.17.
  124. ^ "Gaza, an impoverished and besieged sliver of land". Agence France-Presse. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  125. ^ "ICRC says Israel's Gaza blockade breaks law". BBC News. 14 June 2010.
  126. ^ "Farming without Land, Fishing without Water: Gaza Agriculture Sector Struggles to Survive". United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  127. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil; Bronner, Ethan (1 September 2011). "Report Finds Naval Blockade by Israel Legal but Faults Raid". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  128. ^ "Is Gaza 'occupied' territory?". CNN. 6 January 2009.
  129. ^ "Country reports on terrorism 2005", United States Department of State. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. US Dept. of State Publication 11324. April 2006. p 196
  130. ^ "EU blacklists Hamas political wing". BBC News. 11 September 2003.
  131. ^ . Public Safety Canada. 5 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  132. ^ "Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005" (PDF). 2005.."In accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, it [Japan] has frozen the assets of a total of 472 terrorists and terrorist organizations, including ..., as well as those of Hamas ..."
  133. ^ Hamas says still seeks Israel's destruction, Reuters 12 March 2007
  134. ^ Eke, Steven (3 March 2006). "Moscow risks anger over Hamas visit". BBC. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  135. ^ "Turkish FM Davutoğlu meets Hamas chief amid Israel row". Hurriyetdailynews.com. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  136. ^ "Norway turns down US request over Hamas representatives' visit". Peoples Daily China. 25 April 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  137. ^ "Rockets fired after Gaza clashes". BBC News. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  138. ^ The Hamas terror war against Israel. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1 January 2009. See Statistics of Kassam rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip subsection. Update: subsection has been removed. Cached website can be found here
  139. ^ "IDF Spokesperson". Israel Defense Forces. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  140. ^ "Gaza rockets strain Israel–Hamas truce". The Christian Science Monitor.
  141. ^ "Hamas may consider new truce with Israel". Al Arabiya. 23 December 2008.
  142. ^ "Israeli Official Arrives in Cairo for 'Gaza Truce Talks' as Hamas Demands End to 'Aggression, Assassinations'". 18 November 2012.
  143. ^ Akram, Fares (24 December 2010). "Hamas Confirms Commitment to Cease-Fire". The New York Times.
  144. ^ . B'Tselem. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  145. ^ Bronner, Ethan (17 November 2012). "With Longer Reach, Rockets Bolster Hamas Arsenal". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  146. ^ a b Pike, John. "HAMAS Rockets". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  147. ^ a b Iran supplied Hamas with Fajr-5 missile technology The Guardian 21 November 2012
  148. ^ Karimi, Nasser (21 November 2012). . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  149. ^ a b c d "Israel hammers Hamas in Gaza offensive". Reuters. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012. But their estimated 35,000 Palestinian fighters are still no match for Israel's F-16 fighter-bombers, Apache helicopter gun ships, Merkava tanks and other modern weapons systems in the hands of a conscript force of 175,000, with 450,000 in reserve.
  150. ^ "Israel authorizes more reservists after rockets target cities". Reuters. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Egypt and Israel both receive billions of dollars in U.S. military aid
  151. ^ "With Longer Reach, Rockets Bolster Hamas Arsenal". The New York Times. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  152. ^ Karimi, Nasser (21 November 2012). "Senior Iranian commander: Iran transfers Fajr-5 missile technology to Gaza's Hamas". Associated Press. Retrieved 21 November 2012.[dead link]
  153. ^ "Israel authorizes more reservists after rockets target cities". Reuters. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012. Egypt and Israel both receive billions of dollars in U.S. military aid
  154. ^ Gaza Cease-Fire Helps Fishermen, but Risks Remain, NY Times, December 2012
  155. ^ Navy prevents tobacco smugglers from reaching Gaza, YNET, September 2011
  156. ^ "Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea" 2 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Fact Sheet June 2012. PCHR, 2 July 2012
  157. ^ "Gaza Strip: Attacks and their Consequences" 20 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Fact Sheet September 2012. PCHR, 2 October 2012
  158. ^ "Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea" 19 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Fact Sheet July–August 2012. PCHR, 3 September 2012
  159. ^ a b "Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea" 24 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Fact Sheet September 2012. PCHR, 1 October 2012
  160. ^ . AFP. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
  161. ^ ′No reason′ to shoot Gaza fisherman, family says 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Ma'an News Agency, 24 October 2012
  162. ^ "Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea" 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Fact Sheet October 2012. PCHR, 13 November 2012
  163. ^ "Gaza: Build on Ceasefire to Address Rights Abuses". Human Rights Watch. 23 November 2012.
  164. ^ "Israel 'opens fire' on olive harvesters in Gaza". Ma'n News Agency. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  165. ^ a b "IAF hits 3 rocket-launching terror squads overnight". The Jerusalem Post. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  166. ^ Murphy, Dan (15 November 2012). "How many rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel this year?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  167. ^ Blair, David (24 October 2012). "Israeli jets 'bombed weapons factory in Khartoum', Sudan claims". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  168. ^ Ian Black (25 October 2012). "'Israeli attack' on Sudanese arms factory offers glimpse of secret war". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  169. ^ Palestinians fire 34 projectiles into s. Israel, Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012
  170. ^ Three injured from Palestinian rocket attacks in Eshkol, Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012
  171. ^ Fresh rocket, mortar barrage brings total to 72; 5 hurt, Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012
  172. ^ Friedman, Ron; staff, T. O. I. "As Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes hold, life in the south goes back to normal". www.timesofisrael.com.
  173. ^ . Palestinian Center for Human Rights. 8 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  174. ^ IDF fires at suspect trying to place explosive device on Gaza border, Haaretz 2 November 2012
  175. ^ . Maan News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  176. ^ IDF fires on Palestinian approaching Gaza fence, Jerusalem Post 05-011-2012
  177. ^ . Maannews.net. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  178. ^ "IDF fires on Palestinian approaching Gaza fence". The Jerusalem Post. 5 November 2012.
  179. ^ . Maan. 6 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  180. ^ "Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man". The New York Times. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  181. ^ "Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas retaliation". Al Jazeera. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  182. ^ a b "Barrage of rocket attacks slam southern Israel". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  183. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (8 November 2012). "Palestinian report: IDF kills 13-year-old in Gaza". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  184. ^ a b Almughrabi, Nidal; Heller, Jeffrey (8 November 2012). Heinrich, Mark (ed.). "Israeli gunfire kills Palestinian boy in Gaza clash: medics". Reuters. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  185. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (9 November 2012). "Gazans set off explosives in massive tunnel". The Jerusalem Post.
  186. ^ a b Martin, Patrick (13 November 2012). "Israel and Gaza step back from the brink". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  187. ^ "Gaza: Palestinians killed and Israeli soldiers injured". BBC News. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  188. ^ Benari, Elad (9 November 2012). "Gaza Rockets Explode in Eshkol Region". Arutz Sheva.
  189. ^ a b c Barzak, Ibrahim (10 November 2012). "After attack on jeep, Israeli army kills 4 in Gaza". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  190. ^ Akram, Kershner; Fares, Isabel (10 November 2011). "Violence Surges on Israeli-Gaza Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  191. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (10 November 2012). "Gazan anti-tank missile hits IDF jeep, injuring four". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  192. ^ "Footballers condemn plans to hold U21 European championship in Israel". The Guardian. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  193. ^ Cohen, Gili; Kubovich, Yaniv; Khoury, Jack; Issacharoff, Avi (10 November 2012). "Four IDF soldiers wounded when Gaza anti-tank missile hits jeep on border". Haaretz. IL.
  194. ^ "Rockets hit homes in south as fire continues for second day". Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  195. ^ "Schools closed after rockets hit Israel". Israel Today. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  196. ^ Segal, Udi (15 November 2012). "Under the surface: The Israeli deception that preceded the operation in the Gaza Strip" (in Hebrew). IL. Channel 2 News. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  197. ^ Israel will not accept reality of Gaza rocket fire, Netanyahu says, Haaretz 12 November 2012
  198. ^ a b Balmer, Crispian; Nidal al-Mughrabi (12 November 2012). "Gaza militants signal truce with Israel after rockets". Reuters. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  199. ^ "Gaza fire increases pressure on Israel to hit back". Archived from the original on 18 January 2013.
  200. ^ Lappin, Yaakov (11 November 2012). "Egypt mediates tacit truce on Gaza border". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  201. ^ Baskin, Gershon (15 November 2012). "Assassinating The Chance For Calm". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  202. ^ Hasson, Nir. "Israeli peace activist: Hamas leader Jabari killed amid talks on long-term truce". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  203. ^ "Israeli peace activist says Hamas' Jabari received truce document—and Israel knew". JTA. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  204. ^ "Israeli involved in talks with Hamas says Jabari supported long-term ceasefire". The Times of Israel. 15 November 2012.
  205. ^ Reuven Pedatzur, 'Why did Israel kill Jabari?,' at Haaretz, 4 December 2012.
  206. ^ "Israel and Hamas, the diplomatic dance behind the deal". CBC News. 22 November 2012.
  207. ^ "Ceasefire elusive as Israel-Hamas clash rages on". CBC News. 20 November 2012.
  208. ^ a b Levy, Elior (19 November 2012). "Palestinians: Israel demands 15-year lull, Morsi guarantee". YNet news.
  209. ^ Hood, Lauren (19 November 2012). . ITN. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013.
  210. ^ "Egypt says truce 'soon' in Gaza". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 November 2012.
  211. ^ . US Dept of State. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  212. ^ Haaretz, 21 November 2012; Netanyahu: Cease-fire with Hamas is the right thing for Israel
  213. ^ Haaretz, 21 November 2012; "TEXT: Cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas"
  214. ^ Reuters, 21 November 2012; "WRAPUP 9-Egyptian-brokered Hamas-Israel ceasefire takes hold"
  215. ^ "Mashaal: Gazans to respect truce if Israel does". The Jerusalem Post.
  216. ^ "PM: Cease-fire will allow Israelis to get back to routine". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  217. ^ a b "Egyptian-brokered Hamas-Israel ceasefire takes hold". Montreal Gazette. 21 November 2012.
  218. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  219. ^ "Gaza rockets hit Israel after ceasefire: police". Reuters. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  220. ^ "Gaza rockets hit south after truce; IDF holds fire". Ynet. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  221. ^ Jodi Rudoren and Isabel Kershner,'Tension and Confusion Linger in Gaza Strip After Cease-Fire,' The New York Times, 23 November 2012:' The buffer zone was established in 2005, when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, which it had occupied since the 1967 war. Human rights organizations say that Israel drops leaflets warning residents to stay out of the area, and that its security forces killed 213 Palestinians near the fence between September 2005 and September 2012, including 154 who were not taking part in hostilities, 17 of them children'
  222. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. 25 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  223. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. 29 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  224. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. 1 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  225. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. 1 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  226. ^ a b c . AFP. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  227. ^ Palestinians protest in West Bank; 2 Israelis injured, Ynet News 14 November 2012
  228. ^ Palestinian dies after being shot during protest, Jerusalem Post 19 November 2012
  229. ^ Israeli forces kill Palestinian in Hebron clashes 31 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Ma'an News Agency. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  230. ^ West Bank clashes continue over Gaza war 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Ma'an News Agency. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  231. ^ a b c Hamas attacks against Israelis on the rise in Judea, Samaria, Israel Hayom 20 November 2012
  232. ^ Joshua Mitnick, "West Bank Palestinians cheer on their Gaza counterparts", Christian Science Monitor 20 November 2012
  233. ^ a b Clashes across West Bank as 2 protesters buried 1 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Ma'an News Agency. 22 November 2012.
  234. ^ Violent protests in West Bank over Gaza conflict. Reuters. 21 November 2012.
  235. ^ Davidovich, Joshua (15 November 2012). "Egypt confirms rockets fired at border town came from Sinai". Times of Israel.
  236. ^ . Ma'an News Agency. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  237. ^ Lebanon foils rocket attack on Israel, UPI 20 November 2012
  238. ^ a b Stuart Winer, For third time, Lebanese army disarms rocket aimed at Israel, Times of Israel 22 November 2012
  239. ^ "Second Israeli killed by rocket fire from Gaza". AFP. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  240. ^ . Agence France-Presse. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  241. ^ Silverman, Anav (16 November 2012). "The Strong Hearts of Israel's Rocket-Ravaged Residents". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  242. ^ Lubin, Annie (15 November 2012). "Mirah Scharf, Killed by Missile, Laid to Rest". Arutz Sheva.
  243. ^ Curiel, Ilana (20 November 2012). "Israeli soldier, civilian killed by barrages from Gaza". Ynetnews.
  244. ^ "Soldier dies of injuries from Gaza mortar". 22 November 2012.
  245. ^ "IDF soldier, civilian killed as over 140 rockets hit Israel". The Jerusalem Post. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  246. ^ . Times of India. 17 November 2012. Archived from the original on 18 November 2012.
  247. ^ Connolly, Kevin (21 November 2012). "Israel-Gaza crisis: 'Bomb blast' on bus in Tel Aviv". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  248. ^ Why Is the Number of Israeli Casualties So Low? 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Israel Defense Forces 20 November 2012
  249. ^ "Rights group: Israeli strike on Gaza home unlawful." Ynetnews. 7 December 2012.
  250. ^ a b c "Statistical Report on: Persons Killed and Property Damaged in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation Forces during "Operation Pillar of Cloud"" (PDF). Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. June 2013. (PDF) from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2014. For casualties, see Table 1; for damages, see Tables 15–21
  251. ^ "IAF assassinates Hamas's rocket chief in Gaza Strip". The Jerusalem Post. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  252. ^ a b "Dealing with Hamas's human shield tactics". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  253. ^ a b Sherwood, Harriet (19 November 2012). "Gaza conflict: family's four children buried as bombardment continues". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  254. ^ a b c d e f g h "Despite media reports to the contrary, baby in Gaza conflict was killed by Hamas rocket: UN". National Post. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  255. ^ "Israel: Mistakes made in war, but no criminal charges in deadly Gaza strike". CNN. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  256. ^ a b c Rudoren, Jodi (19 November 2012). "Gazans Mourn Family Killed by Israeli Bomb". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  257. ^ a b Tadros, Sherine (20 November 2012). "Covering This Gaza War". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  258. ^ Lubell, Maayan (19 November 2012). "Israel investigating Gaza attack that killed 11 Palestinians". Reuters. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  259. ^ "Strike that killed Gaza family was 'no mistake': Israel". Agence France Presse via Ahram Online. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  260. ^ Yossi Arazi and Gal Perl Finkel, Integrating Technologies to Protect the Home Front against Ballistic Threats and Cruise Missiles, "Military and Strategic Affairs", Volume 5, No. 3, December 2013.
