Background 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict

1 background

1.1 first hamas–fatah reconciliation (2011)
1.2 november 2012 ceasefire , violations

1.2.1 violations


1.3 second hamas–fatah reconciliation
1.4 immediate events

background


histogram of palestinian rocket attacks on israel per day , start of military operation (in red), 2014

in february 2005 israel, palestinian national authority, hamas , islamic jihad committed ceasefire, according marks end second intifada. palestinian suicide bombings against israelis continued following february ceasefire, , other end-dates indeterminate end period (in 2005) have been proposed others.

concurrent second intifada, israeli prime minister ariel sharon proposed israeli disengagement gaza in 2003, approved israeli government in june 2004, , knesset in february 2005. unilateral withdrawal plan executed in august 2005 , completed in september 2005. nonetheless, icrc, un , various human rights organizations consider israel still de facto occupying power due control of gaza s borders, air space , territorial waters.

the following year (2006) hamas won majority of seats in palestinian legislative elections. outcome disconcerted israel, united states , quartet, , demanded hamas accept previous agreements, recognize israel s right exist, , renounce violence; when hamas refused, cut off aid palestinian authority. in mid-2006 israeli soldier captured hamas in cross-border raid. united states, in response fatah moves in october 2006 form unity government hamas, tried undo elections arming fatah overthrow hamas in gaza. in june 2017 hamas preempted coup attempt , took complete power force.

israel defined gaza hostile territory forming no part of sovereign state , put gaza under comprehensive economic , political blockade, denied access third of arable land , 85% of fishing areas. has led considerable economic damage , humanitarian problems in gaza. overwhelming consensus of international institutions blockade form of collective punishment , illegal. israel maintains blockade legal , necessary limit palestinian rocket attacks gaza strip on cities , prevent hamas obtaining other weapons. israel carried out operation cast lead in december 2008 stated aim of stopping rocket attacks hamas militants. led decrease in palestinian rocket attacks. un fact finding mission on gaza conflict concluded operation deliberately disproportionate attack designed punish, humiliate , terrorize civilian population, radically diminish local economic capacity both work , provide itself, , force upon ever increasing sense of dependency , vulnerability . israeli government s analysis concludes report perverts international law serve political agenda , sends legally unfounded message states everywhere confronting terrorism international law has no effective response offer them .

first hamas–fatah reconciliation (2011)

influenced in arab spring , demonstrations in ramallah , gaza, gap between hamas , fatah bridged in 2011. after palestinian president mahmoud abbas declared willingness travel gaza , sign agreement, idf killed 2 hamas activists in gaza; idf stated killings in response launching of single qassam rocket, hit no one, yedioth ahronoth s alex fishman argued premeditated escalation israel. in interview cnn, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu declared reconciliation talks calls israel s destruction, , opposed idea of unity government.

november 2012 ceasefire , violations

on 14 november 2012, israel launched operation pillar of defence in gaza strip. operation preceded period number of mutual israeli–palestinian responsive attacks. according israeli government, operation began in response launch of on 100 rockets @ israel during 24-hour period, attack gaza militants on israeli military patrol jeep within israeli borders, , explosion caused ieds, occurred near israeli soldiers, on israeli side of tunnel passing under israeli west bank barrier. israeli government stated aims of military operation halt rocket attacks against civilian targets originating gaza strip , disrupt capabilities of militant organizations. palestinians blamed israeli government upsurge in violence, accusing idf of attacks on gazan civilians in days leading operation. cited blockade of gaza strip , occupation of west bank, including east jerusalem, reason rocket attacks. week later, on 21 november, egypt brokered ceasefire conflict contained following agreements:

gaza strip: access , closure



a sculpture in sderot made rocket debris


violations

both israel , hamas argue other violated 2012 ceasefire agreement, resulting in 1 israeli , 8 gazan deaths , 5 israeli , 66 gazan injuries. according israeli security agency (shabak) there sharp decrease in attacks gaza in 2013. nevertheless, 63 rockets (average 5 per month) launched in 36 rocket attacks in addition various mortar attacks, prohibited november 2012 ceasefire. palestinian centre human rights (pchr) reported monthly israeli attacks involving drones, missiles, small arms fire , airstrikes. 6 of deaths in gaza occurred in border area s access restricted areas (aras, non-demarcated zones within gazan territory unilaterally defined israel being of restricted access), despite ceasefire s prohibition on israeli attacks on these areas. ochao, more broadly sourced data, reported 11 deaths in gaza , 81 injuries 2013.

