Operation Protective Edge
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
An Iron Dome launcher intercepts Gazan rockets in central Israel (8 July)
Date 8 July 2014 (2014-07-08) – ongoing (9 years, 10 months, 1 week and 6 days) Location Gaza Strip Israel 30°40′N 34°50′E / 30.667°N 34.833°E / 30.667; 34.833 Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Israel	Gaza Strip Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Popular Resistance Committees Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Abdullah Azzam Brigades[1]
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon Defense Minister Benny Gantz Chief of General Staff Amir Eshel Air Force Commander Sami Turgeman Southern Commander Yoram Cohen Chief of Shin Bet	Ismail Haniyeh Deputy chief of Hamas Mohammed Deif Head of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Ramadan Shalah Leader of PIJ
Units involved
Israel Defense Forces Shin Bet	Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades
Strength
Southern Command (Israel) Up to 74,000 reservists[2][3]	n/a
Casualties and losses
25 soldiers and 2 civilians killed according to IDF's official statements.[4] Hamas claims 32 soldiers killed and 1 captured[5][6][7][8]	550 killed[4] (UN: 72% civilians;[9] IDF: 130 militants[10]) 3,130 wounded[11]

Operation Protective Edge (see Name below) is an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) offensive in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, launched on 8 July 2014.^[12] The operation follows an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hamas.^[13] Operation Protective Edge is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populated Gaza Strip.^[14]

Following the kidnapping and murders of three Israeli teenagers in mid-June 2014, the Israel Defense Forces initiated Operation Brother's Keeper in search of the three teenagers.^[15] As part of the operation, in the following 11 days Israel arrested around 350 Palestinians,^[16][17][18] including nearly all of Hamas' West Bank leaders.^[19] Five Palestinians were killed during the military operation.^{[20][21][22][23]}

In response, Hamas increased rocket attacks on Israel.^[24] By 7 July, Hamas had fired 100 rockets from Gaza at Israeli territory and Israel had bombed several sites in Gaza.^[25][26][27] Early on 8 July Israel bombed 50 targets in the Gaza Strip,^[28] and Palestinian militants increased the scale of their rocket attacks into Israel. Israel's counter-rocket defense system, the Iron Dome, intercepted about 30 of the rockets. Israel also thwarted a militant infiltration from the sea.^[29] That same day, Hamas declared that "all Israelis" had become "legitimate targets"^[30][31] and insisted that Israel end all attacks on Gaza, release those re-arrested during the crackdown in the West Bank, lift the blockade on Gaza and return to the cease-fire conditions of 2012 as conditions for a ceasefire.^[32]

On 14 July, Egypt proposed a cease-fire. The Israeli government accepted the proposal, and temporarily stopped hostilities in the morning of 15 July. However, Hamas, which said it had not been consulted on the cease-fire, rejected it in "its current form".^[33] On 16 July, Hamas and Islamic Jihad offered Israel a 10-year truce, posing 10 conditions.^[34] US Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Egypt on July 21 to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza.^[35]

Operation Protective Edge is the deadliest military operation to have taken place in Gaza since the Gaza War in 2008–09.^[36] At least 508 Palestinians have been killed.^[4] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated using preliminary information that as of 20 July nearly 72% of those killed were civilians, of whom 44% were women or children. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 3,008 Palestinians have been injured.^[9]As of 14 July, the Israel Defense Forces estimated that about 90 of the dead were Hamas militants, and says Hamas was using the Gazan population as "human shields";^[37] an allegation denied by Hamas.^[38] The Israeli Defense Forces reported that as of 13 July, more than 1,300 Israeli attacks have occurred, while more than 800 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.^[39]

Human rights groups have argued that Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli targeted destruction of the homes of Hamas and other militia members violate international humanitarian law and might constitute war crimes.^[40][41][42]

Name

Literal translation of the operation's name (Template:Lang-he-n, Mivtza' Tzuk Eitan) is "Operation Steadfast Cliff" or "Firm Cliff"; more loosely translated, "Operation Solid Rock" of "Operation Mighty Cliff";^[43] or "Resolute Cliff" in the form of the IDF's official Arabic translation.^[44] According to the Turkish Anadolu Agency, an Israeli military spokesman for Arab Media, Avichay Adraee, explained that the change of the operation's name in English was done to more heavily convey the idea that the operation was defensive in nature.^[44]

Background

On 23 April 2014, Hamas agreed to a reconciliation deal with the other main Palestinian faction, Fatah^[45] following seven years of division. The Palestinian unity government was sworn in by 2 June 2014^[46][47] and Israel announced it would not negotiate any peace deal with the new government and would push punitive measures.^[48] Declaring this unity will “strengthen terrorism” a day before the agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The international community must not embrace it.”^[49] The agreement was likely to have a significant impact on the current round of peace talks between Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority and Israel, and shortly after the announcement of the agreement, Israel launched an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip that injured four people, according to medical officials.^[47][50] Netanyahu had warned before the deal it would be incompatible with Israeli-Palestinian peace and that Abbas has to choose between peace with Hamas and peace with Israel. When a reconciliation deal was signed opening the way to the appointment of the new government, Netanyahu chaired a security cabinet in which they voted to authorise Netanyahu to impose unspecified sanctions against the Palestinian Authority.^[47] According to The Forward, Brigadier General Moti Almoz, the chief spokesman of the Israeli military, said: “We have been instructed by the political echelon to hit Hamas hard.”^[51]