  261. ^ "Gaza and Israel begin to resume normal life after truce". BBC News. The Associated Press. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  262. ^ a b B'Tselem, Explanation of statistics on fatalities. Accessed March 2014 27 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  263. ^ Gaza conflict: Who is a civilian?. Heather Sharp, BBC, 5 January 2009
  264. ^ Suspected Collaborator With Israel Killed on Gaza Street, The New York Times, 16 November 2012
  265. ^ Gaza live report: Day 7 25 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Maan News 20 November 2012
  266. ^ Hamas gunmen execute six 'Israeli spies' on busy Gaza street corner, AP 20 November 2012
  267. ^ Hamas victim dragged through the streets of Gaza City Tuesday by motorcycle was no collaborator, widow says, New York Daily News 26 November 2012
  268. ^ "'Completely unacceptable': Hamas leader says killers of 'Israeli spies' must be punished". National Post. 21 November 2012.
  269. ^ a b "Shocking: Evidence Indicates Child Whose Death Was Blamed on Israel, Was Actually Killed by Hamas Rocket (VIDEO)". Algemeiner. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  270. ^ a b c d United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (6 March 2013). "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1" (PDF). Human Rights Council. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  271. ^ Hadid, Diaa (11 March 2013). "UN: Palestinian militants likely killed Gaza baby". Yahoo news. Associated Press. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  272. ^ Pontz, Zach (8 March 2013). "UN Verifies That Hamas Rocket Killed Gaza Child Whose Death Was Blamed on Israel". Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  273. ^ a b c Ahren, Raphael (10 March 2013). "UN clears Israel of charge it killed baby in Gaza". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  274. ^ Fisher, Max (15 November 2012). "The story behind the photo: Journalist's 11-month-old son killed in Gaza strikes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  275. ^ Donnison, Jon (24 November 2012). "Gaza baby 'only knew how to smile'". BBC News.
  276. ^ Gaza's children face grave risks in crowded urban battle zone, AP 16 November 2012
  277. ^ Mistaken Lull, Simple Errand, Death in Gaza, The New York Times 16 November 2012
  278. ^ "Gaza kids at risk in crowded urban battle zone". Daily Star. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  279. ^ Despite media reports to the contrary, baby in Gaza conflict was killed by Hamas rocket: UN, National Post, 11 March 2013.
  280. ^ "Ban calls for de-escalation of tensions amid new violence in Gaza and southern Israel". United Nations. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  281. ^ Col. Richard Kemp: IDF protects civilian rights, Israel Defense Forces 18 November 2012
  282. ^ a b . Telegraph. London. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  283. ^ "Hamas leaves Israel no choice". Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  284. ^ . Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  285. ^ "Hackers target Israel with millions of attacks as Hamas rockets continue to fall". Fox News. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  286. ^ Sengupta, Kim (21 November 2012). "Wrath of Gaza is felt by those accused of treason". Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  287. ^ "Hamas intensifies barrage of missiles on South". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  288. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  289. ^ Carr, David (25 November 2012). "Using War as Cover to Target Journalists". The New York Times.
  290. ^ Samaha, Nour (22 November 2012). "Gaza journalists defiant in face of attacks". AlJazeera. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  291. ^ a b Ludwig, Jan (18 January 2013). "last questions". Faz.net. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  292. ^ "Israel/Gaza: Israeli Airstrike on Home Unlawful". Human Rights Watch. 7 December 2012.
  293. ^ . Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  294. ^ Kaufman, Gerald (20 November 2012). "Why I Believe Israel Is Committing War Crimes". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  295. ^ "Arab Foreign Ministers Blame Israel for Gaza Violence". Israel National News. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  296. ^ . Al Arabiya. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  297. ^ Fernandez, Belen (21 November 2012). "Dershowitz versus Gaza". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  298. ^ a b c "Israel/Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media". Human Rights Watch. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  299. ^ "Gaza: Israel Denies Strikes Targeted Media". Sky News. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  300. ^ "Q & A on Hostilities between Israel and Hamas". Human Rights Watch. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  301. ^ "IAF strikes 4 terrorists hiding in media building". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  302. ^ "Diplomatic push for Gaza truce". Al Jazeera English. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  303. ^ Kalman, Aaron (19 November 2012). "Leading Islamic Jihad operative killed in strike on media center". Times of Israel. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  304. ^ a b "עיתונאי זר בעזה זועם: מבנה שלנו – מקלט לטרור". Ynet. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  305. ^ a b . Telegraph. London. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  306. ^ . France 24. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  307. ^ "Gaza journalists defiant in face of attacks". Al Jazeera. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  308. ^ "Israeli missiles hit cars carrying journalists in Gaza, 3 killed". The Washington Post. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  309. ^ "עיתונאי זר בעזה זועם: מבנה שלנו – מקלט לטרור". Ynet. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  310. ^ "Reporters Without Borders condemns Israeli strikes on building housing media outlets". The Associated Press. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  311. ^ . Reporters Without Borders. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  312. ^ Carr, David (25 November 2012). "Using War as Cover to Target Journalists". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  313. ^ "George Jonas on the war in Gaza: Two can play at terror". National Post. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  314. ^  – Businessweek
  315. ^ a b Shachtman, Noah; Beckhusen, Robert (15 November 2012). "Hamas Shoots Rockets at Tel Aviv, Tweeting Every Barrage". Wired. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  316. ^ a b Spillius, Alex (15 November 2012). "Israelis and Palestinians in first Twitter war". The Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  317. ^ Friedman, Uri (15 November 2012). "Israel Defense Forces live blogs Gaza offensive". Foreign Policy.
  318. ^ Smith, David (13 December 2011). "Al-Shabaab in war of words with Kenyan army on Twitter". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  319. ^ Chirchir, Major Emmanuel. . Twitter. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  320. ^ Al Shabaab. . Twitter. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  321. ^ Bohn, Lauren E (15 November 2012). . Boston Globe. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  322. ^ O'Mahony, Jennifer (21 November 2012). "Gaza conflict: app alerts Israelis when rocket is fired". Telegraph. London. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  323. ^ "Hamas video threatening Israelis draws more parody than fear". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  324. ^ "Hackers failing to cause major cyber-disruption, officials say". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  325. ^ Perlroth, Nicole (15 November 2012). "Anonymous attacks Israeli Web sites". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  326. ^ Harkov, Lahav (15 November 2012). "Danon hacked after he petitions to cut Gaza power". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  327. ^ "Israeli vice prime minister's Facebook, Twitter accounts hacked". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  328. ^ Gustin, Sam (16 November 2012). "The War Will Be Gamified: Israel, Hamas in Social Media Struggle". Time Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  329. ^ a b Mitchell, Jon (15 November 2012). "Unbelievable! The IDF Has Gamified Its War Blog". Read Write. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  330. ^ a b Sommer, Allison (18 November 2012). "Israel's online PR offensive sees blowback". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  331. ^ Goldberg, Jeffrey (16 November 2012). "The Iron Dome, Press Bias, and Israel's Lack of Strategic Thinking". The Atlantic. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  332. ^ "Psychological warfare on the digital battlefield". Haaretz. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  333. ^ "Hamas launches email assault". Times of Israel. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  334. ^ "Hamas warns Gazans against 'spreading rumors' that help Israel". Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  335. ^ Alster, Paul (20 November 2012). "Brazen Faking of Images Reveals Hamas Desperation". Foxnews.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  336. ^ a b c "Brazen faking of images reveals Hamas' desperation". Fox News. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  337. ^ Johnson, Robert (15 November 2012). "Busted: Hamas Tweeted Months-Old Picture From Rebel Attack in Syria". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  338. ^ Chandler, Adam. "Hamas Recycles Pictures of Syrian Dead, and claims them as Palestinian dead". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  339. ^ "'Surprise' rocket fire at Jerusalem shows Hamas flailing but still seeking to escalate the conflict". Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  340. ^ Fernandez, Belen (16 November 2012). "Terror in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  341. ^ Milne, Seumas (20 November 2012). "It's Palestinians who have the right to defend themselves". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  342. ^ Baddar, Omar (19 November 2012). "5 Lies the Media Keeps Repeating About Gaza". The HuffingtonPost. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  343. ^ Greenwald, Glenn (15 November 2012). "Obama's kill list policy compels US support for Israeli attacks on Gaza". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  344. ^ NoamChomsky & others (14 November 2012). . Stop The War Coalition. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  345. ^ Mearsheimer, John (16 November 2012). "A Pillar Built on Sand". The London Review of Books (blog). Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  346. ^ PIllar, Paul (15 November 2012). "The Symmetry and Asymmetry of Violence in Gaza". The National Interest. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  347. ^ "Former British Troops Commander on Possible Israel-Hamas Ceasefire: "I'm Skeptical" of How Long it Can Last (EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW)". Algemeiner. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  348. ^ Silverman, Anav (18 November 2012). "Another Photo of Syrian Massacre Falsely Recycled as Gaza Tragedy". Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  349. ^ BBC's Gaza Correspondent Jon Donnison Tweets Picture of Syria Child Victim, Blaming Israel, Algemeiner 19 November 2012
  350. ^ "BBC Gaza correspondent 'not fit for purpose'". The Commentator. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  351. ^ Harkov, Lahav. "Hamas co-opts photos of injured Syrians". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  352. ^ Kershner, Isabel (11 March 2013). "U.N. Ties Gaza Baby's Death to Palestinians". The New York Times.
  353. ^ "Exposed: Pallywood Returns to Gaza". HonestReporting. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  354. ^ "UPDATE: BBC and CNN React to Pallywood Video Footage". HonestReporting. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  355. ^ "'PALLYWOOD': Israel accuses enemies of fake casualties". Herald Sun. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Pillar of Cloud.

April 17, 2024
2012, israeli, operation, gaza, strip, this, article, contain, citations, that, verify, text, please, check, citation, inaccuracies, november, 2012, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, november, 2012, israel, defense, forces, launched, operation, pil. This article may contain citations that do not verify the text Please check for citation inaccuracies November 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message In November 2012 the Israel Defense Forces IDF launched Operation Pillar of Defense Hebrew ע מ ו ד ע נ ן ʿAmud ʿAnan literally Pillar of Cloud 23 which was an eight day campaign in the Hamas governed Gaza Strip beginning on 14 November 2012 with the killing of Ahmed Jabari chief of the Gaza military wing of Hamas by an Israeli airstrike 24 25 26 27 Operation Pillar of DefensePart of the Gaza Israel conflict and the Israeli Palestinian conflictIron Dome launches during operation Pillar of DefenseDate14 21 November 2012 1 week LocationGaza Strip Israel30 40 N 34 50 E 30 667 N 34 833 E 30 667 34 833ResultCeasefire both sides claim victory 6 7 8 According to Israel the operation severely impaired Hamas s launching capabilities 9 According to Hamas their rocket strikes led to the ceasefire deal 10 Cessation of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel 11 Gaza fishermen allowed 6 nmi 11 km out to sea for fishing 12 reduced back to 3 nmi 6 km after 22 March 2013 13 Belligerents IsraelGaza Strip under Hamas government Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades PIJ 1 PFLP GC PFLP 2 PRC 3 al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades 4 Jaysh al Ummah 5 Commanders and leadersBenjamin NetanyahuPrime MinisterEhud BarakMinister of DefenseBenny GantzChief of General StaffAmir EshelAir Force Commander Yoram CohenDirector of Israel Security Agency Shin Bet Ismail Haniyeh Prime Minister of the Hamas Authority Mohammed Deif Commander of Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades Ahmed Jabari KIA Deputy commander of Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades Ramadan Shallah Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Abu Jamal 2 spokesperson of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades StrengthIsraeli Southern Command and up to 75 000 reservists 14 10 000 Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades8 000 Islamic JihadUnknown for the rest10 000 Security forces 15 Casualties and lossesCivilians 4 killed 219 injured 16 Combatants 2 killed 20 woundedCivilians 105 killed 971 wounded Palestinian claim 17 103 killed UN preliminary estimate 18 57 19 68 20 killed Israeli and ITIC claim 87 killed B Tselem claim 21 Combatants 55 killed 29 wounded 17 Palestinian claim 101 20 120 19 killed Israeli claim 55 killed UN preliminary estimate 18 62 killed B Tselem claim 21 6 Palestinians killed for allegedly spying for Israel 22 The operation was preceded by a period with a number of mutual Israeli Palestinian responsive attacks 28 According to the Israeli government the operation began in response to the launch of over 100 rockets at Israel during a 24 hour period 29 30 an attack by Gaza militants on an Israeli military patrol jeep within Israeli borders citation needed and an explosion caused by improvised explosive devices IEDs which occurred near Israeli soldiers on the Israeli side of a tunnel passing under the Israeli West Bank barrier 31 32 The Israeli government stated that the aims of the military operation were to halt rocket attacks against civilian targets originating from the Gaza Strip 33 34 and to disrupt the capabilities of militant organizations 35 The Palestinians blamed the Israeli government for the upsurge in violence accusing the IDF of attacks on Gazan civilians in the days leading up to the operation 36 They cited the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the occupation of West Bank including East Jerusalem as the reason for rocket attacks 24 During the course of the operation the IDF claimed to have struck more than 1 500 sites in the Gaza Strip 37 including rocket launchpads weapon depots government facilities and apartment blocks 38 According to a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR report 174 Palestinians were killed and hundreds were wounded 39 Approximately 350 700 families were displaced 40 19 41 42 One airstrike 43 killed ten members of the al Dalu family Some Palestinian casualties were caused by misfired Palestinian rockets landing inside the Gaza Strip 44 Eight Palestinians were executed by members of the Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades for alleged collaboration with Israel 45 46 47 During the operation Hamas the al Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad PIJ further intensified their rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns in an operation code named Operation Stones of Baked Clay Arabic حجارة سجيل ḥijarat sijil by the al Qassam Brigades 48 firing over 1 456 rockets into Israel and an additional 142 which fell inside Gaza itself 49 Palestinian militant groups used weapons including Iranian made Fajr 5 Russian made Grad rockets Qassams and mortars citation needed Some of these weapons were fired into Rishon LeZion Beersheba Ashdod Ashkelon and other population centers Tel Aviv was hit for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War and rockets were fired at Jerusalem 50 The rockets killed three Israeli civilians in a direct hit on a home in Kiryat Malachi 25 46 51 By the end of the operation six Israelis had been killed two hundred forty were injured and more than two hundred had been treated for anxiety by Magen David Adom an Israeli