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.

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.

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 over 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
Copyright: IDF Spokesperson




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