Operation Cloud Column . Also known as Defensive Pillar . Military operation launched on 14 November of the 2012 by the Israel Defense Forces against administrative and military installations of the Hamas in the Gaza Strip . [3] On the first day of the operation, Ahmed Jaabari , number 2 of the armed branch of the Palestinian organization, was assassinated . [3] According to Israeli media, the cause was the interception by the fifth battery of the Israeli anti-missile shield Iron Dome , ( Iron Dome ) of missiles launched from Gaza against Tel Aviv. [1]
The multiplication of Israeli air raids quickly turned the new attack into a major aggression. The Israeli General Staff ordered the mobilization of 30,000 reservists, a call that was quickly extended to 75,000. [3] Four days after the bombings began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his willingness to significantly expand the operation against the Gaza Strip. [4]
The Israeli Army deployed infantry forces and armored units on the fringes of the strip, awaiting the order to advance, apparently subject to external political considerations. While Israel insists that its offensive is anti-terrorist and that it involves very high precision attacks to minimize casualties among the civilian population, international relations expert Marco Terranova declared that the attacks are an example of a holocaust and genocide of the Palestinian people, although Israel seeks pass for victim. [5]
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the attacks on Gaza as terrorist acts, with the death toll of almost a hundred and more than a thousand wounded. [6] Several Latin American governments also rejected the Israeli offensive and supported the creation of a Palestinian state. [7]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on November 21 his decision to “accept” a ceasefire on the recommendation of US President Barack Obama . [8]
Finally, the Israelis suffered five fatalities, while the death toll among the Palestinians amounted to 166. [2]
Summary
[ hide ]
- 1 Background
- 2 Defensive Pillar
- 1 Causes
- 2 Events
- 2.1 November 14
- 2.2 November 15
- 2.3 November 16
- 2.4 November 17
- 2.5 November 18
- 2.6 November 19
- 2.7 November 20
- 2.8 November 21
- 3 References
Background
In 2001 the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon gave the green light to Operation Justified Revenge , in which F-16 warplanes were initially used to bomb Palestinian cities. The operation had been presented by the Israeli army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz , with the title “Destruction of the Palestinian Authority and disarmament of all armed forces.” [9] The Israeli army had updated its plans for a widespread attack to crush Palestinian authority, oust leader Yasser Arafatand kill or stop your army. The attack would be launched, at the government’s discretion, after a major suicide attack in Israel, causing many deaths and injuries, citing the bloodshed as justification. [9] The long-term objective was to expel the Palestinians from their lands. [10]
Yasser Arafat , symbol of the Palestinian struggle for independence, died in 2004 under undetermined circumstances.
In November 2004 , Arafat’s death occurred under undetermined circumstances. His possible assassination had been planned since 1996 under Operation Fields of Thorns , [9] being ordered in 2003 by the Israeli cabinet and approved by the US, which vetoed a United Nations Security Resolution condemning the Israeli cabinet’s decision in 2003 .
A year later, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the removal of all Jewish settlements in Gaza and more than 7,000 people were forcibly removed. In 2006 the Palestinian organization Hamas wins the elections in the Palestinian parliamentary elections. With the arrival of Hamas to power in the strip, Israel closed the five border crossings it controlled. The imposed blockade prohibits most exports and limits the entry of basic products. [eleven]
Within Operation Justified Revenge, also known as Plan Dagan , another was launched in 2008 with the code name Cast Lead, taking advantage of the transition period between the administrations of US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama . It began on December 27 and was combined with a carefully prepared international Public Relations campaign under the auspices of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The 3 as January as 2009 tanks and infantry entered Gaza Israelis on a total land offensive. The ground operation was preceded by several hours of heavy night artillery fire. [12] The operation lasted until January 18, leaving 1,400 Palestinians dead and 5,500 injured. This was the bloodiest attack in the region since the Six Day War in 1967 . [13]
The Israeli veterans organization Breaking the Silence denounced how soldiers were forced to kill women and children in cold blood, kill anyone passing through the occupied areas and use civilians as human shields. [14] In addition to vast destruction and massive population displacement, 313 children were killed and 1,606 injured. For the most part, they were not combatants. [fifteen]
The Israeli army used weapons prohibited by international conventions, including white phosphorus . [fifteen]
Defensive Pillar
Causes
The October to November of 2012 one antitank missile launched from the Gaza Strip struck an Israeli military patrol wounding four soldiers. [16] Zionist forces responded with heavy artillery and aviation bombardment against the Strip. As a result, more than 35 Palestinians were injured, including children, and four other civilians between the ages of 16 and 18 were killed. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the government was studying possible actions on the border and would not tolerate the deterioration of the situation.
