Israel under fire - IDF responds

Hamas rejects Ceasefire, Israeli Killed

  • 7/15/2014
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    Since the start of Operation Protective Edge, at least more than 1,200 rockets have been launched at Israel, aimed deliberately at civilian targets.
    The IDF responded by striking at Hamas terror targets as part of Operation Protective Edge.
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    Ashdod home damaged by rocket fired from Gaza (July 15, 2014), while Israel observed ceasefire Ashdod home damaged by rocket fired from Gaza (July 15, 2014), while Israel observed ceasefire Copyright: Reuters
     
     

     

    Since June 12, Israel has been the target of ever-increasing rocket and other terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip, aimed deliberately at civilian targets. With the increased range of Hamas rockets, some 6 million Israelis are currently living under the threat of rocket attacks.

     

     

     
     

     

    July 15, 2014Dror Hanin
    On Tuesday evening (July 15), an Israeli civilian was killed near the Erez Crossing after suffering a direct hit from a mortar fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, while delivering food to soldiers there. Dror Hanin was a 37-year-old father of three from Beit Aryeh. The Erez Crossing serves as the humanitarian crossing point from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

     

    The Security Cabinet (Tuesday morning, 15 July 2014), accepted the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire starting at 09:00.

    • PM Netanyahu said: "If Hamas rejects the Egyptian proposal, and the rocket fire from Gaza does not cease, and that appears to be the case now, we are prepared to continue and intensify our operation to protect our people. For this we have kept full support from the responsible members of the international community."
    • IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner: “In according with the government directives, the IDF now holds fire. We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both defensive and offensive. If the Hamas terror organization will fire at Israel, we shall respond.”


    Five hours later, following the continuation of rocket fire from Gaza, PM Netanyahu said: "Hamas's rejection of the cease fire gives Israel full legitimacy to expand the operation to protect our people."

    At 3pm the IDF Spokesperson announced: “After six hours of unilateral attacks by Hamas, the IDF has resumed operational activity in the Gaza Strip. Since 9am Tuesday, about 50 rockets were fired at Israel.” The IDF struck at Hamas tunnels, 20 concealed rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities and other operational infrastructure.

     

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    US Secretary of State John Kerry: "I cannot condemn strongly enough the actions of Hamas, in so brazenly firing rockets in multiple numbers, in the face of the good will effort to offer a cease fire in which Egypt and Israel joined together and the international community strongly supports the compelling need to have a ceasefire.

    At the same time there are great risks in what is happening there and in the potential of an even greater escalation of violence. We don't want to see that, nobody does, nor does Israel. But Israel has a right to defend itself and it is important for Hamas not to be provoking and purposefully trying to play politics in order to gain greater followers for its opposition, and use the innocent lives of civilians who they hide in buildings and use as shields and put in danger. That is against the laws of war. And thats why they are a terrorist organization.

    We urge all parties to support this ceasefire. And we ask all the members of the Arab community, as they did yesterday at the Arab League meeting in Cairo, to continue to press to try to get Hamas to do the right thing here, which is cease the violence, engage in a legitimate negotiation and protect the lives of people that they seem all too willing to put to risk."

    Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: "As the Israeli cabinet approved a ceasefire that would have ended eight days of hostilities, Hamas rejected it without a second thought. This proves Hamas has no interest in peace.

    We have long believed that innocent Palestinian people living in Gaza deserve far better than the reckless actions of this terrorist organization. Canada views Hamas as an international terrorist organization that is bent on the destruction of the State of Israel.

    The scourge of terrorism must be wholly rejected by all peace-loving people around the world. We must never allow moral relativism to act as cover for the indiscriminate attacks on Israel we have seen over the past eight days. We believe that Israel has the right to defend itself, by itself, from the continued campaign of terror being waged by Hamas."