medical organization 56 About 421 rockets were intercepted by Israel s Iron Dome missile defense system another 142 fell on Gaza itself 875 fell in open areas and 58 hit urban areas in Israel 49 57 A bus in Tel Aviv was bombed by an Arab Israeli injuring 28 civilians 58 Canada Germany the United Kingdom the United States and other Western countries expressed support for what they considered Israel s right to defend itself or condemned the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel 70 China 71 Iran Russia Egypt Turkey and several other Arab and Muslim countries condemned the Israeli operation 75 The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on the situation but did not reach a decision 76 After days of negotiations between Hamas and Israel a ceasefire mediated by Egypt was announced on 21 November 77 78 79 Both sides claimed victory Israel said that it had achieved its aim of crippling Hamas s rocket launching ability 80 while Hamas stated that Israel s option of invading Gaza had ended 81 82 According to Human Rights Watch both sides violated the laws of war during the fighting 83 84 85 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Background 3 Pre operation events 4 Operation timeline 5 Ceasefire 5 1 Attempts at ceasefire 5 2 Ceasefire of 21 November 5 3 Post ceasefire incidents 6 Spillover 6 1 West Bank 6 2 Other 7 Casualties 7 1 Israeli casualties 7 2 Palestinian casualties 7 2 1 Combatants versus non combatants 7 2 2 Public execution of alleged informants by Hamas 7 2 3 Palestinian casualties from Palestinian fire 8 Damage 9 Alleged war crimes 9 1 Hamas 9 1 1 Targeting of civilians 9 1 2 Firing rockets from populated areas 9 1 3 Allegations that Islamic Jihad members were disguised as journalists 9 1 4 Killing of alleged collaborators 9 2 Israel 9 2 1 Disproportionate force Targeting of civilians 9 2 2 Bombing of media facilities 10 Social media and Internet 10 1 Criticism of IDF media campaign 10 2 Allegations of Hamas disinformation 11 Media coverage 11 1 Images 11 2 Video 12 Reactions 13 See also 14 References 15 External linksEtymologyFurther information Pillar of Cloud Although the official English name of the operation is Pillar of Defense the Hebrew name translates as Pillar of Cloud Eytan Buchman head of the IDF s North American media desk explained that this usage refers to the Pillar of Cloud in the Bible that protected the Israelites during the Exodus and guided them to the Promised Land Exodus 13 21 22 86 The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament elaborate on the story specifying that the Pillar of Cloud shielded the Israelites from the Egyptians arrows and catapults The analogy is thus to the Israel Defense Forces which shielded Israeli citizens from rocket attacks 87 Hamas labelled its actions as Operation Stones of Shale Qur an 105 4 88 BackgroundMain article Gaza Israel conflict Part of this section is transcluded from 2014 Israel Gaza conflict edit history Further information Blockade of the Gaza Strip List of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel 2012 and March 2012 Gaza Israel clashes The Gaza Strip is defined by the 1949 Armistice lines following the 1948 Arab Israeli war About 1 1 of 1 5 million residents of Gaza are registered as refugees from the war 24 Egypt occupied Gaza from 1948 to 1967 and with the Six Day War Israel became the occupying power In February 2005 Israel the Palestinian National Authority Hamas and Islamic Jihad committed to a ceasefire which according to some marked the end of the Second Intifada Some place the end date earlier in October 2004 89 Others signal the death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004 and the subsequent rise of Hamas as heralding the end of the major period conflict that was the second intifada 90 However Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis continued following the February ceasefire Schachter addressing the range of end date options pointed to the progressive decrease in suicide bombings starting in 2004 and culminating in an indeterminate end period in 2005 91 On 17 March 2005 the 13 main Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to be bound by the February agreement conditional on cessation of Israeli military operations 92 Concurrent to the Second Intifada 2000 2005 Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon proposed the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2003 which was approved by the Israeli government in June 2004 and the Knesset in February 2005 The unilateral withdrawal plan was executed in August 2005 and completed in September 2005 93 Nonetheless the ICRC 94 the UN 95 and various human rights organizations 96 97 98 consider Israel still to be the de facto occupying power due to its control of Gaza s borders air space and territorial waters 99 100 The following year 2006 Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislative elections This outcome surprised Israel and the United States who had anticipated the return of the Fatah opposition to power and together with the Quartet they demanded Hamas accept all previous agreements recognize Israel s right to exist and renounce violence 101 When Hamas refused citation needed they cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority In mid 2006 an Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas in a cross border raid The United States and Israel in response to Fatah moves in October 2006 to form a unity government with Hamas tried to undo the elections by arming and training Fatah to overthrow Hamas in Gaza 102 In June 2007 Hamas took complete power of Gaza by force 103 104 105 106 101 Israel then defined Gaza as a hostile territory forming no part of a sovereign state and put Gaza under a comprehensive economic and political blockade 107 which also denied access to a third of its arable land and 85 of its fishing areas It has led to considerable economic damage and humanitarian problems in Gaza 108 109 110 111 The overwhelming consensus of international institutions is that the blockade is a form of collective punishment and illegal 112 113 114 115 116 Israel maintains that the blockade is legal and necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on its cities and to prevent Hamas from obtaining other weapons 117 118 119 120 121 In late December 2008 a series of escalations culminated in Israel launching aerial and naval attacks on Gaza and a few days later a ground invasion The conflict resulted in between 1 166 and 1 417 Palestinian and 13 Israeli deaths 4 from friendly fire with significant damage to infrastructure in Gaza It ended with a unilateral ceasefire by Israel followed by Hamas declaring a one week ceasefire The Palestinian Israeli conflict in its current form dates to the split in the Palestinian Authority in 2006 which precipitated an armed conflict between Hamas and Fatah By June 2007 Hamas had taken over the Government in Gaza and ousted its rival Fatah 122 Following the takeover Israel and Egypt largely sealed their border crossings with Gaza making Gaza s economic and humanitarian position precarious 123 124 The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that Israel s blockade of Gaza constituted collective punishment and was a violation of international humanitarian law 125 and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization report on Gaza also concluded that the blockade was illegal 126 A UN Report of the Secretary General s Panel of Inquiry described Israel s naval enforcement of the blockade as legal and appropriate 127 Israel withdrew its civilian and military personnel in 2005 However the United States United Nations and Arab League consider Israel to be an occupying power in the territory as it controls the Strip s air and sea borders as well as its contact with the West Bank 128 Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States 129 the European Union 130 Canada 131 and Japan 132 It has called for the destruction of Israel since 1988 133 Russia 134 Turkey 135 and Norway 136 do not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization Tensions between Israel and the Hamas governed Gaza Strip continued as the two sides experienced periodic fighting which saw a major escalation in late 2008 137 Israel launched Operation Cast Lead in three weeks of air and ground assaults The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the action was a response to repeated rocket and mortars fire into Israel starting in December 2008 rising to 2 378 attacks over an eleven month period leading to the operation 138 In the aftermath of the operation there was a significant reduction in rocket and mortar fire from Gaza into Israel After the 2008 2009 escalation the two sides observed an informal and uneasy cease fire although rocket fire from Gaza never completely stopped and Israel conducted raids in Gaza The IDF noted a steady increase in the number of rockets fired into southern Israel by militant groups in Gaza By 2011 there were 680 139 and in 2012 797 through 13 November citation needed Hamas demanded that Israel end the naval blockade of Gaza s coastline as a condition to end rocket fire 140 141 142 143 According to Israeli human rights group B Tselem the Israeli security forces killed 273 Palestinians in the Gaza strip between the end of Operation Cast Lead and 30 October 2012 113 of whom were civilians not taking part in hostilities 144 According to Israeli security officials Hamas aided by Iranian technical experts and the Sudanese government smuggled into Gaza Iranian made Fajr 5 rockets with increased range and lethality This move placed the highly populated Israeli central district and other metropolitan areas in range of rocket attacks 145 146 However the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari stated We haven t sent any weapons to Gaza because it is under blockade but we are honoured to announce that we gave them the technology of how to make Fajr 5 missiles 147 Ali Larijani said Iran was honored to help Gaza s Hamas with material and military aspects 148 According to Reuters there were roughly 35 000 Palestinian militants in Gaza as of November 2012 149 Israel which receives billions of dollars of military aid from the US has a conscript army of 175 000 with 450 000 in reserve equipped with modern weapons systems including F 16 fighter bombers Apache helicopter gun ships and Merkava tanks 149 150 According to Israeli security officials Hamas with aid from Iranian technical experts and the Sudanese government smuggled into Gaza Iranian made Fajr 5 rockets with increased range and lethality placing the highly populated Israeli central district and other metropolitan areas in range 151 146 However the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari stated We haven t sent any weapons to Gaza because it is under blockade but we are honoured to announce that we gave them the technology of how to make Fajr 5 missiles 147 Meanwhile Ali Larijani said Iran was honored to help Gaza s Hamas with material and military aspects 152 There are roughly 35 000 Palestinian militants in Gaza 149 Israel which receives billions of dollars of military aid from the US has a conscript army of 175 000 with 450 000 in reserve equipped with modern weapons systems including F 16 fighter bombers Apache helicopter gun ships and Merkava tanks 149 153 Pre operation events nbsp Gaza Strip with Israeli controlled borders and limited fishing zoneSeveral factors acted to increase tensions between Israel and Hamas Israel restricted Gazan fishing due to concerns the fishing boats could be used for smuggling arms and other contraband 154 155 Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported 92 Israeli attacks within the 3 miles zone against Palestinian fishermen in the first half of 2012 with 43 men arrested 18 boats confiscated and 4 times equipment damaged and confiscated 156 Israel has imposed a limited fishing zone limiting Gazan fishermen to fishing within three nautical miles instead of the twenty stipulated in the Oslo Accords 157 Fishery provides Gaza with a large share of its food production and provided more than 12 000 jobs According to Amira Hass the Israeli Navy routinely fire on Palestinian fishermen sometimes detaining and transferring them for a minor interrogation at the Shin Bet security service s offices in Ashdod 28 According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in July and August 11 Israeli attacks took place and 2 fishermen were detained One boat was confiscated 158 On 28 September 2012 Israeli soldiers entered the Gaza Strip and attacked a group of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing at the beach near the border wounding one of them and mortally wounding his brother 159 The Israeli army said they had fired on two Palestinians who had entered a restricted zone near the security barrier 28 160 The family of the killed fisherman said that the fishers used to fish there and that the soldiers knew who they were and used to watch the Palestinian fishermen 161 In one of 11 other attacks in September the Israeli Navy reportedly tried to drown two fishing boats 159 In October PCHR documented 11 Israeli attacks against fishermen in which 8 fishermen were arrested while fishing approximately 2 miles off the shore Two fishing boats and equipment were confiscated 162 Also in October 2012 there were several mutual Israeli Palestinian attacks each a response to a previous response attack by the other side 28 Palestinian farmers accused Israeli forces of opening fire on them and on local and international activists while they harvested olives near the border in the northern Gaza Strip Israel said the army had no record of an attack in that area 163 164 Palestinian groups planted bombs alongside the border and attacked Israeli farmers with rockets 165 According to a summary by Shin Bet 92 separate attacks occurred in October 2012 with 171 rockets and mortar shells fired against Israel 166 Gazan groups alleged retaliation against Israeli attacks that had killed or wounded civilians and militants alike An arms factory in Khartoum Sudan alleged to have participated in arms smuggling to Hamas exploded on 23 October 2012 The Israeli government refused to either confirm or deny its involvement though the explosion was widely believed to be a long range attack by the Israeli Air Force 167 168 On 24 October after a week in which dozens of rockets struck Israel and Israel conducted strikes against militant targets in Gaza 165 80 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over a 24 hour period Thirty two missiles struck the Lachish region and 28 the western Negev A rocket strike on the agricultural area of the Eshkol region severely wounded two Thai workers Earlier that day three members of a Palestinian rocket launching squad had been killed by airstrikes and Israeli tanks had returned fire at launching sites in Gaza Hamas promised to continue carrying the rifle until the liberation of Palestine and the defeat of the occupation 169 170 171 On 25 October a ceasefire was allegedly negotiated by Egypt but the existence of any truce was disputed both by Israeli and Palestinian officials 172 Although aggression continued in the following days 173 there were no more casualties on either side until 2 November On 2 November a 22 year old Palestinian who according to the IDF was suspected of attempting to place an explosive device on the Gaza Israel border was seriously wounded on Friday morning by Israeli tank fire 174 175 According to the IDF he had been suspected of attempting to place an explosive device on the Gaza Israel border On 5 November Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 20 year old Palestinian man who approached a fence near Gaza s side of the border with Israel reportedly ignoring warning shots and instructions to leave the area Palestinians said that the man was unarmed suffered from mental issues and was constantly on medication 176 177 178 179 His relatives later said that he had approached the border before and that at those times Israeli soldiers used to take him back to Gazan authorities 180 On 5 November a Palestinian roadside bomb exploded and Israeli soldiers were injured On 7 November the armed wing of the Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad group fired a volley of rockets at Israel a day after an Israeli strike against targets in the Gaza Strip In the Israeli strike one Islamic Jihad fighter had been wounded as well as four children at a suspected rocket launch area It also damaged a mosque and a water tower 181 On 8 November the IDF made a short range incursion into Gaza after finding more bombs along the border leading to a gunfight with the Popular Resistance Committees 182 During the clash a 13 year old Palestinian boy was killed Palestinians claimed that his death occurred by machine gun fire either from IDF helicopters or tanks that took part in the incident 183 184 Later that day Palestinian militants detonated an explosives packed tunnel they had dug on the border wounding four Israeli soldiers 184 185 186 Hamas s military wing claimed responsibility for the blast stating that it was in response to the killing of the boy 187 According to Arutz Sheva 2 Qassam rockets were fired into Israel on 9 November exploding on open ground 188 On 10 November militants fired an anti tank missile at an IDF Jeep on routine patrol near Israel s side of the border Four soldiers were wounded one of whom was in critical condition following the attack 30 186 189 190 The IDF shelled the source of the fire and pre chosen targets in the Sa ajiya area Four teenagers aged 16 to 18 were killed by an Israeli airstrike in a sports stadium while they played soccer 189 191 192 Gaza militants then fired at least 30 rockets and several mortar shells into southern Israel The Color Red siren was sounded in Ashdod Ashkelon Gan Yavne and surrounding areas causing Israelis within seven kilometers of the Gaza Strip to remain near protected areas The Gan Yavne regional council canceled school because of the rocket barrage 182 193 The sides