in first 3 months after idf operation pillar of defense, according ben white, 2 mortar shells struck israeli territory, while 4 gazans shot dead , 91 wounded israeli forces fired inside gazan territory on 63 occasions, made 13 incursions strip, , attacked gazan fishing fleet 30 times. israeli attacks on gaza steadily increased during second half of 2013, notwithstanding decrease in attacks gaza.

from december 2012 late june/early july 2014, hamas did not fire rockets israel, , tried police other groups doing so. these efforts largely successful; netanyahu stated in march 2014 rocket fire in past year lowest in decade. according shabak, in first half of 2014 there 181 rocket attacks compared 55 rocket attacks in whole 2013.

as occasional rocket fire continued, blockade of gaza continued in direct violation of ceasefire agreement. crossings repeatedly shut , buffer zones reinstated. imports declined, exports blocked, , fewer gazans given exit permits israel , west bank.

israel halted construction material going gaza after stated had discovered tunnel leading israel, 300 m kibbutz. idf said third tunnel discovered year , previous 2 packed explosives.

some of weapons captured in khan yunis.

according israeli ministry of foreign affairs, there 85 rocket attacks in first 5 months of 2014. of 85 rockets fired in march, after idf killed 3 members of islamic jihad. members of pij firing rockets in response incursion israeli tanks , bulldozers gazan territory east of khan yunis area. idf said conducting routine military patrols near gaza border when came under fire, , responded airstrikes.

second hamas–fatah reconciliation

leading collapse of 2013–14 israeli–palestinian peace talks, in face of netanyahu s perceived reluctance make desired concessions, mahmoud abbas decided forge deal hamas. alliance syria , iran weakened, loss of power muslim brotherhood in egypt after coup d’ètat in egypt, , economic impact of closure of rafah tunnels abdel fattah el-sisi, on 23 april 2014, ending 7 divisive years, hamas agreed reconciliation under unity government other main palestinian faction, fatah. government accepted hamas run exclusively pna technocrats.

this palestinian unity government sworn in 2 june 2014 , israel announced not negotiate peace deal new government , push punitive measures. netanyahu took palestinian unity threat rather opportunity. on eve of agreement stated proposed reconciliation strengthen terrorism , , called on international community avoid embracing it. of outside world, including european union, russia, china, india, turkey, france , united kingdom, proved cautiously optimistic, , subsequently expressed support new arrangement. united states, more skeptical, announced continue work pna-directed unity government. israel suspended negotiations pna and, after announcement, launched airstrike, missed target , wounded family of 3 bystanders. netanyahu had warned before deal incompatible israeli–palestinian peace , abbas had choose between peace hamas , peace israel. when reconciliation deal signed, opening way appointment of new government, netanyahu chaired security cabinet voted authorise netanyahu impose unspecified sanctions against palestinian authority.

on 4 june, day before naksa day, israeli housing , construction ministry published tenders 1,500 settlement units in west bank , east jerusalem in move minister uri ariel said appropriate zionist response palestinian terror government. marwan bishara, senior political analyst @ al jazeera, alleged israel had hoped disrupt palestinian national unity government between fatah , hamas operation.

immediate events

street in ramallah after idf raid during operation brother s keeper, june 2014



factory bursts in flames after rocket attack in sderot, israel, 28 june 2014

on 12 june 2014, 3 israeli teenagers abducted in west bank: naftali fraenkel, gilad shaer, , eyal yifrah. israel blamed hamas, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu saying had unequivocal proof hamas involved , abduction linked palestinian reconciliation, , idf stated 2 men israel suspected of having kidnapped teenagers known members of hamas. no evidence of hamas involvement offered israeli authorities @ time. high-ranking members of hamas denied group had involvement in incident, , ex-shin bet chief yuval diskin doubted hamas had involvement. palestinian authority in west bank attributed abductions qawasameh clan, notorious acting against hamas s policies , attempts reach entente israel. hamas political chief khaled meshal said neither confirm nor deny kidnapping of 3 israelis, congratulated abductors. kidnappings condemned human rights organizations. documents released israel suggest hamas member hussam qawasmeh organized kidnappings $60,000 provided brother mahmoud through hamas association in gaza, after requesting support military operation . on 20 august, saleh al-arouri, exiled hamas leader based in turkey, claimed responsibility kidnapping of 3 israeli teens: our goal ignite intifada in west bank , jerusalem, within 1948 borders... brothers in al-qassam brigades carried out operation support imprisoned brothers, on hunger strike... mujahideen captured these settlers in order have swap deal. palestinian security forces said kidnappings organized saleh al-arouri. khalid meshaal, head in exile of hamas s political wing since 2004, acknowledged hamas members responsible, stated political leaders had no prior knowledge of abduction, not involved in military details , learnt of through ensuing israeli investigations. said while hamas opposed targeting civilians, understood palestinians frustrated oppression exercising legitimate right of resistance against occupation undertaking such operations. israel states idf , shin bet have foiled between 54 , 64 kidnapping plots since 2013. pa said had foiled 43 of them.