     

    Since the start of Operation Protective Edge, at least 1,236 rockets have been launched at Israel. 66 of those rockets hit Israel, and approximately 218 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Hamas claimed responsibility for most of the rockets fired, including those fired at the coastal plain south of Haifa, Dimona, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.


    Daily distribution of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge


     Source: ITIC


    The IDF has targeted more than 1,680 terror targets, from the air and the sea. Among the sites targeted by the IDF are: long-range rocket launchers, Hamas leadership facilities, terror and smuggling tunnels, fuel-smuggling tunnels, compounds and training sites, communications facilities, air defense elements, concealed launchers, and additional sites used for terror activities targeting Israel, including command and control centers.


    Since July 8, 27 rockets fired from Gaza have fallen within the Gaza Strip. Hamas fires from civilian areas... and hits its own people.
    On Sunday, July 13, a rocket fired from Gaza hit electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplied power to Gaza, cutting power to about 70,000 people in Gaza.

     
     
     
    A rocket fired from Gaza fell short and exploded at the UNRWA warehouses causing a massive fire
      
    A rocket fired from Gaza fell short and exploded at the UNRWA warehouses causing a massive fire
    Copyright: IDF Spokesperson

    Rockets are launched against Israel from populated area in northern Gaza

    Rocket launched against Israel from populated area in northern Gaza, July 11, 2014
    Rockets are launched against Israel from populated areas in northern Gaza
    (July 9 & 11, 2014)
    Copyright: Reuters

     
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  • Six million lives in danger

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    Tuesday, July 15
     
    During the course of the day, at least 155 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, of which at least 122 rockets struck Israel and 26 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF hit 96 terror targets in the Gaza Strip.


    2:00am: Two rockets were fired from the Sinai Peninsula and exploded in Eilat in southern Israel. Three people sustained light injuries from glass shards. Several other individuals were treated for shock. The rockets fell close to a hotel and caused significant damage to cars and property.
     
    9am: Israel accepted Egyptian proposal for ceasefire.
    Since then, as of 2pm, Gaza terrorists have fired about 40 rockets at Israel since the ceasefire accepted by Israel. Rockets have been fired at Ashdod, Ashkelon, Netivot, Kiryat Malachi, Rishon Lezion, Rehovot, Nes Ziona and the Haifa area.
     
    Since 3pm, more than 80 rockets have been fired at cities throughout Israel. A school, empty during the summer vacation, was hit in Rishon Lezion. Dror Hanin

    7:30pm:     An Israeli civilian was killed near the Erez Crossing after suffering a direct hit from a mortar fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, while delivering food to soldiers there. Dror Hanin was a 37-year-old father of three from Beit Aryeh. The Erez Crossing serves as the humanitarian crossing point from Israel into the Gaza Strip.
     
    Fire breaks out after rockets explode in Eilat
      Fire breaks out after rockets explode in Eilat 
      Copyright: IDF Spokesperson
     
     
    Monday, July 14
    During the course of the day, at keast 115 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, of which at least 92 rockets struck Israel and 15 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF hit 163 terror targets in the Gaza Strip.
     
    Shortly before 8 am, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which was identified entering Israel's territory, was shot down by an Israel Air Force Patriot surface-to-air-missile near the Ashdod coastline. Army radio reported it was likely carrying explosives in a fresh Hamas attempt to stage an attack on Israel.
     
    At 8:30am the Code Red siron was sounded in Ashkelon, Ashdod, Netivot, Hof Ashkelon, and Sdot Negev Regional Council, at 10:30am in Ashkelon, Kiryat Malakhi, and Be'er Tuvia, and at 11:20 rockets were fired at Ashkelon and Hof Ashkelon.
     
    At around 12:25pm rocket Code Red sirens sounded in Ashdod, Eshkol, Gav Yavne, and Kiryat Malakhi. One exploded in a residential area in Ashdod, lightly injuring an 8-year-old boy.
     
    6:30pm: A rocket fired from Syria fell in an open area in the Golan Heights.
     