“If we are forced to return to Gaza to deal a major blow to Hamas and restore security for all Israeli citizens, we will not hesitate to do so. [16]
On November 14, the Israeli Armed Forces began the Defense Pillar or Cloud Column [17] operation , after the fifth battery of the Israeli anti-missile shield Iron Dome ( Iron Dome ) intercepted missiles launched towards Tel Aviv . According to official statements from the Israeli military, the campaign was aimed at dealing a heavy blow to the Islamic Jihad and Hamas organizations . The main target was Ahmed Jabari , No. 2 of the Hamas armed wing, who was killed during an airstrike. [18]
According to some analysts, the Israeli government made the decision to give the green light to the operation, taking advantage of the situation created after the US presidential elections , which caused this country to go through a period of partial power vacuum pending the nomination of a new Secretary of State and the new Secretary of Defense. Several commentators also mention the proximity of the Israeli legislative elections and suggest that what Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman seek is to consolidate their own image. [3]
The minimum objective pursued was to weaken the Palestinian resistance by destroying its infrastructure and administrative facilities in the Gaza Strip. With the weakening of Hamas, the situation could favor al-Fatah in the West Bank , which with its demand for the recognition of a Palestinian state within the UN [19] could carry out Israel’s old plan to transform the Kingdom of Jordan in a Palestinian state to transfer the population of Gaza and perhaps even the West Bank. [twenty]
Following this line, the Israeli military operation would not aim indistinctly against all Hamas leaders but only against those responsible who oppose the former political head of that organization, Khaled Mechaal, who would be called to become the first ruler of the Palestinian state to be created. in Jordan. [3]
Events
November 14th
Ahmed Jabari
On November 14 Israel broke the cease-fire to the informal assassinate the military commander of Hamas , Ahmed Jabari , in an airstrike. According to Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin , Jabari was assassinated just hours after receiving a draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel that included mechanisms to maintain the ceasefire. [twenty-one]The air strikes caused another 12 deaths. Among the fatal victims were two children and at least one adult civilian. During the night, the Israeli army continued to strike against the north of the Strip while the military Cabinet authorized the mobilization of reservists, preparing for a possible ground operation. [22]
For his part, the leader of the Government of the Gaza Strip and leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh , classified the Israeli campaign against Gaza as barbaric, calling on the Arab states, especially Egypt , to stop Israel’s assault on the Palestinian enclave and go to the defense of its population.
I urge an urgent Arab summit to oppose this brutal aggression. [22]
The spokesman for the US State Department , Mark Toner , released a statement in which he assured that the administration of Barack Obama supported Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas, in addition to approving the support of the air strikes. [22]
November 15
BBC cameraman Jihad Misharawi mourns his 11-month-old son Omar, killed by the Israeli bombing of Gaza.
Israel continued its air strikes against the Gaza Strip and at least 21 Palestinians and three Israelis were killed during the day amid fears of a land invasion. [23] Israel claimed it launched 150 airstrikes overnight while the Palestinians fired dozens of rockets at them. One of the fatal victims of the Israeli violence was an 11-month-old baby, the son of BBC Arab journalist Jihad Misharawi. [2. 3]
According to the American human rights activist Joe Catner to RT , many of the injuries produced by the Israeli attacks may have been caused by white phosphorus , a substance used to start fires and smoke walls capable of seriously burning people and recognized by various organizations as a chemical weapon. [24]
White House press secretary Jay Carney claimed that Hamas had a responsibility to end the violence. For his part, Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi condemned the Israeli bombings and urged in a telephone call to his US counterpart, Barak Obama, to “use his influence with Israel to stop the bombings.” [25] That night, the hearing for the following day was announced for the Egyptian Prime Minister, Hicham Qandil , the Minister of Health, Mohamed Mustafa Hamed , and presidential advisers.
The wave of attacks was condemned by Deputy Dov Henin of the Hadach party , who demanded that the government “stop the killing, immediately stop the bloodshed.” Israeli pacifists gathered in front of the residence of Defense Minister Ehud Barak to demand that the funds used in the attacks be used to solve the economic problems in Israel.
Nov. 16
Smoke and fires after the Israeli Forces bombardment of Gaza.