continued to exchange fire for several days after the incident Palestinian militants fired more than 100 rockets striking homes in Israeli cities one landing near a school Several Israelis were wounded by shrapnel in a barrage designed to coincide with the morning commute to work Two people were injured when their car sustained a direct hit 30 194 Schools across southern Israel were closed The mayor of Beersheba Ruvik Danilovich explained We have experienced hits on our education institutions in the past 40 000 children will remain at home today because of the attack that hit us out of the blue 195 Israel carried out further airstrikes in Gaza Six Palestinian militants were killed including one militant belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad 189 In the days before the operation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel s reaction would come at the appropriate time However following a cabinet meeting in the morning before the operation Minister Benny Begin said that the current exchange of hostilities seems to be over According to one Israeli analyst these mixed messages the expected diplomatic repercussions from Egypt and the risks of a war on the eve of the Israeli elections were three factors designed to foster a laissez faire atmosphere for Gaza s Palestinian leaders vague 196 On 12 November Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad PIJ officials indicated a willingness to discuss a ceasefire A PIJ spokesman said The ball is in Israel s court The resistance factions will observe Israel s behavior on the ground and will act accordingly However Palestinians fired 12 rockets at Israel throughout the day 197 198 A factory and a house were hit and three civilians were wounded 199 Israel asked the UN Security Council to condemn the rocket attacks with Minister Barak saying that Israel would not accept the harm to daily life of our civilians 198 200 Gershon Baskin an Israeli peace activist who was a mediator between Israel and Hamas in the negotiations that resulted in the release of Gilad Shalit reported that hours before the strike that killed Ahmed Jabari Jabari had received a draft of a long term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas 201 202 203 204 According to Reuven Pedatzur the negotiations had been conducted with the consent of Ehud Barak and a week before the strike IDF officials had asked to be briefed on their progress but permission for the briefing was denied 205 citation needed Operation timelineMain article Timeline of Operation Pillar of DefenseCeasefireThe two main parties Israel and Hamas refused to deal with each other directly Instead negotiations were conducted thorough intermediaries Officials from the US and Egypt acted as the facilitators 206 Attempts at ceasefire Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas were mediated by Egypt Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi predicted the negotiations would lead to positive results very soon By contrast US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after meeting with Netanyahu said that the process would take place in the days ahead UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon also met with Netanyahu to attempt to end the violence Turkish foreign ministers and Arab League diplomats were sent to Gaza to promote a truce between the warring parties 207 According to reports in Cairo Israel made six demands for a ceasefire 208 No violence for a period of more than 15 years No smuggling or transfer of arms to Gaza End of all rocket fire and attacks on Israeli soldiers Israel reserves the right to attack terrorists in case of an attack or of a potential attack Israeli Gaza crossings will remain closed although Gaza Egypt crossings may remain open Egypt s politicians must guarantee the above demands Hamas s demands for a ceasefire included the lifting of the naval blockade of Gaza international community guarantees for the cessation of targeted killings an end to IDF cross border raids and the cessation of attack 208 209 Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal additionally wanted international guarantees for the lifting of the blockade 210 Ceasefire of 21 November On 21 November Mohamed Kamel Amr the Egyptian Foreign Minister and Hillary Clinton the US Secretary of State announced a ceasefire that would take effect at 21 00 GMT 2 211 212 The agreement distributed by the Egyptian presidency reads 213 214 Understanding Regarding Ceasefire in Gaza Strip 1 a Israel shall stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals b All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel including rocket attacks and all attacks along the border c Opening the crossings and facilitating the movements of people and transfer of goods and refraining from restricting residents free movements and targeting residents in border areas and procedures of implementation shall be dealt with after 24 hours from the start of the ceasefire d Other matters as may be requested shall be addressed 2 Implementation Mechanism a Setting up the zero hour for the Ceasefire Understanding to enter into effect b Egypt shall receive assurances from each party that the party commits to what was agreed upon c Each party shall commit itself not to perform any acts that would breach this understanding In case of any observations Egypt as the sponsor of this understanding shall be informed to follow up Authored and distributed by Office of the Egyptian president Khaled Meshal the exiled leader of Hamas thanked Egypt for mediating the ceasefire and claimed that Israel had been defeated He also praised Iran for providing militants with financing and arms 215 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Operation Pillar of Defense had been successful and thanked US President Obama for his unwavering support for Israel s right to defend itself 216 Post ceasefire incidents See also 2014 Israel Gaza conflict Violations of the truce An explosion took place in Gaza in unclear circumstances after the ceasefire no casualties were reported 217 A Palestinian man was killed and three others wounded by stray gunfire as gunmen in Gaza fired in the air to celebrate the ceasefire deal 218 In the hour after the ceasefire was declared twelve rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel All of them landed in open areas 217 219 Air raid sirens sounded in Eshkol Sderot Hof Ashkelon Ashdod Kiryat Malachi and Sha ar Hanegev One rocket over Ashdod was intercepted by the Iron Dome 220 The day after the ceasefire Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian farmer and wounded another 19 The survivors who thought the terms of the truce allowed them access to their land said they ventured into the Israeli established buffer zone inside Gaza s border to pray while climbing on the Israeli Defense Wall 221 The Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour complained to the organization that the attack was a violation of the ceasefire 222 On 28 November Israel opened fire on two fishing boats off the coast of Gaza and detained nine Gazan fishermen According to Mahfouth al Kabriti the head of Gaza s fishing association the fishermen were six miles off the coast the limit within which as Israel agreed in the ceasefire deal Gazan fishermen could sail According to the Israeli Navy the fishermen had ventured beyond the area designated as allowable for fishing and did not heed requests to return to the area before being detained 223 On 30 November another young Gazan man 21 year old Mahmoud Jaroun was shot dead by Israeli forces in Rafah According to Ma an News Agency Israeli forces had already violated the ceasefire several times by the beginning of December 2012 by firing at Palestinian farmers 224 On 1 December Islamic Jihad warned that more Israeli violations of a ceasefire deal would move the group to respond 225 SpilloverWest Bank The conflict sparked widespread protests in the West Bank leading to an upsurge in clashes between Palestinians and the IDF 46 226 On 14 November two Israelis were lightly injured when their vehicle was stoned near Gush Etzion The road from Jerusalem to Gush Etzion was closed as a result of fierce protests 227 On 18 November a 31 year old Palestinian man participating in a demonstration in Nabi Salih was killed by Israeli fire The IDF which described the protest as illegal and violent launched an investigation into the incident 228 229 By 19 November over 50 Palestinians had been reported injured during solidarity protests held in East Jerusalem Ramallah Bethlehem Beit Ummar and Qalandia 230 On 19 November thousands marched in response to the killing of a protester the previous day 226 An Israeli civilian vehicle was firebombed on Highway 60 in the West Bank The passengers managed to flee before the vehicle was incinerated 231 According to Israel Hayom a protester in Halhul who attempted to attack an Israeli soldier was shot and killed 231 Agence France Presse AFP stated that the circumstances of the killing were unclear The Palestinian police and ambulance service stated that no clashes had taken place where the man was killed 226 The IDF launched an investigation into the incident Five firebombs were thrown at an Israeli Border Police base in Atarot Assailants opened fire on Israeli soldiers at a military base near Jenin Palestinians tried to infiltrate Nahliel by cutting through the security fence surrounding the Israeli town Palestinians stoned Israeli vehicles on Route 443 a main highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem A 22 year old Palestinian in Hebron attempting to throw a firebomb at a soldier was shot and wounded A Border Police officer was injured during a demonstration in Qalandiya 231 On 20 November an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded in clashes with Palestinian protesters near Gush Etzion and an Israeli civilian woman was moderately injured in a stoning attack on a vehicle near Husan 46 Palestinian demonstrations throughout the West Bank that day praised the rocket strikes and called for a new uprising and the abandonment of diplomacy with Israel According to The Christian Science Monitor the demonstrations signaled a blow to the prestige of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has supported talks with Israel 232 Further protests and clashes occurred throughout the West Bank on 21 22 November Thousands of Palestinians protested the death of Rushdi al Tamimi whose funeral procession passed through Ramallah and Birzeit University before ending in Tamimi s hometown of Nabi Salih Several protesters attending the funeral lobbed stones at Israeli troops manning the entrance of the village who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of the Palestinian man killed in Hebron on 20 November Following his burial many young protesters approached an Israeli settlement near Bab al Zawiya Square sparking clashes with Israeli forces who fired rubber bullets and tear gas About 40 Palestinians were injured 233 In the city of Nablus hundreds of protesters waved Hamas flags 234 The entrance to Bani Naim was closed by the IDF after clashes between them and the town s residents Meanwhile the northern West Bank village of al Jalama was declared a closed military zone after hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators protested at the village checkpoint Five Palestinians were arrested in house raids by the Israeli military in Ya bad and Tubas Israel alleged that the detained men had previously thrown stones at Israeli troops 233 Other On 14 November the Egyptian military confirmed that four rockets had been fired from Sinai toward Israel by militant groups in an area with a history in the prior eighteen months of cross border shootings and rocket launches 235 236 On 20 November a Lebanese army patrol discovered two ready to launch 107mm Grad rockets between the villages of Halta and Mari about 2 miles from the Israeli border The forces defused the rockets IDF official Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said Palestinian factions in Lebanon were probably behind the plot See List of Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel 237 On 21 November the day of the ceasefire two rockets fired from Lebanon at Israel landed within Lebanon according to Beirut officials 238 The next day the Lebanese army disarmed an additional rocket aimed at Israel this one in Marjayoun about 10 kilometers from the border 238 CasualtiesIsraeli casualties nbsp An Israeli apartment building in Kiryat Malakhi which was hit by a rocket killing three residents nbsp Aftermath of the Tel Aviv bus bombing incident on 21 November Four Israeli civilians and two soldiers were killed in Palestinian rocket attacks 239 Three of the civilians died in a direct hit on an apartment building in Kiryat Malakhi The fourth Israeli civilian death was an Israeli Arab contractor for the Israeli Defense Ministry who was killed in a rocket attack in the Eshkol Region 46 240 241 242 Both of the Israeli military fatalities were killed in rocket and mortar barrages on the Eshkol Regional Council One of them was wounded on the last day of the conflict and died of his injuries on 22 November 243 244 By 20 November almost 250 Israelis had been injured in rocket attacks 245 including at least 10 soldiers 246 Another 28 people were injured in a bus bombing in Tel Aviv 247 nbsp Building in Rishon le Zion hit by Hamas rocket nbsp Israeli children running for shelter as an air raid siren sounds The IDF credited the low Israeli casualty rate to a number of factors both offensive and defensive its preemptive targeting of launching pads and rocket arsenals its ability to strike militants in the act of launching rockets the 80 success rate of Israel s Iron Dome missile interception system the existence of bomb proof rooms in every Israeli house the implementation of the Red Color alarm system and public outreach efforts by its Home Front Command 248 Palestinian casualties nbsp The damaged floor of a building in Gaza after Israeli strikesIn March 2013 the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a report stating 174 Palestinians in total died 107 of them civilians 39 According to B Tselem 167 Palestinians were killed including 62 Palestinians who took part in the hostilities and seven other who were targets of assassination 21 The Israel Defense Forces have stated that out of 177 Palestinians killed 120 were militants and that the IDF never deliberately targets civilians 19 249 Based on a large scale survey Al Mezan counted 129 civilians and 39 combatants killed 250 The Israeli air force says that it takes all possible measures to avoid harming Palestinian civilians utilizing precision strikes and issuing preemptive warnings to Palestinian residents 251 The IDF alleges that it disseminated warning leaflets instructing civilians to avoid areas used by Hamas for firing rockets and also phoned residents in warnings It says targets were deliberately missed on the first strike to allow the non combatants to vacate the area and missions were aborted because of a civilian presence 252 nbsp Debris in GazaOn 19 November 2012 an Israeli airstrike killed ten members of the Dalu family including five children as well as two neighbors in the deadliest single strike of the entire operation 253 According to the UN a relative said to be a member of the Izz al Din al Qassam Brigades was the target 254 Human Rights Watch stated it had found evidence on the ground in Gaza that supported the Israeli s claim that the suspected target Mohammad Al Dalou was a member of Hamas armed wing 255 A surviving family member denied that a warning had been given to his family to flee the home They didn t give us a warning They just hit the house with the children in it My daughters were in their youth What did they do to them 256 The IDF policy of targeting family homes of alleged militants has been criticized due to the high potential of creating civilian casualties 257 Competing theories for the attack were offered One Israeli paper stated the IDF believed a militant was inside while two others said the wrong house was targeted 253 IDF spokeswoman Avital Leibovich at first stated that the event was an accident and the target was a man Yihia Abayah supposedly responsible for launching 200 300 rockets into Israel 256 A relative of the family said that man is not known and rejected his existence 258 Later the IDF changed justification for the attack to say that it was intentional and aimed at Mohamed al Dalu a Gazan police officer who died in the strike 259 The most notable fatality of a Palestinian militant was that of Ahmed Jabari a high level commander in Hamas 260 The PCHR stated that the number of injured people had reached 1 000 261 Combatants versus non combatants The media and combating parties in counting the casualties often use different definitions of combatants or militants 262 263 The International Committee of the Red Cross regards persons as civilians if they do not fulfill a continuous combat function for example many police officers or do not participate directly in hostilities Civilians are entitled to protection and may not be the object of an attack The fact that a person killed was a member of any particular Palestinian organization does not in and of itself prove that he took part in the hostilities or that he lost the protection given him as a civilian 262 Some political or armed groups often declare killed persons including children one of their members and adopt them as martyrs placing their photographs on their websites and commending their contribution to resisting occupation Their families may accept this for various reasons including the willingness of armed groups to provide financial support to the families and pay for funeral costs of the persons killed This does not mean that those persons killed were involved in militant activities in any way 250 Public execution of alleged informants by Hamas Seven Palestinians have been publicly executed by militants for alleged collaboration with Israel 46 One man Ashraf Ouaida was killed on 16 