    7:30pm: A rocket fired from Gaza hit the Bedouin village of Lakiya, near Beer Sheva, wounding two girls aged 11 and 13, one severely and one moderately.
     
    10:45pm: A rocket fired from Lebanon struck near the northern Israeli city of Nahariya.
     
     
    Sunday, July 13
    During the course of the day, at least 102 rockets struck Israel and 22 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.
     
    Shortly after 6 am, Code Red sirens sounded across central and southern Israel: Rehovot, Rishon LeZion, Modi'in, Ashdod, Lod, Ashkelon, Ramle, and Ben Gurion Airport. Later, a 16-year-old boy was seriously wounded and a 50-year-old man was lightly injured by a rocket blast in Ashkelon, as Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Be'er Sheva were targeted by rocket fire. The teenager tried to hide behind a wall when he failed to reach a fortified room in time.
     
    Shortly after 4:30pm, Code Red alerts sounded througout the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and in Haifa.
     
    8:25pm: Three rockets fired from Gaza were intercepted by the Iron Dome over the Ashdod area.
     
    9:23pm: A rocket fired from Gaza hit electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplied power to Gaza, cutting power to about 70,000 people in Gaza.
     
      The aftermath of a rocket attack on Ashkeon, July 13, 2014
      Copyright: GPO/Kobi Gideon
     
    Saturday, July 12
    During the course of the day, at leasty 129 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, of which at least 117 rockets struck Israel and 9 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF hit 120 terror targets in the Gaza Strip.
     
    At around noon, Code Red alerts sounded in Ashdod, Ashkelon, the Eshkol Regional Council and Kiryat Gat in the south, and Nes Tziona Yavne and Rehovot.
     
    Shortly after 1:30pm, Code Red rocket alert sirens were sounded in Be'er Sheva, Dimona and Yeruham.
     
    At around 2pm, a rocket struck the road leading to a house in the southern community of Netivot. Two teenagers were injured.
     
    At 6:07pm, rocket alert sirens were sounded in Rishon Lezion, Ashdod, Nes Ziona, Yavne, Rehovot, Ramle, Lod, and Gan Yavne.
     
    At around 7pm, rocket alert sirens were sounded in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and the Dead Sea area, as well as in various communities near the Gaza border. Bethlehem and Hebron were hit by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Saturday night.
     
    After 9pm, 10 rockets were fired at central Israel in two volleys. Rocket alert sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva, Herzliya, Rehovot, Yavne, Nes Tziona, Lod, Ramle, among others.
     
     
    Friday, July 11
    During the course of the day, more than 140 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel, of which at least 107 rockets struck Israel and 27 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF hit 235 terror targets in the Gaza Strip.
     
    At approximately 08:00 a missile hit an oil truck in a gas station in Ashdod seriously wounding one person and lightly wounding two others.
     
    During the night an alarm was sounded for the first time in Haifa. In Be'er Sheva, an 80 year old woman sustained moderate injuries when a Grad rocket hit her home at around 9pm, detonating the gas cylinders there. Her home was completely destroyed and two others were damaged.
     

    Rocket hits oil tanker, injures 3 people in Ashdod
    Rocket hits oil tanker, injures 3 people in Ashdod
    Copyright: GPO/Kobi Gideon

     

    Thursday, July 10
     
    Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired 192 rockets at Israel on Thursday, July 10. 141 of them hit Israel, and an additional 44 were intercepted by Iron Dome.The total number of rockets launched since July 7 has reached 681.
     
    Despite continuous missile fire, the border crossings into Gaza remained opened all day Thursday as well. On Wednesday, 9 July 2014, a total of 1,228 tons of food, 280,000 liters of fuel and 3 truckloads of medical supplies were transferred from Israel into the Gaza Strip.
     
     
    During the night an alarm was sounded for the first time in Haifa. In a separate incident, a rocket was fired into Israel from Lebanon, no casualties or damage were reported.
     