The operation follows a chain of events that began with the abduction of three Israeli teenagers Naftali Fraenkel (16), Gilad Shaer (16) and Eyal Yifrah (19) in the West Bank in June 2014, for which Israel blamed Hamas. The IDF stated that the two men Israel suspects of having kidnapped the teenagers were known members of Hamas,^[52][53] No evidence of Hamas involvement has been offered by the Israeli authorities^[54] and high-ranking members of Hamas have denied that the group had any involvement or foreknowledge of the incident;^[18] The alleged murderers come from the Qawasameh clan which is notorious for acting against Hamas's policies and its attempts to reach an entente with Israel.^[55] however, Hamas political chief Khaled Meshal said that he can neither confirm nor deny the kidnapping of the three Israelis, and congratulated the abductors.^[56] Israeli forces killed ten Palestinians in clashes, including two under 18^[57] and arrested several hundred more in the West Bank in the subsequent widespread search for the missing teenagers and suppression of Hamas cells and infrastructure dubbed Operation Brother's Keeper.^[58][59] During the search for the three missing Israeli teenagers, the IDF arrested many of the people who had been released during the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. On 30 June, search teams found the bodies of the three missing teenagers in a field north-west of Hebron.^[60][61] They had apparently been killed shortly after their abduction.^[62]

Hours after the funeral of the three murdered Israelis, a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager named Mohammed Abu Khdeir of Beit Hanina was kidnapped and burned alive in a retaliatory attack by Jewish extremists.^[63] Six Jewish suspects in the murder have been arrested by the Israeli police.^[63][64] The discovery of Khdeir's body led to protests and rioting in East Jerusalem which spread to Arab villages across the country,^[65] and an official apology and condolence from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.^[66] Hamas, which had been credited by Israel as reining in militant rocket fire from the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire agreement in November 2012, at the conclusion of Operation Pillar of Defense, took direct responsibility for a barrage of rockets fired into Israel on 7 July 2014^[67] and insisted on the release of those rearrested as a condition of a ceasefire.^[68][69] At the same time, exchanges of Gaza-based rocket fire into Israel and Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip flared.

Israel argues that this attack on the Gaza Strip is also in reaction to hundreds of rockets and mortar shell launched by Gaza residents (not necessarily Hamas members) from Gaza Strip into Israel during a period of 19 months in 2012–2014. Israel claims that the ceasefire agreement achieved at the end of Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012 with Hamas, did not prevent firing into Israel during that period.^[70]The Jerusalem Fund, contrariwise, has listed over 220 Israeli violations of the November 2012 truce from its inception down to 6 July 2014.^[71] Hamas state that they are engaged in legitimate resistance to Israeli occupation and that attacks its military wing engaged in were a response to the IDF's violent operations across the West Bank following the kidnap and murder of three Israeli youths. According to Avi Shlaim, while the "chain of action and reaction is endless", the underlying cause for the violence is Israeli occupation and colonialism in the Palestinian Territories.^[72]

Violations of the November 2012 truce between Israel and Hamas

In the first three months (Nov. 22, 2012 – Feb. 22, 2013), according to Ben White, two mortar shells struck Israeli territory, while 4 Gazans were shot dead and 91 wounded by Israeli forces, which fired inside Gazan territory on 63 occasions, made 13 incursions into the Strip, and attacked the Gazan fishing fleet 30 times.^[73] According to the Middle East Monitor, in the year following the truce, Israel violated the cease-fire nearly 120 times.^[74] Rockets and Mortars fired into Israel according to Shin Bet, Israel's security service.^[75] Hover over colored bar to see the number of launches. The Shin Bet statistics do not differentiate between rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and Gazan fire at Israeli incursions into the Gaza Strip.^[76]

Hover over colored bar to see the number of launches

Operation timeline

Week 1

8 July

In preparations for a potential escalation in fighting, the IDF called up 1,500 reserves on 7 July. These reserves were positioned around southern Israel and were working on training in case of escalation.^[77] The IDF continued calling up additional reserves on 8 July, stating plans to call up 40,000 or more.^[78] Due to the consistent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel,^{[clarification needed]} the Israeli government closed all summer camps within 40 km (24 miles) of Gaza and universities canceled their final exams; and 37,000 Gazan students who had completed high school had their graduation delayed.^{[79] [80]} Additionally, all gatherings of 300 or more were banned, and requested all people stay at home or near shelter.^[81]

In the early morning on 8 July, Israel struck at least 50 targets in Gaza, injuring 17 people.^[82] This was followed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu instructing the IDF to "take their gloves off" against Hamas and instructed them to take any means necessary to restore peace to Israeli citizens. As the afternoon progressed, the IDF continued their targeted retaliation, including the home of senior Hamas member Abdul Rahman Juda, who was using his home as a control and command center. Additionally, the IDF targeted and killed Muhammad Sa'aban a commander of Hamas's naval commando unit.^[83] IDF also targeted the homes of Hamas members Eiad Sakik, Abdullah Hshash, Samer Abu Daka, and Hassan Abdullah.^[84] The Palestinians have confirmed that all homes were called by the IDF prior to bombing, asking residents to please leave.^[85]