withholding evidence in possession suggesting teens had been killed until 1 july, israel launched operation brother s keeper, large-scale crackdown of called hamas s terrorist infrastructure , personnel in west bank, ostensibly aimed @ securing release of kidnapped teenagers. during operation, 11 palestinians killed , 51 wounded in 369 israeli incursions west bank through 2 july, , between 350 , 600 palestinians, including of hamas s west bank leaders, arrested. among arrested many people had been freed under terms of gilad shalit prisoner exchange. israeli military spokesman lt. col. peter lerner defended arrests, stating hamas members had carried out 60 abduction attempts on israelis in west bank in last year , half , , hamas not need give direct order. arrests yielded no information abduction. amnesty international , human rights watch stated aspects of operation amounted collective punishment, , b tselem said in press release actions have caused disproportionate harm basic rights of palestinians . during course of operation, israel said had uncovered hamas plot launch massive wave of violence throughout west bank, goal of overthrowing palestinian authority. purported coup plotters arrested , weapons stockpiles seized

on 30 june, search teams found bodies of 3 missing teenagers near hebron. after burial, anti-arab riot broke out, , palestinian teenager murdered in revenge. killing sparked arab rioting. israel police arrested 6 suspects belonging beitar jerusalem f.c. supporters group la familia , charged 3 of them murder.

as part of crackdown , concurrent rocket fire gaza, israel conducted air strikes against hamas facilities in gaza strip. hamas apparently refrained retaliating, though did not impede other factions firing rockets towards israel. 1 may 11 june, 6 rockets , 3 mortar shells launched gaza towards israel. 12 30 june 44 rockets , 3 mortar shells launched gaza. on 29 june, israeli airstrike on rocket crew killed hamas operative, while @ least 18 rockets launched gaza through next day hamas according both j.j. goldberg , assaf sharon, goldberg stating first time hamas directly launched rockets since conflict in 2012. overnight, on 30 june – 1 july, israeli airstrikes struck 34 gaza targets in officials stated response sunday rocketry, while stuart greer reported strikes revenge deaths of 3 youths. day of abductions on 12 june through 5 july 117 rockets launched gaza , there approximately 80 israeli airstrikes on gaza.

israel sought ceasefire refused accept hamas s condition palestinians arrested in west bank crackdown released. in meeting held on 2 july discuss crisis, hamas reportedly tried failed persuade armed factions in gaza uphold truce israel. following escalating rocket fire gaza, israel issued warning on 4 july able sustain militant rocket fire 24, or maximum 48, hours before undertaking major military offensive. hamas declared prepared halt rocket fire in exchange agreement israel stop airstrikes. netanyahu said israel act against further rocket attacks. on 5 july, hamas official osama hamdan said rocket fire continue until israel lifted import restrictions on gaza , palestinian authority transferred money pay hamas civil servants. between 4 , 6 july, total of 62 rockets fired gaza , iaf attacked several targets in gaza. following day, hamas assumed formal responsibility launching rocket attacks on israel. hamas increased rocket attacks on israel, , 7 july had fired 100 rockets gaza @ israeli territory; @ same time, israeli air force had bombed several sites in gaza. on 8 july, iaf bombed 50 targets in gaza strip. israel s military stopped militant infiltration sea. brigadier general moti almoz, chief spokesman of israeli military, said: have been instructed political echelon hit hamas hard. hamas insisted israel end attacks on gaza, release re-arrested during crackdown in west bank, lift blockade on gaza , return cease-fire conditions of 2012 conditions ceasefire.