November near a mosque in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City An eyewitness said he saw two masked men emerge from a Jeep drag the victim underneath a Hamas billboard and shoot him multiple times in the head before hanging a poster citing his alleged crimes 264 Militants shot six other Palestinians in the street on 20 November 46 According to witnesses the men were pulled out of a van forced to lie face down on the street and then shot dead Five of the bodies were left in a pile while a mob stomped and spit on them A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the main streets of Gaza City as onlookers screamed Spy Spy Militants posted a sign naming the six victims Hamas s radio station Voice of al Aqsa quoted security sources alleging that they possessed hi tech equipment and filming equipment to take footage of positions 265 266 The man whose body was tied to a motorcycle Ribhi Badawi was a member of Jaljalat an Islamist group that maintains a rivalry with Hamas Badawi s family neighbors and friends maintained that the allegations of his having spied for Israel were absurd noting that he had spent the previous four years in a Hamas prison under armed guard His widow stated that he confessed to aiding Israel after being tortured by Hamas for seven months with methods that included being burned having his jaw and teeth broken and being hung for 45 days by his arms and legs 267 On 21 November Hamas deputy leader Moussa Abu Marzouk condemned the killings as unlawful adding that any punishments or executions must follow the legal process He further added that those behind the killings must be punished 268 Palestinian casualties from Palestinian fire Some of the Palestinian civilian deaths are believed to have been caused by a Palestinian rocket that fell short of its target not by Israel and two were high profile incidents 44 51 254 269 The UN report into the events by the High Commissioner for Human Rights found that of the 174 Palestinians killed 168 were killed by Israeli military action while 6 civilians may have been killed by Palestinian armed groups firing rockets from Gaza 270 BBC Arabic photojournalist Jihad Masharawi lost his 11 month old son and sister in law to what appeared to be an Israeli airstrike Many international organizations condemned Israel for their deaths Human Rights Watch reported that Israel was responsible for the deaths based on news reports and witnesses The Palestinian Center for Human Rights stated that an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a house belonging to Ali Nemer al Mishrawi in the al Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City Two members of the family a woman and a toddler were killed Hiba Aadel Fadel al Mishrawi 19 and Omar Jihad al Mishrawi 11 months The latest investigation by the U N Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights suggested that the incident was most likely the result of an errant Palestinian rocket launched towards Israel but fell back into Gaza Two members of the family a woman and a toddler were initially killed Hiba Aadel Fadel al Mishrawi 19 and Omar Jihad al Mishrawi 11 months 270 271 272 273 Ahmed al Mishrawi 18 later died from his injuries 254 According to Jihad al Mishrawi his residential neighborhood in the Sabra district saw no fighting before this incident 274 275 The death of four year old Mohammed Sadallah after an explosion in Annazla appeared to have been the result of a misfiring home made rocket not a bomb dropped by Israel as originally alleged by Hamas Hamas officials and relatives said that the four year old Gazan boy was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 16 November Israel denied that it carried out any attacks in the area at the time 44 276 According to The New York Times the damage was nowhere near severe enough to have come from an Israeli F 16 raising the possibility that an errant missile fired by Palestinian militants was responsible for the deaths 277 Experts from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights examined the site and opined that the explosion was caused by a Palestinian rocket the boy s mother acknowledged that Palestinian militants might have been responsible 44 269 The Associated Press reported that no one appeared to have witnessed the strike and that local security officials quickly took what remained of the projectile making it impossible to verify who fired it 278 A United Nations Report released in March 2013 concluded that Sadallah was killed by what appeared to be a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel and not by an Israeli airstrike 279 The UN reported that at least one other child and adult had also been killed by Hamas fire 254 DamageBased on a large scale survey by workers in the field which Al Mezan claims to be extremely accurate Al Mezan reported the total destruction of 124 houses located in all of the Gaza Strip and partial damage of 2 050 homes In just one week the Israeli army destroyed numerous public and private premises including 52 places of worship 25 non governmental organizations NGOs 97 schools 15 health institutions 14 journalist premises 8 police stations 16 government buildings and 11 political sites Fifteen factories and 192 trade shops were damaged or destroyed Twelve water wells as well as agricultural lands were destroyed 250 Alleged war crimesHamas Targeting of civilians Both U N Secretary General Ban Ki moon and U N High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned the continuing indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians in Israel by militants from Gaza 33 280 nbsp A burning car after a Grad rocket from Gaza hit it near a residential building in the city of Beersheba during Operation Pillar of Defense November 2012 Human Rights Watch stated that armed Palestinian groups fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities violating international humanitarian law and that statements by Palestinian groups that they deliberately targeted Israeli civilians demonstrated an intent to commit war crimes HRW s Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said that Palestinian groups made clear that harming civilians was their aim and said that the launching rockets at populated areas had no legal justification International humanitarian law prohibits deliberate attacks on civilians and intentional violations can be war crimes 84 85 A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that Palestinian armed groups continuously violated international humanitarian law by launching indiscriminate attacks on Israel and by attacking civilians 270 273 The report further stated While some projectiles were directed at military objectives many if not the vast majority of the Palestinian attacks on Israel constituted indiscriminate attacks Such attacks violate international humanitarian law Most rockets fired by the armed groups did not seem to be directed at a specific military objective Furthermore many Palestinian armed groups directly and indirectly indicated their determination to and took responsibility for attacks on Israeli civilians or large population centres in Israel Such acts clearly violate international humanitarian law 254 Firing rockets from populated areas Human Rights Watch stated that Palestinian groups endangered civilians by repeatedly fir ing rockets from densely populated areas near homes businesses and a hotel Under international law parties to a conflict may not place military targets in or near densely populated areas One rocket was launched close to the Shawa and Housari Building where various Palestinian and international media have offices another was fired from the yard of a house near the Deira Hotel 84 85 Human Rights Watch said it had not been able to identify any instance where civilians had been warned to evacuate an area before a rocket launch by Palestinian militants 85 Col Richard Kemp former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan said The use of the civilian population by Hamas is undoubtedly a war crime because not only are they hiding themselves under a civilian population but they are also putting the civilian population at risk In my view if there are civilian casualties the responsibility does not lie with the IDF but with Hamas who deliberately placed them there 281 Richard Landes criticised Hamas for firing from the midst of civilians a practice leading to casualties blamed on Israeli counter strikes to garner Western sympathy 282 Danny Ayalon said that Hamas s firing of rockets from built up civilian areas was a double war crime noting that ten percent of them did not reach Israel 283 The IDF stated that Hamas makes use of human shield tactics and said By operating from densely populated areas Hamas willingly endangers its own people turning their houses and schools into terror sites and weapon depots 284 The Jerusalem Post and Fox News said Palestinian rocket launch sites were put next to hospitals schools mosques and playgrounds 252 285 On 21 November a long range Qassam rocket of the type Israel has accused Iran of supplying to Hamas was fired from within 500 yards of the hospital and hit Gush Etzion southeast of Jerusalem 286 An IDF spokesman stated they had released footage of rocket fire from a mosque courtyard prayer houses public places and homes 287 nbsp A Hamas rocket launch site and its civilian surroundings In March 2013 the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR released a report criticizing Palestinian groups for launching rocket attacks from densely populated areas The report stated that The Palestinian armed groups failed to take all feasible precautions in attacks in particular by launching rockets from populated areas which put the population at grave risk 254 Allegations that Islamic Jihad members were disguised as journalists The IDF accused Gaza militants of abusing the protection afforded to journalists On 20 November 2012 Muhammed Shamalah commander of Hamas forces in southern Gaza and head of its militant training programs was targeted by an Israeli air strike At the time he was driving a car which according to the IDF was clearly labeled TV indicating it to be a press vehicle 288 The PCHR reported that an Israeli strike had killed al Quds Radio journalist Muhammed Abu Eisha The UN The New York Times Reporters without Borders and Human Rights Watch condemned Israel for the attack 289 290 Frankfurter Allgemeine reported that PCHR failed to mention that Eisha was also a member of the Islamic Jihad and had participated in rocket attacks against Israel 291 Eisha s name and photo appeared on the Islamic Jihad s website at the time of his death 291 Killing of alleged collaborators The March 2013 report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR criticized Palestinian militant groups for summarily executing alleged Israeli spies in breach of humanitarian law 254 Israel Disproportionate force Targeting of civilians A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was harshly critical of the conduct of the Israeli army The report stated that the IDF had failed in many instances to respect international law and that it did not consistently uphold the basic principles of conduct of hostilities namely the principles of distinction proportionality and precautions 270 273 The Israeli airstrike that killed 12 civilians including 10 members of the Al Dalu family has been called a disproportionate use of force and a war crime by Human Rights Watch which stated that the attack had yet to be justified by Israel and called for the perpetrators of the strike to be punished and the surviving members of victims families to be compensated 292 Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned it as an example of blatant targeting of civilians 293 According to The New York Times political leaders and human rights advocates have called the Dalu family deaths a massacre and a war crime 256 British MP Gerald Kaufman criticized the Israeli offensive and its broader context of occupation of the West Bank and the siege of Gaza as war crimes 294 In an emergency meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers of member states accused Israel of perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity 295 Turkey and Iran accused Israel of committing war crimes and refused to consider the Israeli airstrikes self defense Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians 296 297 Bombing of media facilities In four Israeli attacks on media facilities and journalists ten media workers were wounded and two cameramen and a two year old was killed 298 The Israeli government stated that each of the attacks were on a legitimate military target The Israeli army stated that foreign journalists were used as human shields by Hamas after attacks on two media centers in Gaza containing Hamas communications devices 299 Human Rights Watch conducted an investigation into these incidents and concluded that there were no indications that these targets were valid military objectives and thus violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations HRW further stated that journalists and civilian broadcasting facilities were not legitimate military targets simply because they broadcast pro Hamas or anti Israel propaganda 298 300 In one separate incident according to the IDF it hit four Islamic Jihad militants hiding out in a media center in Gaza the Al Sharouk compound 301 302 PIJ reported by text message that one of their senior militant operatives Ramez Harb was killed in the airstrike 303 304 305 as well as Palestinian cameramen Israel warned the foreign journalists to leave the building before the strike 306 307 308 One foreign journalist that worked there spoke of his anger that the building was being used as a hideout by Palestinian militants endangering many people 304 Human Rights Watch said this attack appeared to be on a military target and that if Palestinians conducting military operations were present they were violating international law by placing civilians at unnecessary risk 298 The Israeli military s alleged targeting of journalists was also condemned by Reporters without Borders 305 309 Christophe Deloire secretary general of RWB said Even if the targeted media support Hamas this does not in any way legitimize the attacks Attacks on civilian targets are war crimes and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions Those responsible must be identified 310 311 Writing for The New York Times David Carr noted that IDF spokeswoman Avital Leibovich who said that the journalists were people who have relevance to terror activity did not identify the strike as a mistake Carr accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists under the cover of war using amorphous phrases such as relevance to terror activity to justify the attacks 312 NGO Monitor stated that Hamas in Gaza terrorizes the international press because it put its own operational communication antennas on top of buildings whose lower floors house foreign media outlets 313 Social media and Internet nbsp The military wing of Hamas and the Israeli military both made use of Twitter 314 The IDF made widespread use of Twitter and a liveblog to give an up to date account of its operations The military wing of Hamas also made use of Twitter publicising its rocket and mortar attacks and tweeting when Israeli casualties were reported 315 316 Foreign Policy magazine labeled this effort a milestone in military communications 316 317 Twitter had previously been used to present information regarding military engagements by both the Kenya Defence Forces and Al Shabaab during the KDF s operation against Al Shabaab in Somalia in 2011 318 319 320 The IDF s Twitter account gained more than 50 000 new followers in 24 hours 321 An app based on an idea provided by a 13 year old was developed to supply up to date reports of imminent missile attacks and send information of the location and timing of the public Color Red alerts The app allowed users extra time to run to bomb shelters 322 Hamas produced a video that threatened the lives of Israeli citizens and warned Wait soon for us in the bus stops and cafes The video became a popular target for parody because of its technical problems and the broken Hebrew written and spoken in it 323 During the campaign pro Palestinian hackers launched a concerted effort to cripple Israeli websites Israeli websites faced over 60 million hacking attempts which failed to cause any significant damage 324 In April 2013 Anonymous attacked many Israeli websites in response to the IDF offensive in Gaza They called the attack OpIsrael and claimed to have taken down at least 700 sites as of 18 November 2012 The Israeli Defense Forces claimed to have deflected 44 million cyber attacks by that date citation needed Many of the websites were replaced with messages condemning the Israeli campaign and expressing support for the citizens of Gaza 325 Hackers from Kuwait disrupted the website of Likud MK Danny Danon who had posted an online petition urging the government of Israel to cease providing the Gaza Strip with electricity 326 The Facebook and Twitter accounts of Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Likud MK Silvan Shalom were hacked by a pro Palestinian group called ZCompanyHackingCrew 327 Criticism of IDF media campaign nbsp What Would You Do IDF graphic The IDF s blog incorporates gamification features where visitors are awarded points and given badges for things such as visiting the blog or sharing its contents on their social networks 328 Although the blog had had these features previously they had been disabled before Operation Pillar of Defense due to high traffic 329 They were re enabled shortly after the operation began Multiple commentators have described the timing of their re enablement just after the launch of Operation Pillar of Defense as offensive ReadWrite s Jon Mitchell described it as absolutely horrendous and The Atlantic s Jeffrey Goldberg called it disgraceful 329 330 331 Israel s social media campaign around Operation Pillar of Defense has been perceived