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| Operation Cast Lead | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict | |||||
 Area of the conflict | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Israel (IDF) |
 Hamas | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Gabi Ashkenazi Yoav Galant |
Khaled Meshaal Ismail Haniyeh Mahmoud az-Zahar Ahmed Jabari | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 1 civilian killed and 6 injured |
205 killed (at least 140 Hamas militants) 400 wounded. | ||||
| Second Intifada | |
|---|---|
Lists |
Operation Cast Lead (Template:Lang-he) is a Israeli air strike operation launched on December 27 at 11:30 AM (IST), in order to destroy Hamas military capacities. Launched during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, it was codenamed after a Hanukkah poem by Haim Nachman Bialik referring to a "dreidel cast from solid lead".
Using F-16 bombers Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza that killed at least 205 and wounded around 400 in answer to the Qassam rocket attacks on southern Israel the past days. About 140 of the dead are Hamas militants, according to Hamas officials, including police chief Tawfiq Jabber and the head of Hamas's security and protection unit.
60 Israeli planes targeted Hamas security and training compounds, as well as weapon storage buildings, and dropped more than 100 tons of bombs.
Gaza militants fired 70 rockets and mortars in response of the air offensive. A missile hit the town of Netivot, killing an Israeli man and wounding six other people.
International reactions
United Nations Ban-ki Moon called for "an immediate halt to all violence" in the Gaza Strip
Egypt condemned the attacks and opened up the Rafah Border Crossing to allow the wounded into Egyptian hospitals. Egypt also deployed 500 anti-riot police along the border.
Syria also condemned the acts, calling them a "heinous crime and convicted terrorist act." In al-Yarmouk camp, outside Damascus, dozens of Palestinian protesters vowed to continue fighting Israel.
In Jordan, several hundred Jordanians protested outside a U.N. complex in the capital Amman.
In Lebanon, dozens of youths set fire to tires in Ein Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp.
The United States condemned Hamas, saying that "Hamas' continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop," but also urging "Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza."
References
- Harel, Amos (2008-12-27). "ANALYSIS / IAF strike on Gaza is Israel's version of 'shock and awe'". Ha'aretz. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- AP (2008-12-26). "'All police HQs in Gaza destroyed'". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- "Massive Israeli air raids on Gaza". BBC. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "Egypt slams Israeli 'murder' in Gaza, summons ambassador". AFP. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "Israel launches major Gaza air operation". JTA. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- Aboualouf, Rushdi (2008-12-27). "Eyewitness: Chaos in Gaza". BBC. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ El-Khodary, Taghreed (2008-12-27). "Israeli attack kills scores across Gaza". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Black, Ian (2008-12-27). "Israel's hammer blow in Gaza". Guardian. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- Reaction in Quotes BBC News
- Sood, Manish (2008-12-27). "Arab and Islamic leaders condemn deadly raids on Gaza". Topnews. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- "Syria condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza as "heinous crime"". Xinhua. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- "U.S. Condemns Hamas in Midst of Israeli Strikes". FOX. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-27.