The Egyptian Prime Minister, Hisham Kandil , was arriving in Gaza to meet with Hamas, after being sent by the Egyptian President as a show of solidarity. Although before Kandil’s arrival, the Israeli prime minister had announced that the offensive would be halted during the visit, provided that the Palestinian militias also maintained the ceasefire, both Hamas and Israel violated the agreement. [26] Hisham Kandil stated at a press conference after his meeting with the Hamas prime minister:
What I am seeing in Gaza is a disaster and I cannot remain silent. Israeli aggression must stop. This tragedy cannot be silenced and the world should take action to end this aggression. [27]
While Kandil was visiting Gaza, Zionist forces attacked from the south. The offensive triggered Palestinian attacks in response and several rockets landed in the vicinity of the Israeli capital.
The president of Venezuela , Hugo Chavez condemned the attacks carried out by the Air Israeli forces against the Gaza Strip and said that these incidents occurred in retaliation for the application of Palestine to be no Member State of the United Nations . [28]
President Mahmud Abas has insisted that he will once again request Palestine to join the UN, and yet the answer is this (…) we want a world of peace, that the aggressions stop. [28]
In a video posted on YouTube by the civil disobedience group Anonymus , the hackers promised to use all their efforts so that Gazans were connected to the Internet and could share their experience with the world. [29] The day before, they had pointed out on their Twitter account that Israel had violated 65 UN resolutions without any consequence. [30]
Israel mobilized 16,000 reservists for an operation in the Gaza Strip, as local media reported on the deployment of ground troops near the Gaza Strip border, including the Givati mechanized infantry brigade, one of the most experienced. [31]
Three missiles launched from Gaza hit an area of Jerusalem , marking the first time since 1970 that the city has been the target of the missiles.
An attack east of the Al Mughazi refugee camp killed Ahmed Abu Yalal, one of the leaders of the Hamas armed wing, two of his brothers and a neighbor, after the Israeli Navy launched a rocket at the home of Ismail Haniyeh , Hamas’s premier in the Gaza Strip. The missile hit a car in front of the building. [32]
November 17
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia , Rafik Abdessalem , visit the office building of the Prime Minister of Hamas , Ismail Haniyeh , destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.
In the early hours of the morning, airstrikes were recorded against Hamas targets, especially the four-story building that served as the headquarters of the offices of the prime minister in Gaza and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, [33] although no deaths were reported. In addition to the prime minister’s offices, the Israeli fire hit the Palestinian police headquarters in Gaza, the Islamic University and the Palestine Stadium, the main sports venue. [3. 4]
Regarding the attacks that took place throughout that morning, Israel’s Interior Minister Eli Yishai said in an interview with the newspaper “Haaretz”:
The goal of Israel’s operations is to return Gaza to the Middle Ages. Only in this case will the country be quiet for about 40 years [35]
In a war of declarations for and against the events, the European Union and the United States accused [36] the Hamas government of being the cause of the escalation of violence between the Palestinian fringe and Israel, while Turkey and the Arab countries described of war crimes the offensive of Israel [37] .
We believe that Israel has the right to defend itself, and they will make their own decisions about the tactics to use in that regard.
Ben Rhodes, White House Deputy National Security Counselor [37]
Israel has begun inhumane practices to once again turn the region into a sea of blood
Recep Tayyip Erdogan , Turkish Prime Minister [37]
November 18th
After attacking Gaza with fighter jets and causing numerous victims, the Israeli Defense Ministry ordered the destruction of two tunnels used by the smugglers, which were located on the Palestinian-Egyptian border and which were used to try to circumvent the blockade exercised on Gaza since 2007 . They subsequently proceeded to destroy various media offices, injuring several journalists. The Israel Defense Forces told the BBCwho knew that foreign media were in at least one of the buildings that were attacked in Gaza, but claim that they were not the target of the bombing. Several journalists accused the Israelis of deliberately attacking the media, for the bombings of four buildings that are exclusively for the use of reporters since 2000 . [38]
Israeli planes fired near the home of Marwan Issa , [39] one of the leaders of the Hamas armed wing.
British Prime Minister David Cameron , in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called for doing “everything possible” to end the crisis in Gaza. Meanwhile the negotiations to reach a ceasefire, held in Cairo failed after Hamas demanded Israel lift the embargo imposed on the Palestinian enclave in recent years. They also demanded that Tel Aviv stop eliminating its leaders and military chiefs. Israeli representatives rejected those demands, saying they were not interested in an interim agreement but rather firm guarantees that Gaza’s militias will stop firing rockets at Israel. [40]
November 19th
Israeli air strikes indiscriminately hit the children of Gaza.