by some parties as overly aggressive or otherwise inappropriate Wired described Israel s efforts as hyper pugnacious and Foreign Policy s Michael Koplow expressed fears that Israel s social media campaign might contribute to some people s fear of Israel run amok with no regard for the collateral damage being caused 330 Allegations of Hamas disinformation Hamas attempted to conduct psychological warfare consisting primarily of fake emails and Facebook postings Many Israelis received a false announcement from an IDF Spokesman warning that terrorists in Gaza can track you and direct their Katyushas to your location if they opened their text messages Thousands received emails in broken Hebrew that the military censorship of military intelligence was concealing information about attacks on soldiers and urged them to view the picture of the field of death in which our soldiers are falling in Gaza The attached YouTube videos though claiming to show an IDF jeep struck by a missile was in fact a vehicle of the Reuters news agency that had been hit on the border 332 333 Hamas warned Gazan civilians against spreading unsourced information claiming that such behavior harmed national security and aided Israel s psychological war The Interior Ministry said that it would convey any needed information in order to safeguard the truth The statement came after Hamas gunmen publicly shot a Gaza resident multiple times in the head for allegedly collaborating with Israeli authorities 334 Richard Landes a blogger and American Associate Professor of history at Boston University accused Hamas of brazen hypocrisy and exploiting a death they had caused in order to garner Western sympathy 282 335 Hamas fabricated achievements and used pictures of children injured or killed in Syria presenting them in the social media as Palestinian dead One of its tweets about the Israeli strikes contained a picture of a dead girl previously posted on the Syrians amp Friends Facebook page in October 2012 336 337 338 339 Another photo of explosions that was uploaded to the Facebook page affiliated with Hamas appeared to be digitally altered 315 Hamas staged several fake deaths and scenes of injury in front of TV crews 336 Some who argued that Hamas manipulation effectively undermined their own cause as readers could not be certain of the authenticity of what they were seeing 336 Media coverageSee also Media coverage of the Arab Israeli conflict Noam Chomsky Seumas Milne Glenn Greenwald John Mearsheimer Paul Pillar and several other writers have blamed Israel for the conflict 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 Former British commander Richard Kemp by contrast said there was a very effective anti Israel propaganda machine that misunderstands what he considers the reality that Hamas is a terrorist organization 347 Sharine Tadros an Al Jazeera correspondent to the Middle East who covers the conflict from Gaza criticized several aspects of the media approach to the conflict Tadros criticized what she said was an uncritical and repetitive use by journalists of Israel s justifications for targeting homes and other civilian structures Tadros further criticized the use of terms such as Hamas school According to her Hamas is used as an adjective by Israel as justification for targeting civilian infrastructure 257 Images The Arab news site Alarab Net released a photo on 18 November which depicted three bloodied children and their mother lying on a floor who were allegedly massacred in Gaza Inciting a flurry of comments on Facebook they turned out to be Syrian massacre photos from 19 October reused to depict a Gaza tragedy 348 On 19 November BBC Gaza correspondent Jon Donnison retweeted a photograph of a dead or injured child titled Pain in Gaza with his own comment heartbreaking It was soon shown that the photo was apparently taken in Syria and is dated to 28 October 2012 before the beginning of the events in Gaza Donnison apologized for the incident 349 350 Pro Palestinian activists co opted another photograph on Twitter identifying an injured infant held by a rescue worker as a young injured Palestinian child However Facebook and Twitter users recognized it as that of an Israeli baby wounded by a Hamas rocket attack Kiryat Malachi was printed on the rescue worker s vest 351 Photographs of a distraught Palestinian man Jihad al Masharawi 254 a BBC journalist carrying the body of his 11 month old son Omar wrapped in a white shroud were printed in newspapers worldwide and widely distributed on social media Masharawi the BBC Middle East bureau chief and at least two human rights organizations initially blamed Israel for the incident and the infant s death quickly became a powerful symbol of the conflict However in March 2013 the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the eight day conflict stated that Omar was most likely the victim of what appeared to be a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel 352 Video BBC News and CNN broadcast Reuters footage of an apparently injured Palestinian man being carried away by a group of people But the BBC s footage later showed the man walking around on his own 353 CNN said that Reuters did not know the source of that film while the BBC News responded that to the best of their knowledge the events were not staged and that the footage had been cut from a longer reel that showed the man lying on the sidewalk being lifted and receiving treatment and then walking away having recovered The BBC said that it had taken steps to ensure that any re broadcast would make this sequence of events clear to its audience 354 355 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNRWA expressed concern for the use of footage by the IDF which suggested the agency s complicity in terrorist activities targeting Israel citation needed ReactionsMain article Reactions to Operation Pillar of DefenseSee also nbsp Israel portal nbsp Palestine portalTimeline of the Israel Gaza conflict Roof knockingReferences IDF believes Hamas Islamic Jihad will honor cease fire The Jerusalem Post 22 November 2012 Retrieved 3 June 2013 a b PFLP says fighters will continue to strike Israel Ma an News Agency 17 November 2012 Archived from the original on 8 November 2014 Retrieved 17 November 2012 Occupied Quds City Targeted by Palestinian Missile Fars News Agency 20 November 2012 Archived from the original on 16 December 2012 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Fatah We also fought against Israel in Pillar of Defense The Jerusalem Post 24 November 2012 Retrieved 24 November 2012 Jaysh al Ummah Gaza European Council on Foreign Relations Retrieved 18 June 2021 Londono Ernesto Birnbaum Michael 21 November 2012 After Israel Hamas reach Gaza cease fire both sides claim victory The Washington Post Retrieved 22 November 2012 Kalman Matthew Sengupta Kim 21 November 2012 Fragile truce deal hailed as a victory on both sides The Independent London Archived from the original on 23 February 2019 Retrieved 21 November 2012 Ahren Raphael 21 November 2012 Israel says it fulfilled all its goals while Hamas hails an exceptional victory The Times of Israel Retrieved 21 November 2012 Lyon Alistair ed 21 November 2012 Israel s battle damage report says Hamas crippled Jewish Journal Reuters Retrieved 22 November 2012 Balmer Crispian 21 November 2012 Analysis Relief at Gaza ceasefire can t mask its frailty Reuters Retrieved 3 June 2013 Ravid Barak 22 November 2012 Israel s Pillar of Defense achieved its goals Haaretz Retrieved 3 June 2013 Israel eases restrictions on Gaza fishing Middle East Al Jazeera English Aljazeera com 25 November 2012 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Williams Dan 22 March 2013 Hamas appeals to Egypt after Israel halves Gaza fishing zone Reuters Retrieved 3 June 2013 Rocket fired from Gaza lands near Jerusalem Al Jazeera English 4 October 2011 Retrieved 20 November 2012 The main armed groups in Gaza gulfnews com 19 November 2012 Retrieved 24 November 2012 a b Israel under fire November 2012 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel 22 November 2012 Retrieved 23 November 2012 a b The total numbers of victims Palestinian Center for Human Rights 24 November 2012 Archived from the original on 2 December 2012 Retrieved 24 November 2012 a b Gaza baby only knew how to smile BBC News 25 November 2012 Retrieved 25 November 2012 a b c d After eight days of fighting ceasefire is put to the test Times of Israel 21 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b Operation Pillar of Defence PDF Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center 16 December 2012 Retrieved 24 December 2012 a b c Operation Pillar of Defence Report B tselem 8 May 2013 Archived from the original on 12 May 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2012 Hamas executes six suspected informants for Israel on Gaza street The Guardian Associated press 20 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Chief of Staff Declares Operation Pillar of Cloud Arutz Sheva 14 November 2012 Retrieved 14 November 2012 a b c Q amp A Israel Gaza violence BBC News 20 November 2012 a b Day 2 300 Rockets Fired at Israel Since Start of Operation Pillar of Defense live updates Algemeiner 15 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 Lappin Yaakov 14 November 2012 Israeli air strike kills top Hamas commander Jabari The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 14 November 2012 Kalman Matthew 15 November 2012 Massed Israeli troops poised for invasion of Gaza The Independent UK Archived from the original on 27 March 2019 Retrieved 15 November 2012 a b c d Why the mullet not the Israel Navy are to blame for the death of a Gaza fisherman Amira Hass Haaretz 29 October 2012 premium article Gaza groups pound Israel with over 100 rockets The Jerusalem Post 11 December 2012 a b c Lappin Yaacov 12 November 2012 Gaza groups pound Israel with over 100 rockets The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 14 November 2012 Israel Tunnel Explodes on Gaza Border ABC News 10 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 dead link Operation Pillar of Defense Selected statements Ministry of Foreign Affairs israel 20 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 a b Nebehay Stephanie 20 November 2012 UN rights boss Red Cross urge Israel Hamas to spare civilians Reuters Retrieved 20 November 2012 Al Mughrabi Nidal 16 November 2012 Jerusalem and Tel Aviv under rocket fire Netanyahu warns Gaza Chicago Tribune Israeli air strike kills top Hamas commander Jabari The Jerusalem Post 14 November 2012 Retrieved 14 November 2012 Israel warns Hamas of heavy price for Gaza rockets 11 November 2012 Archived from the original on 1 March 2014 Retrieved 21 November 2012 LIVE BLOG Day 8 of Israel Gaza conflict 2012 Haaretz 22 November 2012 Retrieved 3 December 2012 Factbox Gaza targets bombed by Israel Reuters 21 November 2012 Retrieved 24 November 2012 a b Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S 9 1 and S 12 1 Addendum 6 March 2013 Escalation in Hostilities Gaza and southern Israel PDF Situation Report United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 26 November 2012 Archived from the original PDF on 22 December 2012 Retrieved 28 November 2012 Israel Gaza Attacks Intensify Despite Truce Talks The Huffington Post The Associated Press 20 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Initial Findings 40 of the Palestinians killed by the Israeli military up to the night of 19 Nov were civilians among them 19 minors B Tselem 21 November 2012 Archived 2 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine Dalu Family in Gaza Mourns Dead After Israel Bombs House The Huffington Post Reuters 19 November 2012 Retrieved 12 February 2012 a b c d Israeli forces prepare for war as troops mass on Gaza border Telegraph London 17 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Mistaken Lull Simple Errand Death in Gaza The New York Times 16 November 2012 a b c d e f g LIVE BLOG OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE DAY 7 PART 2 Times of Israel 20 November 2012 JODI RUDOREN Collaborators fall prey to both sides in Gaza Price of being suspected much less convicted can be fatal and gruesome International Herald Tribune 2012 كتائب القسام تبدأ عملية حجارة سجيل ضد إسرائيل Al sharq com 15 November 2012 Archived from the original on 16 December 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 a b Ban Ki moon UN Secretary General 21 November 2012 Secretary General s remarks to the Security Council as delivered Tel Aviv Retrieved 22 November 2012 Overall in that same time period more than 1 456 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel 142 have fallen inside Gaza itself Approximately 409 were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti missile system Since Israel s targeted assassination from the air on 14 November of Ahmed Jaabari chief of Hamas military wing and with Israel s offensive in Gaza in its eighth day the Israel Defense Forces publicly reported that it has conducted strikes at more than 1 450 targets in Gaza Lappin Yaakov Lazaroff Tovah 15 November 2012 Gaza rocket hits area south of Tel Aviv for first time The Jerusalem Post a b Israeli envoy arrives in Egypt for Gaza ceasefire talks Guardian 18 November 2012 Rettig Haviv 21 November 2012 Title After eight days of fighting ceasefire is put to the test TOI Nov 2012 Timesofisrael com Retrieved 3 June 2013 MDA 16 injured in South on sixth day of operation The Jerusalem Post 19 November 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 70 Israelis injured in rocket attacks in last 24 hours Jerusalem Post 15 November 2012 Oster Marcy 22 November 2012 Title six Israelis die in Operation Pillar of Defense JTA 12 Nov Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved 3 June 2013 16 52 53 54 55 Levinson Charles Adam Entous 26 November 2012 Israel s Iron Dome Defense Battled to Get Off the Ground The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 26 November 2012 Terror attack Blast on Tel Aviv bus 28 hurt Ynet News 21 November 2012 Retrieved 27 January 2013 Lazaroff Tovah 16 November 2012 Ashton Merkel say Israel has right to defend itself The Jerusalem Post Gaza Rocket Attacks Press release US Department of State 14 November 2012 Retrieved 14 November 2012 Foreign Secretary statement on Gaza and southern Israel UK Foreign amp Commonwealth Office Retrieved 15 November 2012 al Mughrabi Nidal 14 November 2012 UPDATE 8 Rockets hits near Tel Aviv as Gaza death toll rises Reuters Retrieved 18 November 2012 Hall Bianca 16 November 2012 Gillard condemns attacks on Israel Press release AU Fairfax Media Retrieved 16 November 2012 Les ministres europeens mettent en garde Israel quant a l escalade de la violence a Gaza European ministers warn Israel about escalade of violence in Gaza in French EurActiv 16 November 2012 Archived from the original on 6 June 2013 Foreign minister Nikolay Mladenov commenting on the situation in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bulgaria 15 November 2012 Retrieved 16 November 2012 Canada Condemns Hamas and Stands with Israel Press release CA Foreign Affairs and International Trade 14 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 Statement of MFA on Israel and the Gaza Strip Archived 23 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic 15 November 2012 Timmermans condemns rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza Government of the Netherlands 13 November 2012 a b Russia condemns disproportionate strikes on Gaza The Daily Star LB 15 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying s Regular Press Conference on November 19 2012 Consulate General of the People s Republic of China in New York Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People s Republic of China 19 November 2012 Retrieved 30 August 2019 At the UN Pakistan slams Israel s offensive in Gaza The Express Tribune PK 15 November 2012 Retrieved 16 November 2012 Morocco Strongly Condemns Israeli Raids on Gaza Rabat BH Bahrain News Agency 15 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 Lebanese president Israeli attack on Gaza obstructs peace NOW Lebanon 15 November 2012 Archived from the original on 9 December 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 69 72 73 74 Gaza toll rises as UN calls for end to the bloodshed The Daily Telegraph UK 15 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 Kirkpatrick David D Rudoren Jodi 21 November 2012 Cease Fire Between Israel and Hamas Takes Effect The New York Times Retrieved 22 November 2012 Owen Paul 19 November 2012 Israel Gaza truce talks ongoing in Cairo live updates The Guardian Retrieved 19 November 2012 Iron Dome protects Tel Aviv as army warns of long fight ahead Times of Israel 17 November 2012 Israel dealt Hamas a heavy blow and is prepared to resume offensive if need be Netanyahu says Times of Israel 22 November 2012 Gaza leader Haniyeh thanks Iran for helping make Israel scream with pain Times of Israel 22 November 2012 IBRAHIM BARZAK and KARIN LAUB The Associated Press 22 November 2012 Hamas claims victory as ceasefire starts The Chronicle Herald Retrieved 3 June 2013 Sarah Leah Whitson Middle East director 20 December 2012 Israel Gaza Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media Human Rights Watch Retrieved 3 June 2013 a b c HRW Hamas rockets from Gaza violated laws of war The Jerusalem Post 24 December 2012 Retrieved 24 December 2012 a b c d Gaza Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians Human Rights Wwatch 24 December 2012 Retrieved 24 December 2012 Gilgoff Dan 20 November 2012 Name of Israel s anti Hamas operation has biblical meaning CNN Archived from the original on 18 April 2023 Retrieved 25 November 2012 Rosenberg Yair 14 November 2012 Here s What Pillar of Defense Actually Means Tablet Magazine Retrieved 18 November 2012 Israel Hamas escalate fire as IDF prepares ground troops Israel HaYom 15 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Sever Plocker 22 June 2008 2nd Intifada Forgotten Ynetnews Retrieved 28 September 2014 Ruth Tenne Autumn 2007 Rising of