Late afternoon, Hamas announced that all Israelis are now legitimate targets.^[86] Early evening, the Iron Dome Defense system shot down a rocket over Tel Aviv.^[87] Shortly afterward, five armed Palestinians attempted to cross into Israel via the beach at Kibbutz Zikim. Gunfire ensued with the IDF, resulting in the death of all five Palestinians.^[88] A short while later, a parachute was found abandoned near Yad Mordechai^[89] and a Gaza tunnel exploded near Kerem Shalom.^[90]

Hamas, in the evening, held a press conference to express their demands to stop their offense on Israel. Hamas demanded that Israel halt what it termed aggression in Jerusalem; the West Bank; and the Gaza Strip, re-release of the prisoners of the Shalit deal, and the commitment to all the terms of the Operation Pillar of Defense cease-fire.^[91] For the first time in recent weeks, Hamas openly claimed responsibility for rocket fire. In addition, the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for 60 rockets, the Popular Resistance Committees asserted they had fired 17, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for three.^[92]

Late in the evening, a second rocket was shot down over Tel Aviv.^[93] Following this air sirens went off in Binyamina and Hamas stated that a rocket was fired at Haifa.^[94] This was all followed by several rockets being fired at Jerusalem and two landing just outside of Jerusalem.^[93] Just before midnight, a rocket hit Hadera, 28 miles (45 km) north of Tel Aviv, making it the longest range rocket ever shot into Israel.^[95] Upon investigation of the shrapnel, Israel believes this was a Syrian made M302 Rocket.^[96]

By the end of 8 July, IAF and the Israeli navy had struck 435 targets in Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 23 Palestinians, including two children under five, and over 122 injuries.^[97][98] Also, during the first day 225 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel and 40 of out of 225 were intercepted.^[99][100] Property damage in Israel totaled approximately 10 million NIS, from 35 vehicles, 52 buildings, 12 agriculture-related damages reported.^[101]

9 July

Just after midnight on 9 July, Abbas announced he would convene an emergency meeting of the Palestinian leadership to discuss the escalation,^[102] in addition to contacting Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to attempt to broker a ceasefire.^[103]

The IDF confirmed that over night it hit 160 targets in Gaza, bringing the total to 435 sites that Israel has struck, while from Gaza 235 rockets have been fired.^[104] On the morning of 9 July the IDF confirmed that two further rockets had been shot down over Tel Aviv.^[105]

In an interview given to The Guardian published in the morning, a spokesperson for Medical Aid for Palestinians stated that at least seven children have died as a result of Israeli air strikes so far.^[106]

In the afternoon, the Iron Dome shot down a rocket over Zichron Yaakov, 120 km (75 miles) from the Gaza border.^[107] This was immediately followed by two rockets landing in the Mount Carmel region, just short of Haifa; Hamas saif they were responsible,^[108] and that Gaza had been hit 500 times in the past two days.^[107] The IDF announced that they had struck 129 targets in Gaza since the morning: 31 tunnels, 60 rocket launching sites, 27 terror sites, and 11 activity sites.^[109]

In the early evening two rockets, believed by Israel to have been aimed at Haifa, landed in an open field in Caesarea.^[110] Israel struck a house in Gaza, killing a mother and her two children.^[111] Palestinians reported that the Islamic Jihad Communications Commander was killed in IAF strike on his house.^[112] Following the Israeli attacks on Gaza, the death toll rose to 43; Abbas called the operation an Israeli genocide.^[113] Within the first 36 hours of Operation Protective Edge, Israel hit more targets in Gaza than they had in the full eight days of Operation Pillar of Defense.^[114]

As night fell, Hamas fired multiple rockets toward Dimona, which they said were attempting to hit the nuclear reactors.^[115] Israel continued to strike Gaza; Palestinian casualties rose to 51 dead and 450 injuries^[116] Over the same period of time Magen David Adom reported that there had been no Israeli deaths and 68 injuries, 59 from shock and nine while running for shelter.^[117]

As the second day came to an end, the IDF announced that it had hit over 550 targets in Gaza over the first two days.^[118] Hamas fired approximately 180 rockets into Israel during the second day. Palestinian casualties were 68 dead ans 550 injured (some of them civilians).^[119]

10 July

Shortly after midnight, the UN's Security Council announced that it would hold a special meeting to discuss the current Israel–Palestinian conflict.^[120] Several hours later, Ban-Ki Moon announced that he would be addressing the Security Council and that he had already spoken with several world leaders.^[121]

Throughout the night, Israel continued their targeted attacks on Gaza, hitting several sites, resulting in 14 additional deaths, including some women and children.^[122] Israel vowed to intensify the attacks as the operation enters its third day.^[123] Eight of those killed were members of the Kaware family. Israel announced that although the family was warned, and they did leave the house, they returned after the warning shot hit the house. They returned home moments after the second rocket was fired and it was too late to reprogram.^[124] In total 320 sites in Gaza were hit overnight.^[125]