In an airstrike on the city of Rafah , three people were killed, according to information from the Palestinian media. The victims were a 60-year-old woman, a 20-year-old young man and an unidentified person. While the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of Israel confirmed that the house of the Palestinian family Mohammed a-Dallo was attacked “by technical error” instead of the home of one of the military leaders of Hamas, Yihya Abiya . [41]As a result of this bombing, 12 people died, 10 of them are members of the same family and their 2 neighbors. While as part of its strategy to reduce the infrastructure of the Palestinian government, the headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Gaza City were bombed by Israeli air forces in the early hours of the 19th, causing a huge explosion and leaving the building engulfed in flames. [42]
After a rocket launched from Gaza hit the Israeli city of Eliat, Economy Minister Yuhal Steinitz confirmed in a radio interview that Israel will give a 36-hour ultimatum to the Islamist organization Hamas to stop its attacks. Otherwise, if the Islamist organization does not stop launching projectiles against the territory of Israel, “the Hebrew country will intensify its offensive.” [43] While the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Lariyani, urges the countries of the region to send troops and weapons to the Palestinians to counter Israel’s offensive against Gaza, instead of using them to confront Muslims in Syria. [44]
The Islamic countries must help our brothers, do not forget that the United States helps Israel with weapons ”
Ali Laryani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament [45]
Russia joined in condemning the events through a statement from the Foreign Ministry [46] :
Moscow considers it essential that the military confrontation be stopped immediately. We urge the parties involved to avoid new victims and to put an end to all armed actions. We reiterate our position on the unacceptable nature of the attacks on the territory of Israel and the disproportionate attacks [by Tel Aviv] against the Gaza Strip, which affect innocent civilians.
For his part, the Secretary General of NATO , the Danish Anders Fogh Rasmussen , said that Israel “has the right to defend itself from attacks on its territory”, although he asked the Government for “moderation” in his response.
November 20
Firefighters extinguishing the fire at the National Islamic Bank of Gaza .
The first war maneuver by the Zionist army was an attack on the government headquarters in Gaza. Later, two missiles destroyed the offices of the National Islamic Bank of Gaza , an entity run by Hamas to pay the salaries of 35,000 public workers. [47]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his negotiations with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton , held at the East Asia summit, presents an initiative to promote a ceasefire. It proposes to urgently convene a meeting of the quartet of international mediators for the Middle East , due to the worsening of the crisis between Israel and Palestine . [48]
Russia also submitted a draft resolution to the Security Council , asking the Council to express its “strong concern over a dangerous escalation and sharp deterioration of the situation in and around Gaza, in particular over the serious civilian casualties and deterioration. of the humanitarian situation. Furthermore, to emphasize that civilian peoples, both the Palestinian and the Israeli, must be protected. ” The text of the document prepared for the vote did not contain direct accusations neither against the Palestinians, nor against the Israelis. [49]
Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, expressed hope that the request would not be blocked at the initiative of one of the 15 countries, without mentioning any names for diplomatic reasons. At the same time, he reproached the members of the Security Council for delaying the adoption of the communiqué. US diplomats blocked the approval of a Security Council statement presented by Morocco , stating that the text did not address the main cause of the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. [fifty]
After the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon , announced in Cairo that he was calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israeli ministers decided to postpone the start of a land invasion of the Gaza Strip to give action a chance. diplomats led by Egypt . [51] Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan accuses Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.
Coinciding with Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Jerusalem , Hamas fires a long-range missile against that city. The missile has landed in the Palestinian area near the city of Bethlehem and the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. [52]
November 21
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on November 21 his decision to “accept” a ceasefire on the recommendation of US President Barack Obama . [8] Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would take effect at 19:00 GMT. The Zionist government did not lift the blockade on Gaza and continued with air strikes on the Strip. [8]
The Egyptian newspaper “Al Ahram” cited the main points of the truce agreed by Israel and Hamas, where each party agrees to renounce operations and maneuvers that break the agreement: [53]
- Israel must stop all hostile operations towards the Gaza Strip both by land, sea and air. This includes targeted attacks against people.
- Palestinian groups must end all hostilities against Israel launched from the Gaza Strip, including rocket fire and attacks on the border.
- Within the 24 hours following the entry into force of the truce, border crossings must be opened and the crossing of people and goods allowed. Limiting the freedom of movement of people or attacking them at the border is prohibited.
- Egypt will receive guarantees that both parties will abide by the agreement.