the oppressed the second Intifada International Socialism 116 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Review of Ramzy Baroud Kathleen Christison Bill Christison Jennifer Loewenstein 2006 The Second Palestinian Intifada A Chronicle of a People s Struggle Pluto Press ISBN 978 0 7453 2547 7 Schachter Jonathan 2010 The End of the Second Intifada PDF Strategic Assessment 13 3 63 69 Retrieved 10 August 2017 Palestinian Militants Agree to Cease Fire Fox News Associated Press 2006 Retrieved 29 June 2018 The Guardian view on the causes of the fighting in Gaza The Guardian 25 July 2014 Maurer Peter Challenges to international humanitarian law Israel s occupation policy PDF ICRC Retrieved 2 September 2014 Neuer Hillel 4 January 2012 Hamas says Gaza not occupied UN disagrees The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 2 September 2014 Amnesty International Public Statement PDF Retrieved 2 September 2014 Israel Disengagement Will Not End Gaza Occupation Human Rights Watch 28 October 2004 Retrieved 2 September 2014 The scope of Israeli control in the Gaza Strip B Tselem Retrieved 2 September 2014 Is Gaza occupied territory CNN 6 January 2009 Retrieved 2 September 2014 Goldstone Richard Jilani Hina Travers Desmond Chinkin Christine Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict PDF UNHRC Retrieved 2 September 2014 page 16 a b Rose David April 2008 The Gaza Bombshell Vanity Fair Nathan Thrall Our Man in Palestine The New York Review of Books 14 October 2010 Dayton meanwhile was overseeing the recruitment training and equipping of Abbas s rapidly expanding security forces Khaled Meshaal chief of Hamas s politburo delivered a fiery speech denouncing the security coup as a conspiracy supported by the Zionists and the Americans charges Fatah denied In February 2007 on the brink of civil war Fatah and Hamas leaders traveled to Mecca where they agreed to form a national unity government a deal the US opposed because it preferred that Fatah continue to isolate Hamas Fayyad became finance minister in the new government despite he says American pressure not to join The Peruvian diplomat Alvaro de Soto former UN envoy to the Quartet wrote in a confidential End of Mission Report that the violence between Hamas and Fatah could have been avoided had the US not strongly opposed Palestinian reconciliation The US he wrote clearly pushed for a confrontation between Fateh and Hamas Shlaim Avi 2014 The Iron Wall Israel and the Arab World 2nd ed W W Norton p 798 ISBN 978 0 393 34686 2 Spencer C Tucker 2010 Priscilla Mary Roberts ed The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars The United States in the Persian Gulf Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts Anthony C Zinni Santa Barbara Calif ABC CLIO p 3 ISBN 978 1 85109 947 4 Chomsky Noam 9 September 2014 Ceasefires in Which Violations Never Cease Huffington Post Retrieved 26 October 2014 Ismael Tareq Ismael Jacqueline Ismael Shereen 2011 Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East Continuity and Change 1st published ed London Routledge p 327 ISBN 978 0 415 49144 0 Elizabeth Spelman The Legality of the Israeli Naval Blockade of the Gaza Strip Web Journal of Current Legal Issues Vol 19 No 1 2013 Gaza closure not another year International Committee of the Red Cross 14 June 2010 Roy Sara 19 July 2014 Deprivation in the Gaza Strip The Boston Globe Deprived and Endangered Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip Human Rights Watch 13 January 2009 Retrieved 3 September 2014 Five Years of Blockade The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza PDF United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Archived from the original PDF on 24 November 2014 Retrieved 3 September 2014 Deep flaws in the UN s Mavi Marmara report Al Jazeera 9 September 2011 English aljazeera net Retrieved 10 August 2014 UN independent panel rules Israel blockade of Gaza illegal Haaretz story by Reuters 13 September 2011 U N envoy Tutu calls Gaza blockade illegal Reuters 28 May 2008 Gray Block Aaron 5 June 2010 Gaza blockade illegal must be lifted UN s Pillay Reuters Nebehay Stephanie 13 September 2011 U N experts say Israel s blockade of Gaza illegal Reuters Retrieved 10 August 2014 Maan News Agency UN rights chief urges Israel to end illegal Gaza blockade Maannews net 18 November 2008 Archived from the original on 12 August 2011 Retrieved 27 March 2011 ICRC says Israel s Gaza blockade breaks law BBC News 14 June 2010 Palmer Geoffrey et al Report of the Secretary General s Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident PDF UN Retrieved 12 October 2011 Israel tightens its blockade of Gaza for security reasons Middle East Monitor 14 October 2013 Archived from the original on 14 October 2013 Gaza s Tunnel Economy Borgen Magazine 4 August 2014 Inquiry urged into Israel convoy raid BBC 1 June 2010 Court extends remand of Israelis aboard Gaza ship The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 4 November 2012 Position paper on the naval blockade on Gaza Archived 16 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine 8 September 2010 Hamas coup in Gaza in International Institute for Strategic Studies Volume 13 Issue 5 June 2007 While there was truth in Fatah s charge that the Hamas offensive in Gaza was tantamount to a coup Hamas s counter claim that it was defending a democratically elected government against a campaign to remove it from power was also not unfounded Over the previous year Fatah gunmen had repeatedly assaulted parliamentary premises and Hamas run ministries Fatah commanders of the PSF openly refused to take orders from the government while the Fatah dominated civil service conducted a debilitating strike from September 2006 to January 2007 The PA s preventive security apparatus in Gaza conducted a small scale campaign of assassinations and abductions against Hamas to which it responded in kind by early June it had effectively decapitated the preventive security and smaller Fatah dominated general intelligence frameworks Raji Sourani in Chantal Meloni Gianni Tognoni eds Is There a Court for Gaza A Test Bench for International Justice T M c Asser Press 2012 p 17 Gaza an impoverished and besieged sliver of land Agence France Presse 16 November 2012 Retrieved 17 November 2012 ICRC says Israel s Gaza blockade breaks law BBC News 14 June 2010 Farming without Land Fishing without Water Gaza Agriculture Sector Struggles to Survive United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 25 May 2010 Retrieved 3 June 2013 MacFarquhar Neil Bronner Ethan 1 September 2011 Report Finds Naval Blockade by Israel Legal but Faults Raid The New York Times Retrieved 19 November 2012 Is Gaza occupied territory CNN 6 January 2009 Country reports on terrorism 2005 United States Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism US Dept of State Publication 11324 April 2006 p 196 EU blacklists Hamas political wing BBC News 11 September 2003 Currently listed entities Public Safety Canada 5 March 2010 Archived from the original on 16 August 2012 Retrieved 3 December 2012 Japan s Diplomatic Bluebook 2005 PDF 2005 In accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law it Japan has frozen the assets of a total of 472 terrorists and terrorist organizations including as well as those of Hamas Hamas says still seeks Israel s destruction Reuters 12 March 2007 Eke Steven 3 March 2006 Moscow risks anger over Hamas visit BBC Retrieved 18 May 2010 Turkish FM Davutoglu meets Hamas chief amid Israel row Hurriyetdailynews com 7 July 2010 Retrieved 2 August 2011 Norway turns down US request over Hamas representatives visit Peoples Daily China 25 April 2006 Retrieved 19 July 2008 Rockets fired after Gaza clashes BBC News 5 November 2008 Retrieved 18 November 2012 The Hamas terror war against Israel Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1 January 2009 See Statistics of Kassam rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip subsection Update subsection has been removed Cached website can be found here 1 IDF Spokesperson Israel Defense Forces 5 January 2012 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Gaza rockets strain Israel Hamas truce The Christian Science Monitor Hamas may consider new truce with Israel Al Arabiya 23 December 2008 Israeli Official Arrives in Cairo for Gaza Truce Talks as Hamas Demands End to Aggression Assassinations 18 November 2012 Akram Fares 24 December 2010 Hamas Confirms Commitment to Cease Fire The New York Times Fatalities after operation Cast Lead B Tselem Archived from the original on 8 March 2013 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Bronner Ethan 17 November 2012 With Longer Reach Rockets Bolster Hamas Arsenal The New York Times Retrieved 18 November 2012 a b Pike John HAMAS Rockets Globalsecurity org Retrieved 20 November 2012 a b Iran supplied Hamas with Fajr 5 missile technology The Guardian 21 November 2012 Karimi Nasser 21 November 2012 Senior Iranian commander Iran transfers Fajr 5 missile technology to Gaza s Hamas Associated Press Archived from the original on 27 November 2012 Retrieved 21 November 2012 a b c d Israel hammers Hamas in Gaza offensive Reuters 14 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 But their estimated 35 000 Palestinian fighters are still no match for Israel s F 16 fighter bombers Apache helicopter gun ships Merkava tanks and other modern weapons systems in the hands of a conscript force of 175 000 with 450 000 in reserve Israel authorizes more reservists after rockets target cities Reuters 16 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Egypt and Israel both receive billions of dollars in U S military aid With Longer Reach Rockets Bolster Hamas Arsenal The New York Times 17 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Karimi Nasser 21 November 2012 Senior Iranian commander Iran transfers Fajr 5 missile technology to Gaza s Hamas Associated Press Retrieved 21 November 2012 dead link Israel authorizes more reservists after rockets target cities Reuters 16 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Egypt and Israel both receive billions of dollars in U S military aid Gaza Cease Fire Helps Fishermen but Risks Remain NY Times December 2012 Navy prevents tobacco smugglers from reaching Gaza YNET September 2011 Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea Archived 2 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet June 2012 PCHR 2 July 2012 Gaza Strip Attacks and their Consequences Archived 20 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet September 2012 PCHR 2 October 2012 Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea Archived 19 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet July August 2012 PCHR 3 September 2012 a b Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza Sea Archived 24 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet September 2012 PCHR 1 October 2012 Israelis kill Palestinian fisherman in Gaza medics AFP 29 September 2012 Archived from the original on 1 March 2014 No reason to shoot Gaza fisherman family says Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Ma an News Agency 24 October 2012 Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Fishermen in the Gaza Sea Archived 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Fact Sheet October 2012 PCHR 13 November 2012 Gaza Build on Ceasefire to Address Rights Abuses Human Rights Watch 23 November 2012 Israel opens fire on olive harvesters in Gaza Ma n News Agency 17 October 2012 Retrieved 6 December 2012 a b IAF hits 3 rocket launching terror squads overnight The Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Murphy Dan 15 November 2012 How many rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel this year Christian Science Monitor Retrieved 18 November 2012 Blair David 24 October 2012 Israeli jets bombed weapons factory in Khartoum Sudan claims Daily Telegraph London Retrieved 20 November 2012 Ian Black 25 October 2012 Israeli attack on Sudanese arms factory offers glimpse of secret war The Guardian Retrieved 3 June 2013 Palestinians fire 34 projectiles into s Israel Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012 Three injured from Palestinian rocket attacks in Eshkol Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012 Fresh rocket mortar barrage brings total to 72 5 hurt Jerusalem Post 24 October 2012 Friedman Ron staff T O I As Israel Hamas ceasefire takes hold life in the south goes back to normal www timesofisrael com Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 24 Oct 7 Nov 2012 Palestinian Center for Human Rights 8 November 2012 Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 20 November 2012 IDF fires at suspect trying to place explosive device on Gaza border Haaretz 2 November 2012 Palestinian seriously wounded by Israeli fire on central Gaza Maan News Agency Archived from the original on 2 October 2018 Retrieved 7 August 2019 IDF fires on Palestinian approaching Gaza fence Jerusalem Post 05 011 2012 Soldiers shoot dead 20 year old man near Gaza border Maannews net 5 November 2012 Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 Retrieved 20 November 2012 IDF fires on Palestinian approaching Gaza fence The Jerusalem Post 5 November 2012 Soldiers shoot dead 20 year old man near Gaza border Maan 6 November 2012 Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 Retrieved 15 November 2012 Gaza Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man The New York Times 5 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas retaliation Al Jazeera 8 October 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b Barrage of rocket attacks slam southern Israel The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 15 November 2012 Lappin Yaakov 8 November 2012 Palestinian report IDF kills 13 year old in Gaza The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 15 November 2012 a b Almughrabi Nidal Heller Jeffrey 8 November 2012 Heinrich Mark ed Israeli gunfire kills Palestinian boy in Gaza clash medics Reuters Retrieved 15 November 2012 Lappin Yaakov 9 November 2012 Gazans set off explosives in massive tunnel The Jerusalem Post a b Martin Patrick 13 November 2012 Israel and Gaza step back from the brink The Globe and Mail Toronto Retrieved 15 November 2012 Gaza Palestinians killed and Israeli soldiers injured BBC News 11 November 2012 Retrieved 17 November 2012 Benari Elad 9 November 2012 Gaza Rockets Explode in Eshkol Region Arutz Sheva a b c Barzak Ibrahim 10 November 2012 After attack on jeep Israeli army kills 4 in Gaza Associated Press Retrieved 14 November 2012 Akram Kershner Fares Isabel 10 November 2011 Violence Surges on Israeli Gaza Border The New York Times Retrieved 15 November 2012 Lappin Yaakov 10 November 2012 Gazan anti tank missile hits IDF jeep injuring four The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 16 November 2012 Footballers condemn plans to hold U21 European championship in Israel The Guardian 30 November 2012 Retrieved 30 November 2012 Cohen Gili Kubovich Yaniv Khoury Jack Issacharoff Avi 10 November 2012 Four IDF soldiers wounded when Gaza anti tank missile hits jeep on border Haaretz IL Rockets hit homes in south as fire continues for second day Times of Israel Retrieved 14 November 2012 Schools closed after rockets hit Israel Israel Today Retrieved 14 November 2012 Segal Udi 15 November 2012 Under the surface The Israeli deception that preceded the operation in the Gaza Strip in Hebrew IL Channel 2 News Retrieved 15 November 2012 Israel will not accept reality of Gaza rocket fire Netanyahu says Haaretz 12 November 2012 a b Balmer Crispian Nidal al Mughrabi 12 November 2012 Gaza militants signal truce with Israel after rockets Reuters Retrieved 15 November 2012 Gaza fire increases pressure on Israel to hit back Archived from the original on 18 January 2013 Lappin Yaakov 11 November 2012 Egypt mediates tacit truce on Gaza border The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 15 November 2012 Baskin Gershon 15 November 2012 Assassinating The Chance For Calm The Daily Beast Retrieved 15 February 2013 Hasson Nir Israeli peace activist Hamas leader Jabari killed amid talks on long term truce Haaretz Retrieved 15 November 2012 Israeli peace activist says Hamas Jabari received truce document and Israel knew JTA 15 November 2012 Retrieved 17 November 2012 Israeli involved in talks with Hamas says Jabari supported long term ceasefire The Times of Israel 15 November 2012 Reuven Pedatzur Why did Israel kill Jabari at Haaretz 4 December 2012 Israel and Hamas the diplomatic dance behind the deal CBC News 22 November 2012 Ceasefire elusive as Israel Hamas clash rages on CBC News 20 November 2012 a b Levy Elior 19 November 2012 Palestinians Israel demands 15 year lull Morsi guarantee YNet news Hood Lauren 19 November 2012 Hamas lists demands for truce with Israel ITN Archived from the original on 29 January 2013 Egypt says truce soon in Gaza The Sydney Morning Herald 18 November 2012 Remarks With Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr US Dept of State 21 November 2012 Archived from the original on 28 November 2012 Retrieved 24 November 2012 Haaretz 21 November 2012 Netanyahu Cease fire with Hamas is the right thing for Israel Haaretz 21 November 2012 TEXT Cease fire agreement between Israel and Hamas Reuters 21 November 2012 WRAPUP 9 Egyptian brokered Hamas Israel ceasefire takes hold Mashaal Gazans to respect truce if Israel does The Jerusalem Post PM Cease fire will allow Israelis to get back to routine The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b Egyptian brokered Hamas Israel ceasefire takes hold Montreal Gazette 21 November 2012 Man killed by celebratory gunfire in Gaza Ma an News Agency 22 November 2011 Archived from the original on 1 December 2012 Retrieved 23 November 2012 Gaza rockets hit Israel after ceasefire police Reuters 21 November 2012 Retrieved 25 November 2012 Gaza rockets hit south after truce IDF holds fire Ynet Retrieved 21 November 2012 Jodi Rudoren and Isabel Kershner Tension and Confusion Linger in Gaza Strip After Cease Fire The New York Times 23 