Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip have engaged in carrying out cross-border terror attacks and firing rockets at Israeli civilian targets for more than a decade, fire which increased dramatically after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.
Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Gaza has become a base for launching terror attacks and missile barrages on millions of Israeli citizens living in southern and central Israel, including three of Israel's major cities (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva) and Ben Gurion international airport.
As a result of this terror strategy, Israel undertook three major defensive campaigns: Operation Cast Lead (27 December 2008 - 18 January 2009), Operation Pillar of Defense (14-21 November 2012), and Operation Protective Edge (8 July - 26 August 2014).
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© IDF Mapping Unit
This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered authoritative.