On the morning of 10 July, Gazan rockets were fired at Tel Aviv, Dimona, Mitzpe Ramon, Eshkol, Ashkelon, Netivot, Yeruham, and other locations. Finance Minister Yair Lapid warned that there would be an IDF ground operation if the rocket fire did not stop.^[126] During the morning of 10 July, an IDF Spokesman said that since the beginning of the operation in Israel 234 missiles had exploded and 61 rockets had been hit by the counter-rocket defense system Iron Dome. Israel additionally issued a warning to the 100,000 residents of Gaza near the border with Israel to evacuate their homes, leading many to believe that preparations for an Israeli ground offensive are underway.^[127]

In the early afternoon, at an IDF checkpoint on Highway 5, a car with Palestinian plates carrying Palestinians Arabs was stopped. The car contained two cooking gas tanks connected to what is believed to be a detonation device. Shin Bet is investigating the incident that is believed to be a car bomb.^[128] One of the two suspects later confessed they intended to perpetrate a terror attack.^[129]

In the late afternoon, Israel struck three Islamic Jihad members, Mahmoud Walud, Hazm Balusha, and Alla'a Abd al-Nabi, whom Israel holds responsible for rockets fired at Tel Aviv.^[130] With this strike, the total number of Palestinians killed in day three of the operation reached 33.^[131] The IDF also announced that 96 rockets had been fired from Gaza on 10 July and that 442 rockets had been launched over the past three days.^[132]

In the early evening, siren went off around Jerusalem, for the second time in the three-day-old operation. Two rockets were shot down over Jerusalem by the Iron Dome and one landed in the Abu Ghosh area.^[133]

In the evening, the US Consulate General in Jerusalem announced aid for any US citizens in Gaza who wish to leave.^[134] The US Consulate announcement came as Israel announced it would intensify the strikes in Gaza.^[135] Additionally, Israel announced that their goal is not a ceasefire, but that they want to fully dismantle Hamas's infrastructure.^[136]

As in the past few nights, militants from Gaza chose to shoot a large number of rockets into Israel during the 8:00pm news broadcast, with tonight's resulting in a number of injuries after a direct hit on a house.^[137] Initial reports indicated that an Israeli was killed when a rocket hit their car, however this was later proven untrue as the car was empty, and the Israeli death count remained at zero since the operation started.^[137]

As the third day came to an end, Israel announced that 144 rockets had been shot at Israel on 10 July,^[137] and 442 since the operation started.^[138] This rocket fire has resulted in injuries to 123 people; one seriously, 21 moderately to lightly and 101 from shock.^[139] Israel had struck 201 targets In Gaza, resulting in 23 deaths^[140] and carried out almost 900 airstrikes on the Gaza strip since the start of the operation, killing at least 90 Palestinians (part of them were civilians).^[141] Additionally, they announced that they are ready for a long battle^[142] and that they plan a ground operation to free Palestinian prisoners.^[143]

11 July

At approximately 3:30am, the Iron Dome counter-rocket defense system shot down a rocket over Haifa, the first time a rocket from Gaza reached that far.^[144] An elderly woman running for cover when hearing the sirens collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene.^[141]

In the early morning, Hussein Izzat Atwe, a member of Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya fired rockets at Israel,^[145] from the Hasbaya region of Lebanon. Only one projectile was reported to have hit Israel, causing no damage.^[146][147] When Lebanon investigated they found six additional rockets ready to be fired, including one which had exploded when fired.^[148] One man was later arrested in connection with the rocket fire after police found blood in his car which matched blood found at the scene of the rocket launchers.^[149]

Israeli troops fired 25 artillery shells into Lebanon at the outskirts of the village of Kfar Shuba.^[150]

In the early evening, Egypt seized rockets that were being smuggled from Gaza into Egypt; it was believed these were to be used to fire on Israel.^[151]

After three and a half days of the operation, Israel had struck 1,090 sites in Gaza, while 525 rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel.^[152]

In the evening, two Israeli soldiers were injured by anti-aircraft missiles near Nahal Oz.^[153]

By day's end, Israel had struck 235 targets in Gaza, resulting in 23 deaths. From Gaza 137 rockets were fired toward Israel, causing no deaths.^[140]

12 July

An IDF strike targeting Gaza police chief Tayseer Al-Batsah's home killed 21 people and wounded 45.^[154] The police chief's Gaza City house was nearly destroyed by two rockets.^[155][156] Many of those killed were leaving a mosque, next door to the home, at the time of the strike.^[157]

Just before dawn, an IDF missile hit a center for disabled people in northern Gaza killing two of its residents and injuring five more. A mosque which the IDF said was being used as an armory was also hit.^[158]

A series of 10 rockets aimed at Tel Aviv were launched, for which Hamas claimed responsibility; no casualties were reported.^[156] At around 20:00 in the evening, Hamas convened a news conference and announced that at 21:00 they would fire J80 rockets into central Israel that would challenge the Iron Dome system. The Iron Dome system intercepted three of the rockets; the rest fell in open areas.; there were no injuries and minor shrapnel damage. In response, the IDF launched a combined attack involving artillery, helicopters, and fighter jets on many targets throughout the Gaza Strip.^[159]