November 2012 The buffer zone was established in 2005 when Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip which it had occupied since the 1967 war Human rights organizations say that Israel drops leaflets warning residents to stay out of the area and that its security forces killed 213 Palestinians near the fence between September 2005 and September 2012 including 154 who were not taking part in hostilities 17 of them children Palestine complains to UN after Israel violates Gaza ceasefire Ma an News Agency 25 November 2012 Archived from the original on 13 December 2013 Retrieved 2 December 2012 Israel s navy arrests 9 fishermen off Gaza coast Ma an News Agency 29 November 2012 Archived from the original on 21 July 2014 Retrieved 2 December 2012 Gaza man dies after being shot by Israeli troops in Rafah Ma an News Agency 1 December 2012 Archived from the original on 1 November 2014 Retrieved 2 December 2012 Jihad brigades warn Israel over truce violations Ma an News Agency 1 December 2012 Archived from the original on 1 November 2014 Retrieved 2 December 2012 a b c Israelis Palestinians clash in West Bank AFP 20 November 2012 Archived from the original on 19 November 2013 Retrieved 21 November 2012 Palestinians protest in West Bank 2 Israelis injured Ynet News 14 November 2012 Palestinian dies after being shot during protest Jerusalem Post 19 November 2012 Israeli forces kill Palestinian in Hebron clashes Archived 31 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Ma an News Agency 18 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 West Bank clashes continue over Gaza war Archived 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Ma an News Agency 18 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 a b c Hamas attacks against Israelis on the rise in Judea Samaria Israel Hayom 20 November 2012 Joshua Mitnick West Bank Palestinians cheer on their Gaza counterparts Christian Science Monitor 20 November 2012 a b Clashes across West Bank as 2 protesters buried Archived 1 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Ma an News Agency 22 November 2012 Violent protests in West Bank over Gaza conflict Reuters 21 November 2012 Davidovich Joshua 15 November 2012 Egypt confirms rockets fired at border town came from Sinai Times of Israel Egypt security 3 rockets fired from Sinai toward Israel Ma an News Agency Archived from the original on 18 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Lebanon foils rocket attack on Israel UPI 20 November 2012 a b Stuart Winer For third time Lebanese army disarms rocket aimed at Israel Times of Israel 22 November 2012 Second Israeli killed by rocket fire from Gaza AFP 20 November 2012 Archived from the original on 19 January 2013 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Rockets kill 2 Israelis Fajr 5 hits near Tel Aviv Agence France Presse 20 November 2012 Archived from the original on 20 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 Silverman Anav 16 November 2012 The Strong Hearts of Israel s Rocket Ravaged Residents The Huffington Post Retrieved 18 November 2012 Lubin Annie 15 November 2012 Mirah Scharf Killed by Missile Laid to Rest Arutz Sheva Curiel Ilana 20 November 2012 Israeli soldier civilian killed by barrages from Gaza Ynetnews Soldier dies of injuries from Gaza mortar 22 November 2012 IDF soldier civilian killed as over 140 rockets hit Israel The Jerusalem Post 20 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Israel air raids kill 10 destroy Hamas headquarters in Gaza Times of India 17 November 2012 Archived from the original on 18 November 2012 Connolly Kevin 21 November 2012 Israel Gaza crisis Bomb blast on bus in Tel Aviv BBC News Retrieved 3 June 2013 Why Is the Number of Israeli Casualties So Low Archived 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Israel Defense Forces 20 November 2012 Rights group Israeli strike on Gaza home unlawful Ynetnews 7 December 2012 a b c Statistical Report on Persons Killed and Property Damaged in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Occupation Forces during Operation Pillar of Cloud PDF Al Mezan Center for Human Rights June 2013 Archived PDF from the original on 6 February 2016 Retrieved 4 March 2014 For casualties see Table 1 for damages see Tables 15 21 IAF assassinates Hamas s rocket chief in Gaza Strip The Jerusalem Post 18 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 a b Dealing with Hamas s human shield tactics The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 20 November 2012 a b Sherwood Harriet 19 November 2012 Gaza conflict family s four children buried as bombardment continues The Guardian Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b c d e f g h Despite media reports to the contrary baby in Gaza conflict was killed by Hamas rocket UN National Post Retrieved 14 March 2013 Israel Mistakes made in war but no criminal charges in deadly Gaza strike CNN 17 April 2013 Retrieved 3 June 2013 a b c Rudoren Jodi 19 November 2012 Gazans Mourn Family Killed by Israeli Bomb The New York Times Retrieved 20 November 2012 a b Tadros Sherine 20 November 2012 Covering This Gaza War The Huffington Post Retrieved 28 November 2012 Lubell Maayan 19 November 2012 Israel investigating Gaza attack that killed 11 Palestinians Reuters Retrieved 2 December 2012 Strike that killed Gaza family was no mistake Israel Agence France Presse via Ahram Online 27 November 2012 Retrieved 2 December 2012 Yossi Arazi and Gal Perl Finkel Integrating Technologies to Protect the Home Front against Ballistic Threats and Cruise Missiles Military and Strategic Affairs Volume 5 No 3 December 2013 Gaza and Israel begin to resume normal life after truce BBC News The Associated Press 22 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b B Tselem Explanation of statistics on fatalities Accessed March 2014 Archived 27 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Gaza conflict Who is a civilian Heather Sharp BBC 5 January 2009 Suspected Collaborator With Israel Killed on Gaza Street The New York Times 16 November 2012 Gaza live report Day 7 Archived 25 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Maan News 20 November 2012 Hamas gunmen execute six Israeli spies on busy Gaza street corner AP 20 November 2012 Hamas victim dragged through the streets of Gaza City Tuesday by motorcycle was no collaborator widow says New York Daily News 26 November 2012 Completely unacceptable Hamas leader says killers of Israeli spies must be punished National Post 21 November 2012 a b Shocking Evidence Indicates Child Whose Death Was Blamed on Israel Was Actually Killed by Hamas Rocket VIDEO Algemeiner Retrieved 19 November 2012 a b c d United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 6 March 2013 Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S 9 1 and S 12 1 PDF Human Rights Council Retrieved 8 March 2013 Hadid Diaa 11 March 2013 UN Palestinian militants likely killed Gaza baby Yahoo news Associated Press Retrieved 3 June 2013 Pontz Zach 8 March 2013 UN Verifies That Hamas Rocket Killed Gaza Child Whose Death Was Blamed on Israel Algemeiner Journal Retrieved 11 March 2013 a b c Ahren Raphael 10 March 2013 UN clears Israel of charge it killed baby in Gaza The Times of Israel Retrieved 11 March 2013 Fisher Max 15 November 2012 The story behind the photo Journalist s 11 month old son killed in Gaza strikes The Washington Post Retrieved 22 November 2012 Donnison Jon 24 November 2012 Gaza baby only knew how to smile BBC News Gaza s children face grave risks in crowded urban battle zone AP 16 November 2012 Mistaken Lull Simple Errand Death in Gaza The New York Times 16 November 2012 Gaza kids at risk in crowded urban battle zone Daily Star Retrieved 19 November 2012 Despite media reports to the contrary baby in Gaza conflict was killed by Hamas rocket UN National Post 11 March 2013 Ban calls for de escalation of tensions amid new violence in Gaza and southern Israel United Nations 12 November 2012 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Col Richard Kemp IDF protects civilian rights Israel Defense Forces 18 November 2012 a b Pallywood and the pornography of death the Western media suckered again Telegraph London 19 November 2012 Archived from the original on 27 November 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Hamas leaves Israel no choice Guardian Retrieved 19 November 2012 Hamas Uses Gazans as Human Shields When Launching Rockets Archived from the original on 17 November 2012 Retrieved 28 November 2012 Hackers target Israel with millions of attacks as Hamas rockets continue to fall Fox News 19 November 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Sengupta Kim 21 November 2012 Wrath of Gaza is felt by those accused of treason Independent London Archived from the original on 1 May 2022 Retrieved 28 November 2012 Hamas intensifies barrage of missiles on South The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 19 November 2012 Senior Terrorist in Gaza Disguises Himself as Journalist Archived from the original on 27 November 2012 Retrieved 28 November 2012 Carr David 25 November 2012 Using War as Cover to Target Journalists The New York Times Samaha Nour 22 November 2012 Gaza journalists defiant in face of attacks AlJazeera Retrieved 3 June 2013 a b Ludwig Jan 18 January 2013 last questions Faz net Retrieved 3 June 2013 Israel Gaza Israeli Airstrike on Home Unlawful Human Rights Watch 7 December 2012 Attempts to Rescue the al Dalu Family Ongoing Israeli Occupation Forces Destroy House over Its Residents Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 19 November 2012 Archived from the original on 29 November 2012 Retrieved 2 December 2012 Kaufman Gerald 20 November 2012 Why I Believe Israel Is Committing War Crimes The Huffington Post Retrieved 22 November 2012 Arab Foreign Ministers Blame Israel for Gaza Violence Israel National News 18 December 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Turkey and Iran accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing and war crimes in Gaza Al Arabiya 20 November 2012 Archived from the original on 6 December 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Fernandez Belen 21 November 2012 Dershowitz versus Gaza Al Jazeera English Retrieved 2 December 2012 a b c Israel Gaza Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media Human Rights Watch 20 December 2012 Retrieved 27 December 2012 Gaza Israel Denies Strikes Targeted Media Sky News 18 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 Q amp A on Hostilities between Israel and Hamas Human Rights Watch 21 November 2012 Retrieved 2 December 2012 IAF strikes 4 terrorists hiding in media building The Jerusalem Post JPost com 20 November 2012 Retrieved 29 June 2015 Diplomatic push for Gaza truce Al Jazeera English 19 November 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Kalman Aaron 19 November 2012 Leading Islamic Jihad operative killed in strike on media center Times of Israel Retrieved 19 November 2012 a b עיתונאי זר בעזה זועם מבנה שלנו מקלט לטרור Ynet Retrieved 22 November 2012 a b Israeli air strike hits Gaza media centre killing senior militant Telegraph London 19 November 2012 Archived from the original on 19 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Israel hit on Gaza media centre kills Jihad militant France 24 Archived from the original on 29 November 2012 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Gaza journalists defiant in face of attacks Al Jazeera 22 November 2012 Retrieved 23 November 2012 Israeli missiles hit cars carrying journalists in Gaza 3 killed The Washington Post 20 November 2012 Retrieved 23 November 2012 עיתונאי זר בעזה זועם מבנה שלנו מקלט לטרור Ynet Retrieved 22 November 2012 Reporters Without Borders condemns Israeli strikes on building housing media outlets The Associated Press 19 November 2012 Retrieved 20 November 2012 RWB condemns air strikes on news media in Gaza city Reporters Without Borders 19 November 2012 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Carr David 25 November 2012 Using War as Cover to Target Journalists The New York Times Retrieved 2 December 2012 George Jonas on the war in Gaza Two can play at terror National Post 21 November 2012 Archived from the original on 29 January 2013 Retrieved 3 June 2013 Israel Twitter and the Line Between Free Speech and Violence Businessweek a b Shachtman Noah Beckhusen Robert 15 November 2012 Hamas Shoots Rockets at Tel Aviv Tweeting Every Barrage Wired Retrieved 15 November 2012 a b Spillius Alex 15 November 2012 Israelis and Palestinians in first Twitter war The Telegraph UK Retrieved 16 November 2012 Friedman Uri 15 November 2012 Israel Defense Forces live blogs Gaza offensive Foreign Policy Smith David 13 December 2011 Al Shabaab in war of words with Kenyan army on Twitter The Guardian UK Retrieved 16 November 2012 Chirchir Major Emmanuel Mj E Chirchir Twitter Archived from the original on 24 January 2012 Retrieved 16 November 2012 Al Shabaab Official account Twitter Archived from the original on 12 November 2012 Retrieved 16 November 2012 Bohn Lauren E 15 November 2012 Israel and Hamas battle on social media as well Boston Globe Associated Press Archived from the original on 16 November 2012 Retrieved 15 November 2012 O Mahony Jennifer 21 November 2012 Gaza conflict app alerts Israelis when rocket is fired Telegraph London Retrieved 21 November 2012 Hamas video threatening Israelis draws more parody than fear Haaretz Retrieved 18 November 2012 Hackers failing to cause major cyber disruption officials say The Times of Israel Retrieved 29 June 2015 Perlroth Nicole 15 November 2012 Anonymous attacks Israeli Web sites The New York Times Retrieved 18 May 2018 Harkov Lahav 15 November 2012 Danon hacked after he petitions to cut Gaza power The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 16 November 2012 Israeli vice prime minister s Facebook Twitter accounts hacked Jewish Telegraphic Agency 21 November 2012 Retrieved 21 November 2012 Gustin Sam 16 November 2012 The War Will Be Gamified Israel Hamas in Social Media Struggle Time Magazine Retrieved 16 November 2012 a b Mitchell Jon 15 November 2012 Unbelievable The IDF Has Gamified Its War Blog Read Write Retrieved 16 November 2012 a b Sommer Allison 18 November 2012 Israel s online PR offensive sees blowback Haaretz Retrieved 18 November 2012 Goldberg Jeffrey 16 November 2012 The Iron Dome Press Bias and Israel s Lack of Strategic Thinking The Atlantic Retrieved 18 November 2012 Psychological warfare on the digital battlefield Haaretz Retrieved 19 November 2012 Hamas launches email assault Times of Israel Retrieved 20 November 2012 Hamas warns Gazans against spreading rumors that help Israel Times of Israel Retrieved 17 November 2012 Alster Paul 20 November 2012 Brazen Faking of Images Reveals Hamas Desperation Foxnews com Retrieved 3 June 2013 a b c Brazen faking of images reveals Hamas desperation Fox News 20 November 2012 Retrieved 21 November 2012 Johnson Robert 15 November 2012 Busted Hamas Tweeted Months Old Picture From Rebel Attack in Syria Business Insider Retrieved 16 November 2012 Chandler Adam Hamas Recycles Pictures of Syrian Dead and claims them as Palestinian dead Tablet Magazine Retrieved 16 November 2012 Surprise rocket fire at Jerusalem shows Hamas flailing but still seeking to escalate the conflict Times of Israel Retrieved 17 November 2012 Fernandez Belen 16 November 2012 Terror in Gaza Al Jazeera Retrieved 22 November 2012 Milne Seumas 20 November 2012 It s Palestinians who have the right to defend themselves The Guardian Retrieved 22 November 2012 Baddar Omar 19 November 2012 5 Lies the Media Keeps Repeating About Gaza The HuffingtonPost Retrieved 22 November 2012 Greenwald Glenn 15 November 2012 Obama s kill list policy compels US support for Israeli attacks on Gaza The Guardian Retrieved 22 November 2012 NoamChomsky amp others 14 November 2012 Who is doing the killing in Gaza Noam Chomsky and others challenge world s media Stop The War Coalition Archived from the original on 21 January 2013 Retrieved 22 November 2012 Mearsheimer John 16 November 2012 A Pillar Built on Sand The London Review of Books blog Retrieved 22 November 2012 PIllar Paul 15 November 2012 The Symmetry and Asymmetry of Violence in Gaza The National Interest Retrieved 2 December 2012 Former British Troops Commander on Possible Israel Hamas Ceasefire I m Skeptical of How Long it Can Last EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Algemeiner Retrieved 21 November 2012 Silverman Anav 18 November 2012 Another Photo of Syrian Massacre Falsely Recycled as Gaza Tragedy Algemeiner Journal Retrieved 19 November 2012 BBC s Gaza Correspondent Jon Donnison Tweets Picture of Syria Child Victim Blaming Israel Algemeiner 19 November 2012 BBC Gaza correspondent not fit for purpose The Commentator Retrieved 19 November 2012 Harkov Lahav Hamas co opts photos of injured Syrians The Jerusalem Post Retrieved 19 November 2012 Kershner Isabel 11 March 2013 U N Ties Gaza Baby s Death to Palestinians The New York Times Exposed Pallywood Returns to Gaza HonestReporting 15 November 2012 Retrieved 17 February 2013 UPDATE BBC and CNN React to Pallywood Video Footage HonestReporting 18 November 2012 Retrieved 17 February 2013 PALLYWOOD Israel accuses enemies of fake casualties Herald Sun 16 November 2012 Retrieved 18 November 2012 External links nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Pillar of Cloud Operation Pillar of Defense Summary of Events Israel Defense Forces Operation Pillar of Defense Selected statements at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Q amp A Israel Gaza violence at BBC News Online Gaza Crisis at Al Jazeera English List of Live News Sources Covering the Operation Gabi Siboni Operations Cast Lead Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge A Comparative Review a chapter inside The Lessons of Operation Protective Edge eds Anat Kurz and Shlomo Brom INSS 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2012 Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip amp oldid 1214681154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.