     
    A woman leaves her car and attempts to shield her two children and find refuge during a rocket attack in Tel Aviv
    A woman leaves her car and attempts to shield her two children and find refuge
    during a rocket attack in Tel Aviv
    Copyright: IDF Spokesperson
     

    Wednesday, July 9
     
    82 rockets hit Israel  on Wednesday July 9. An additional 21 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome.
    During the day, Iron Dome intercepted three rockets were over the Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Gush Dan), one over the town of Kiryat Gat and three over Ashdod. Aorund 7:30 p.m. a rocket hit a building near a kindergarden in the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council.
     

    Tuesday, July 8
     
    On Tuesday evening, rocket sirens sounded across central Israel including the country’s biggest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
     
    146 rockets were launched from Gaza. Of these, 117 struck Israel and 29 were intercepted by the Iron Dome system.
     
    In this 24-hour period, residents of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the southern cities of Be'er Sheva, Ashdod and Ashkelon, communities in southern Israel, including the city of Sderot, Ofakim, Sha'ar HaNegev, Sdot Negev, the Eshkol regional council, Merhavim, Kiryat Malachi, Hof Ashkelon and Be'er Tuvia and cities and towns in central Israel, including Rehovot, Herzliya, Gadera, Ramat Hasharon, Yavne, Caesarea, Binyamina, Rishon Lezion, Hadera, Givatiyim, Bat Yam and Holon were forced to seek shelter after the sirens sounded. The IDF has confirmed that three rockets hit the Jerusalem hills and one hit the city of Hadera, which is 100 km (62 miles) away from the Gaza Strip.
     
    There has been property damage, including from fires caused by the rockets and shrapnel.
    Due to Israel's extensive civil defense preparations, only minor injuries were reported. For example, nine civilians were lightly injured in Ashdod and the surrounding areas.
     

    Monday, July 7
    At least 80 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza on Monday, July 7.
     
    Over 25 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip rained down on southern Israel Sunday (July 6), striking in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, and Sderot. This followed the rocket attacks on Saturday, two of which were fired at Beersheba. At least 29 other rockets and mortars fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel over the weekend.
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     Avihai Jorno inspects the damage to his home in Sderot
    hit by a rocket fired from Gaza. (Photo: Reuters)

  • Background

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    Since the beginning of the year, until the launching of Operation Protective Edge, Gaza terrorists fired more than 450 rockets towards Israeli citizens. The attacks sent thousands running into bomb shelters, threatening millions of Israeli lives. In order to restore quiet to the region and stop Hamas terrorism, the IDF has commenced Operation Protective Edge.

    Since Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012, Hamas has continued to arm itself with vast amounts of weaponry and is currently in possession of 10,000 rockets. Hamas deliberately and systematically exploits Palestinians and uses them as human shields when firing at Israel. With the increased range of rockets, some 6 million Israelis are currently living under the threat of rocket attacks. No nation would accept this reality.

    Although Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system stops some of the attacks, most rockets are capable of reaching Israel’s biggest cities. More than half a million Israelis have less than 60 seconds to find shelter after a rocket is launched from Gaza into Israel. Many have only 15 seconds.

    Monday, June 30 saw a sharp escalation in rocket fire, with the intensification in attacks beginning in the morning, prior to the discovery of the boys' bodies. That day, Hamas itself fired rockets.
    These rockets have injured Israelis, damaged cars, homes and property. On Thursday morning (3 July) a rocket hit a nursery school and rockets burned two factories in Sderot to the ground (28 June).

    In addition to the rocket attacks, Palestinians have carried out cross-border attacks from Gaza. A terrorist armed with a grenade infiltrated an Israeli village (22 June) and Israeli forces were attacked on 28 and 29 June.
    Hamas controls the Gaza Strip since 2007 and bears responsibility for the rocket attacks.
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