Later in the evening, three rockets were fired from Gaza toward the Jewish settlement of Efrat, but all three landed in Palestinian neighborhoods; two in Bethlehem and one in Hebron.^[160]

Around 11:00pm, two rockets were fired from Lebanon into western Galilee, causing no casualties; the IDF responded with artillery fire.^[155]

By day's end, Israel had struck 180 targets in Gaza 180 targets, resulting in 51 deaths. From Gaza 125 rockets were fired toward Israel, with no deaths.^[140]

13 July

By the start of the sixth day, Israel had struck 1,320 sites within Gaza,^[154] resulting in 167 deaths and more than 1,000 injured.^[161] During the same time frame, more than 600 rockets have been launched at Israel from Gaza.^[162]

In the early hours of the morning, Israeli naval commandos approached Gaza via the al-Sudaniya beach. Gunfire ensued, resulting in three Palestinian deaths and four IDF soldiers injured.^[163] Israel stated that their mission was successful, and it took out several long-range rocket launchers.^[164]

At 6:00am, 670 those living in Gaza with dual citizenship were given a chance to be escorted by the IDF out of Gaza and to their respective embassies.^[165] Only a 30 minute window was given to people wishing to leave, causing many people to miss this opportunity and being forced to remain in Gaza.^[166]

Later in the morning, Israel began dropping leaflets, making telephone calls, and sending texts warning Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate by noon.^[167] Schools in Gaza have been opened to shelter those who are evacuating their homes; which can shelter up to 35,000 people.^[168] Although Hamas discouraged people from following Israel's advice, it is believed that approximately 10,000 did leave.^[169] After Israel began striking their targets in the north the number of people who left their home was reported at 17,000,^[170] totaling about 25% of the town's 70,000 residence.^[171]

In the morning, Palestinians fired four rockets at Gush Dan, the Shfela, and Ashdod.^[172] A boy was seriously injured in an Ashkelon rocket attack.^[173] In the afternoon, Hamas fired a heavy barrage of Fajr-5, M-75 and M-160 rockets to all parts of the country, including Ashkelon and Gush Dan. Iron Dome intercepted a rocket over Rishon Le-Zion,^[174] the Sharon plain and Haifa.^[175]

In the evening, a rocket fired from Gaza hit the infrastructure in Israel that provides electricity 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza, cutting off their power.^[176] This was followed by a break from the rocket fire, which correlated with the World Cup.^[177]

By day's end, Israel had struck 173 targets in Gaza, resulting in 13 deaths. From Gaza 130 rockets were fired toward Israel, resulting in 0 deaths.^[140]

14 July

By the start of day seven of the operation, there had been 1,320 strikes by Israel in Gaza,^[178] and 940 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel.^[179]

In the early afternoon, the IDF stated that they used a MIM-104 Patriot missile to down a drone, near Ashdod, which came from Gaza.^[180] Hamas later took responsibility for this drone, stating they had sent six into Israel, which successfully completed three missions over IDF military bases.^[181]

In the early evening, Hamas said it destroyed an IDF Merkava tank stationed near Gaza with a Kornet anti-tank missile; Israel responded that the Trophy Active Protection System destroyed the missile, which caused no damage or injuries.^[182]

As day seven of the operation came to an end, news broke that a ceasefire negotiated by Egypt was close to being announced, effective 9:00am the following day.^[183] This would be followed by negotiations in Cairo on 10 July.^[184] Hamas acknowledged that negotiations were ongoing, however no agreements had been finalized.^[185]

On 14 July 115 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel, causing no deaths. Israel had struck 163 targets in Gaza, causing six deaths^[140] and 192 overall.^[186] The IDF said that after the first 7 days they believed 3,000 of the 9,000 rockets in Gaza had been destroyed.^[187] 1,050 rockets had been fired at Israel,^[188] leaving 5,000 available.

Week 2

15 July

During the night, for the first time during the operation, two rockets were fired at Eilat, from Egypt.^[189]

At 7am, Israel announced that they had officially voted to accept the ceasefire proposed by Egypt for 9am.^[190] Hamas stated that they were not consulted on the ceasefire, and if they had accepted it, it would have been a surrender rather than a truce, and fired 40 rockets into Israel within the first five hours of the proposed ceasefire timeframe.^[191] Ismail Haniyeh, the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, stated that although Hamas was contacted about the ceasefire, they would not accept it unless Israel gave fulfilled the "demands of the Palestinian people" such as ending the blockade.^[192] At approximately 3pm, six hours after Israel announced it would accept the ceasefire, Netanyahu announced that, due to the continued rocket fire from Gaza, they would be renewing their strikes.^[193]

Netanyahu, on the evening of 15 July, fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon. According to Netanyahu's associates, Danon lost his job for claiming that Hamas "humiliated" Israel.^[194]

In the evening, eight days into the operation, Israeli man Dror Hanin^[195] was injured by a mortar shell and later died, the first Israeli death since the beginning of the operation.^[196]

On 15 July Israel had struck 96 targets in Gaza, resulting in 16 deaths and 156 rockets had been fired toward Israel. In eight days Israel had struck 1,603 targets in Gaza, causing 194 deaths. From Gaza 1,147 rockets were launched toward Israel, causing one Israeli death.^[140]

