Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yaalon (Thursday evening, 17 July 2014) instructed the IDF to commence ground action to strike at the terrorist tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.
July 30
Three IDF soldiers were killed while uncovering an offensive tunnel shaft in a booby-trapped residence in the southern Gaza Strip. During a 4-hour humanitarian window, 26 rockets were fired at Israel
July 29
Overnight, the IDF targeted over 70 terror sites throughout the Gaza Strip, including two sites used as Hamas command and control centers, four weapon storage sites concealed within mosques, a concealed rocket launcher near a mosque and an offensive tunnel.
In the early hours of the morning, infrastructure of the treasury wing of Hamas used to fund and manage Hamas' terror activities was targeted in Gaza City.
The IDF also targeted the Al-Aqsa broadcasting station used to incite Palestinians against Israel, to transmit orders and messages to Hamas terrorists, and to instruct Gaza residents to ignore IDF warnings regarding upcoming military activity in specific areas.
July 28
Despite requested humanitarian ceasefire, one rocket was fired at Ashkelon (7:30am) and six at communities near the border with the Gaza Strip (2pm). The IDF returned fire at rocket launchers.
Four IDF soldiers were killed and six wounded in a mortar attack on an army staging area in the Eshkol regional council, near the Gaza Strip. Hamas claims responsibility for the attack.
IDF thwarted attempt by terrorists from Gaza to infiltrate Israel near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. A squad of Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel 150 meters inside Israel and fired an anti-tank missile at an army position, killing five soldiers. The soldiers in the lookout tower opened fire, killing at least one of the terrorists, who failed to carry out a planned abduction.
IDF denies involvement in the blast at Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon: "Al-Shifa Hospital and Al-Shati Refugee Camp were struck by failed rocket attacks launched by Gaza terrorists."
News report: The Hamas Fajr-5 rocket aimed at central Israel which was fired from a playground outside Shifa Hospital and exploded on the site causing casualties, had at least a 100 kg (220 lbs) warhead. IDF places responsibility on Islamic Jihad.
July 27
July 26
IDF Spokesman: "From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, there will be a humanitarian window in Gaza. During this time, operational activities to locate and neutralize terror tunnels will continue. The IDF will respond if terrorists exploit the lull to fire at Israeli soldiers or civilians."
Israel respected the UN-requested humanitarian ceasefire from 8 am to 8 pm and was ready to prolong it, but a few minutes after 8 pm Hamas resumed the rocket barrage at Israel's cities.
July 25
At noon on Friday, terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missiles from near an UNRWA school in Gaza, killing an IDF soldier. Another soldier was killed Friday morning during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.
IDF destroys rocket launchers ready for firing near two schools and a mosque in the Gaza Strip.
July 23
A Thai agricultural worker was killed by a mortar fired from Gaza while working in a greenhouse in one of the Israeli communities in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.
Hamas terrorists have turned Wafa Hospital in Gaza into a command center and a rocket-launching site.
The IDF is targeting specific sites and terrorists within the grounds of the hospital, from which Hamas continues to fire at our forces. The IDF repeatedly conveyed warnings to the hospital staff and urged civilians to leave the area in advance. Hamas is telling them to stay.
IDF Spokesman Peter Lerner: "Hamas terrorists have been intentionally abusing the hospital and other international protected symbols to indiscriminately attack Israel and its civilians. The IDF is determined in preventing the ongoing aggression by Hamas that is directed by a strategy of exploitation and abuse of the civilian population and its wellbeing.”
Dr. Basman Alashi, head of Wafa Hospital, reportedly said that the hospital is currently empty of staff and patients, who were transferred to a different facility in Gaza City a week ago.
Three Paratroopers were killed in Gaza.
July 20: 13 Israeli soldiers of the Golani Brigade were killed overnight in the course of the IDF operation in Gaza.
In the first incident, terrorists detonated an explosive device on an armored vehicle, causing the death of seven soldiers. In the second, terrorists opened fire at two IDF soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, killing one. Later, IDF soldiers were attacked by a terrorist squad in northern Gaza, leading to the death of two soldiers. Lastly, three IDF soldiers lost their lives when they became trapped in a burning building.
Israel agrees to humanitarian window
Israel agreed to the Red Cross request for a humanitarian window in Sejaiya and will hold fire there from 13:30-15:30. Since July 8, Hamas has fired over 140 rockets at Israel from Sejaiya, and 10 tunnel openings have been uncovered.
IDF: Although we agreed to the Red Cross' request to extend the a ceasefire in Sejaiya until 17:30, Hamas has not stopped shooting from Sejaiya and opened fire from near Wafa Hospital.
Israel opened a field hospital on the Israeli side of the Erez Crossing for Palestinians in Gaza.
July 19: Terror infiltration from central Gaza
Major (res.) Amotz Greenberg, 45 from Hod Hasharon and Adar Barsano, 20, from Nahariya were killed when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory through a tunnel from the central Gaza Strip and ambushed a military vehicle patrolling on the Israeli side of the border.
Items found after the attack, including handcuffs and bottles containing sedatives, indicate that Hamas planned to kill and kidnap soldiers and/or civilians and take them back to Gaza.
The IDF has uncovered 13 tunnels and over 30 tunnel entrances.
July 17: Terror tunnel
Early Thursday morning (July 17), just a few hours before the start of a humanitarian ceasefire, IDF forces thwarted an attack by Hamas terrorists who attempted to infiltrate Israel via a terror tunnel, preventing the terrorists from attacking an Israeli kibbutz. .
July 17: "Humanitarian window"
Following requests by representatives of the UN and other international organizations on Wednesday evening (July 16, 2014), the IDF has declared a "humanitarian window" in Gaza on Thursday, 17 July between 10:00-15:00. The purpose of the humanitarian window is to allow the civilian population in Gaza to get needed supplies such as food and medications. During this time the IDF will not initiate military actions in Gaza, but will respond in case Israel is attacked.
a. One minute after 3pm, rocket fire from Gaza resumed against Israeli civilian areas. The IDF subsequently resumed attacks on terror targets in Gaza.
Israel had also
accepted an earlier Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire to begin on
Tuesday morning, 15 July 2014, at 09:00. This proposal was rejected by Hamas.
- PM Netanyahu: "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."
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Daily distribution of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge
Source: ITIC