16 July

Around midnight, the start of day nine of fighting, Netanyahu vowed to intensify and expand Israeli strikes after accelerated rocket lauches from Gaza during the six hour Israeli cessation of hostilities.^[197]

During the night, Israeli warplanes bombed the house of senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar. Israel also hit the homes of several Hamas leaders including Bassem Naim, Fathi Hammad and Ismail al-Ashqar, all four homes were reportedly empty at the time.^[198] Shortly after these attacks, it was announced the death toll within Gaza had surpassed 200 people.^[199] During the night, Israel also sent pre-recorded messages to approximately 100,000^[200] people in Gaza City to leave their homes by 8am.^[201]

Magen David Adom in the evening reported that they offered to transfer donated blood to help those injured in Gaza; however the Palestinian Authority rejected the blood and rejected their offer to help run blood drives.^[202]

In the early afternoon, Hamas and the PIJ proposed a ten year truce with Israel. The Palestinian terms for a truce included:^[203]

• IDF moving their tanks further into Israel from Gaza
• Re-release all prisoners freed in exchange for Gilad Shalit and arrested during Operation Brother's Keeper
• Remove blockage from all borders with the Rafah crossings on UN control
• Establish an airport in Gaza under UN control
• Expand fishing zone to 13 km
• Israel borders with Gaza controlled by the UN
• Israel cannot intervene in the Palestinian unity government
• Israel must give Gaza residents permission to visit Jerusalem and pray in the Al-Aqsa Mosque

Later in the afternoon, four Palestinian boys aged between 9 and 11 were killed on a Gaza beach by a shell fired by an Israeli naval gunboat.^[204][205]

During the day, UNRWA discovered approximately 20 rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza Strip.^[206]

On 16 July Israel had struck 50 targets in Gaza, resulting in 17 deaths. From Gaza 94 rockets were fired toward Israel, resulting in 0 deaths.

17 July

During the night, Israel agreed to a five-hour humanitarian ceasefire, proposed by the UN,^[207] followed shortly by Hamas' acceptance.^[208] The ceasefire took place from 10am to 3pm, local time.^[209]

Approximately five and a half hours prior to the ceasefire's effect, the IDF sighted 13 armed Hamas militants emerging from a Gazan tunnel on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. The IDF engaged the militants, who sustained casualties; and destroyed the tunnel's exit, ending the incursion.^[210] No Israeli casualties were sustained in the incident.^[211] Israeli Army Radio reported that the men were carrying with them weapons and abduction related equipment.^[212]

Approximately two hours into the ceasefire three rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. Israel attributed them to Hamas, although responsibility for them was not claimed.^[213] At exactly 3pm, at the end of the agreed upon five-hour ceasefire, sirens began ringing again in Israel, in the Ashkelon region.^[214]

In the early evening, for the second time since the operation began, the IDF shot down a drone launched from Gaza into Israel, using an MIM-104 Patriot missile.^[215] Hamas later said they had launched the drone.^[216]

At the beginning of the night the IDF artillery batteries fired hundreds of shells into the northern Gaza strip after ordering civilians out of the area. Hamas ordered civilians not to leave, and some were still present when the attack started. At approximately 10:30pm the PIJ reported on their TV station that IDF ground troops had entered Gaza.^[217] Shortly afterward, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon announced that they had ordered a ground incursion into Gaza.^[218] Egypt said that they held Hamas responsible for Israel's ground operation, as they had been offered but not accepted a ceasefire.^[219] Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu said that the ground invasion's task was to disable the tunnels near the border used by Hamas to invade Israel.

Shortly after Israel's ground forces entered Gaza, Israeli tanks began shelling Wafa Hospital in Gaza.^[220] Israel claims they gave the hospital multiple advance warnings to evacuate their 17 patients before attacking a weapons storage facility at the hospital.^[221]

18 July

Shortly after midnight, the IDF announced approval to call up 18,000 additional reserves,^[222] bringing the total reserves IDF allowed to call to 72,000.

During the night the IDF destroyed the house of PIJ leader Abdullah al-Shami.^[223] One Israeli soldier was killed.

In the morning Israel announced that 14 militants were killed in Gaza overnight, the first night with ground soldiers in Gaza,^[224] bringing total casualties, of combatants and civilians, to 248 killed and 1,920 injured.^[225] 13 militants surrendered to the IDF.^[226]

In the early afternoon, Israel announced that paratroopers had found eight tunnels^[227] and later announced that IDF troops had found an additional 13 tunnels.^[228]

The IDF said it killed 17 militants in several exchanges of fire, and arrested 13 later on Friday.^[229]

In the evening, the IDF entered a building, killing three militants. The IDF also uncovered a stockpile of weapons that included anti-tank missiles.^[230]

19 July

Shortly after midnight, the IDF said that the death count for militants since entering Gaza has risen above 40 and that it had arrested an additional 21 militants.^[231]

In the late morning, nine Hamas militants entered Israel via a tunnel, wearing IDF uniforms and carrying weapons, handcuffs, syringes, and sedatives. They were met by the IDF; one militant and two IDF soldiers were killed, and the remaining militants escaped through the tunnel; several were later killed in Gaza by an Israeli airstrike.^[232]

In the afternoon, a rocket shot from Gaza at Israel landed on a tent of a Bedouin family, killing the father, critically injuring a 4-month-old, and injuring two others.^[233] By Saturday night the IDF had uncovered 34 tunnels within Gaza, and was dismantling them.^[234] On Saturday over 94 rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel. ^[235] On Saturday the IDF hit 140 sites in Gaza, bringing the total to 260 since the ground operation started,^[236] causing 49 Palestinian deaths on Saturday and 348 since the operation started.^[237]

20 July

In the morning the IDF announced that two further IDF soldiers had been killed. On 19 July, a militant entered Israel via a tunnel and shot an Israeli soldier dead, before being killed by other IDF personnel; the other solder was killed by an anti-tank missile.^[238] Hamas announced that they had killed five soldiers in the attack.^[239]

At approximately 1 A.M., an Israeli armored personnel carrier in Shuja'iyya was hit by an anti-tank missile, killing all 7 IDF soldiers inside.^[240] In the ensuing conflict in Shuja'iyya, 72^[241] Palestinians died in what local medical authorities,^[242] and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called a massacre. (See Shuja'iyya Incident (2014)). The IDF has stated that Shuja'iyya has been the site of 8% of the rocket launches since July 8, and that residents had been warned to leave two days earlier. ^[243]

Hamas requested via the Red Crescent a humanitarian ceasefire for the Shuja'iyya neighborhood to allow the evacuation of wounded from the area. The IDF agreed, and the ceasefire begun at 13:30; however, only an hour into the truce, IDF troops came under fire and responded.^[244] Despite the issues during the ceasefire, Israel agreed to extend it by one hour.^[245]

In total, the IDF has stated that 13 IDF soldiers were killed in Gaza over 24 hours,^[240] and more than 60 Palestinian militants were killed during the night.^[246] During the overnight fighting, the IDF uncovered an additional 10 tunnel systems.^[247]

The military wing of Hamas claimed that they had killed at least 32 Israeli soldiers since Saturday. Hamas military sources said scores of Israeli soldiers injured in the clashes with Palestinian fighters had been taken to hospitals,^[5] including the commander of the Golani Brigade, Israeli Druze Colonel Ghassan Alian.^[248] They also claimed they captured an Israeli soldier named Shaul Aron.^[249][250]

21 July

Since the beginning of the operation IDF has struck some 2,800 targets in Gaza, ^[251] while 1,497 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel.^[252]

During the night, two cells of militants attempted to infiltrate Israel using tunnels, the The Israeli Air Force had a direct hit on the first cell, ground troops fought the second.^[253] At least 10 militants were killed during the two incidents,^[254]. During one attack 10 Palestinians exited the tunnel wearing full IDF uniforms,^[255], four IDF soldiers were killed in the attack, when an anti-tank missile hit their Jeep.^[256] In total 7 IDF soldiers were killed on Monday.^[257]

Reports from Gaza in the afternoon stated that the IDF was shelling a hospital killing five and injuring many others.^[258] Hamas claimed that it captured an Israel soldier during an early morning operation while Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, denied the report. ^[259]

Impact

Impact on residents

As of 20 July 2014^[update] hospitals in Gaza were ill-equipped and facing severe shortage of various categories of medicine, medical supplies, and fuel.^[260] Egypt temporarily reopened the Rafah crossing with Gaza to allow medical supplies to enter, and injured Palestinians to receive treatment in Egypt.^[261] Additionally, due to the operation prices of food, including fish and produce, rose dramatically.^[262]

At the onset of the operation, the Israeli government canceled all programs within 40 km (24 miles) of Gaza, and requested all people stay at home or near shelter. All summer camps were closed and universities canceled their final exams.^[80] Additionally, all gatherings of 300 or more were banned.^[81] Due to the trajectory of rocket fire from Gaza, many flights in and out of Ben-Gurion Airport were delayed or rerouted.^[263]

Casualties and losses

Thus far 508 Palestinians have been killed.^[4] According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 72% of those killed were civilians (as of its report on 20 July, at which time it said 375 civilians were killed. 83 of those killed were children and 36 women). Many fatalities which could not be verified were not included in the OCHA report. Over 3,008 have been wounded as of 20 July 2014^[update] according to Gazan medical officials. Over 100,000 people have been displaced, including 84,000 who have taken refugee in UNRWA schools. 85 schools and 18 medical facilities were damaged.^[9] In addition, over 3,000 homes have been partially destroyed by the air strikes.^[264]

According to the Israeli Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Center, as of 15 July 2014, 72 terrorist operatives, 80 civilians, and 41 unidentified Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.^[265]

Many of those killed have been civilians, prompting concern from many humanitarian organisations. 9 people killed while watching the World Cup in a cafe,^[266] and 8 members of a family which Israel says were inadvertently killed.^[267] In response, Israel claimed that many civilian casualties were the result of Hamas using the Gazan population as 'human shields' at rocket launch targets,^[268] an allegation denied by Hamas.^[38] Seven members of a family were killed when they climbed on the roof of their house to act as a human shield, however, their home was still struck despite their action.^[269]

Human rights groups have argued that targeting the homes of militia members violates international humanitarian law and might constitute war crimes.^[40][42]

Rocket and missile attacks from Gaza have caused damage to Israeli civilian infrastructure, including factories, gas stations, and homes.^[270] There has been one Israeli civilian death, occurring at the Erez border crossing with Gaza: a Chabad rabbi who was delivering food and drinks on the frontline^[271] and was hit by mortar fire.^[196] According to Magen David Adom there have been injuries to 123 people: 1 seriously, 21 moderately to lightly and 101 from shock.^[139] An elderly woman in Wadi Nisnas collapsed and died of heart failure^[272] during an air-raid siren.^[273] The second Israeli civilian killed was a 32 year old Bedouin Ouda Lafi al-Waj, who was hit by a rocket in the Negev Desert.^[274]

Cost

Israel's Minister of Finance estimated that the operation would cost NIS 8.5 billion (approximately 2.5 billion USD), which is similar to Operation Cast Lead in 2009 and higher than Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012. The forecast included military and non-military costs, including military expenditure and property damage. The calculation indicates that if the operation lasts 20 days, the loss in GDP will be 0.4%.^[275]

Reactions

Media coverage

Portrayals of the conflict have varied in different media outlets. In the English-speaking world, U.S. news sources were often more sympathetic to Israel,^[276] though commentators on both sides have stated that U.S. coverage of the conflict has failed to adequately provide context and background for the public to understand the issues involved. Commentators on both sides have also claimed that the media is biased either for or against Israel.^[277] British sources were more often critical of Israel.^[276] As the conflict progressed and Palestinian deaths increased, media became somewhat more critical of Israel.^[278]

ABC News received criticism when Diane Sawyer misidentified photos of rubble in Gaza as being in Israel. The progressive^[279] media criticism organization FAIR said that the mistake reflected a worldview in American media and a "false balance" between the two sides of the conflict, when in fact many more Palestinians have suffered than Israelis.^[280] Sawyer later apologized on-air for the error.^[281]

NBC News was criticized for ordering its correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin out of Gaza after witnessing the killing of four Palestinian children.^[282] He was subsequently reinstated.

Investigative reporter Judith Miller criticized US media, and her former employer The New York Times in particular, for being unsympathetic to Israel and downplaying the context of the kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers.^[283]

British MP George Galloway said: "The 300 Palestinians are completely ignored by the same newspapers, by the same television stations and by the same political leaders who are threatening sanctions and war against Russia. ... Why the double standard? Why is the blood in Ukraine so much more noteworthy than the blood in Gaza?"^[284]

Criticism of the BBC's coverage

In The Guardian, Owen Jones called the BBC's headline "Israel under renewed Hamas attack", "perverse as Mike Tyson punching a toddler, followed by a headline claiming that the child spat at him", and that "the macabre truth is that Israeli life is deemed by the Western media to be worth more than a Palestinian life".^[285]

In London, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, hundreds protested outside the BBC's offices accusing the corporation of "pro-Israeli bias" in its coverage of the ongoing conflict. It claimed that news coverage was "entirely devoid of context or background". An open letter to BBC director signed by 45,000 people including Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Ken Loach, Brian Eno and Jeremy Hardy said it would "like to remind the BBC that Gaza is under Israeli occupation and siege [and] that Israel is bombing a refugee population". The BBC has defended its coverage.^[286][287]

Building on research by the Glasgow University Media Group that examined the media coverage of recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, Greg Philo, research director of the university's media unit, described how senior BBC journalists have spoken to him about being unable to get the Palestinian viewpoint across.^[286]

Social media

In the eight days leading up to Operation Protective Edge, the social media site Twitter hashtag #GazaUnderAttack was used over 375,000 times. Often the hashtag was used on tweets using photos that claimed to show how the people are suffering due to Israeli attacks. A BBC study showed that in some cases these photos were from previous Israeli attacks, or from wars in Syria and Iraq.^[288][289]

A false report circulated on social media and via SMS that a rocket from Gaza had hit a petrochemical plant in Haifa. These reports cited Haaretz as their source, but turned out to be false. Haaretz denies having issued such warnings.^[290]

A photograph published by Danish journalist Allan Sørensen on Twitter caused uproar online, gathering more than 8,500 retweets. It allegedly shows Israelis in Sderot gathered on top of a hill to celebrate and cheer as they watched Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. People reportedly brought chairs, sofas, popcorn, and hookahs with them.^[291] The scene was described as "something resembling a party".^[292] Similarly, according to The Jerusalem Post, Palestinians in Hebron cheered as Gazan rockets were fired at Tel Aviv.^[293]

See also

• 2014 in Israel
• 2014 in the Palestinian territories
• History of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• IDF military operations

References

External links

• Timelines of the first and second phases of the operation. Israel Defense Forces
• "The Toll in Gaza and Israel, Day by Day". The New York Times.
• "Operation Protective Edge". The Jerusalem Post.
• "Gaza Blog Live". Al Jazeera English.
• "As it happened: Gaza conflict intensifies". BBC News Online.
• "Gaza Crisis". United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.