Nadene Goldfoot
After 1982, Israel fought major wars, long-term insurgencies, and multiple military operations against regional states, militias, and Palestinian groups: Gaza remained under Egyptian rule according to Armistice Agreement of 1949. It was in focus in 1955. Bv November 1956 it was captured by Israel forces in Sinai Operation. The 1967 census had 352,260 in the Gaza Strip of which 172,520 were refugees.
First Intifada (1987–1993):GAZA A widespread Palestinian grass-roots uprising and stone-throwing revolt in the West Bank and Gaza Strip against Israeli rule. First Intifada, a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli military occupation. The Trigger: On December 8–9, 1987, an Israeli military/truck driver collided with cars at the Erez checkpoint/Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, killing four Palestinian workers. Leaders had been brewing and led the charge; Leadership: Grassroots movements organized under the clandestine United National Leadership of the Intifada (UNLU), alongside factions like Fatah, the PFLP, DFLP, and the emergence of Hamas."Iron Fist" Policy: Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Israeli military responded with curfews, mass arrests, tear gas, live ammunition, and harsh suppression tactics. Over 1,000 to 1,162+ Palestinians (including hundreds of children) were killed by Israeli forces.; numbers provided hy Palestinians blown up, : Roughly 179 to 200+ Israelis (civilians and soldiers) were killed.; Tens of thousands of Palestinians were injured and over 100,000 imprisoned. A political Outcome from high numhers were : Madrid Conference (1991): International pressure and changing geopolitics brought Israeli and Arab/Palestinian delegations to a peace conference in Madrid. and finally, the Oslo Accords (1993): Secret talks in Norway culminated in the signing of the Declaration of Principles on September 13, 1993, by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), establishing mutual recognition and setting up the Palestinian Authority. However, not waiting was:
The Gulf War (1991): Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel; Israel stayed out of the active combat coalition under U.S. pressure while receiving Patriot missile defense support.
South Lebanon Conflict LEBANON (1985–2000): Happening at the same time and continuing; A prolonged 18-year guerrilla war in southern Lebanon between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Iran-backed Hezbollah/Amal fighters, ending with Israel's unilateral withdrawal in May 2000.
Second Intifada (2000–2005):JUDEA/SAMARIA: A non stop war with Hezbollah; A intense period of armed Palestinian uprisings, suicide bombings, and urban combat (including Operation Defensive Shield in 2002).Operation Defensive Shield was a major military offensive launched by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the West Bank from March 29 to May 10, 2002, during the Second Intifada. Trigger: The immediate catalyst was the March 27, 2002, suicide bombing at the Park Hotel in Netanya, which killed 30 Israeli civilians during a Passover Seder.Objectives: The IDF aimed to dismantle Palestinian militant and terrorist infrastructure, arrest or neutralize combatants and dispatchers, seize hidden weapons, and respond to a surge of suicide attacks .Locations: Operations focused across major West Bank population centers, including Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, and heavy urban fighting in Jenin.
Second Lebanon War (2006): LEBANON-HEZBOLLAH: A 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon following cross-border raids, ending in a stalemate/ceasefire. The Second Lebanon War was a 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that lasted from July 12 to August 14, 2006. Hezbollah launched a cross-border raid from Lebanon into Israel, killing several Israeli soldiers and abducting two reservists, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Israel's Response: Israel launched extensive air strikes, naval bombardments, and a ground offensive (Operation Change of Direction) into southern Lebanon to free the soldiers and stop rocket fire. Hezbollah's Actions: Hezbollah fired roughly 4,000 Katyusha rockets into northern Israeli population centers. The conflict ended under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ordered a ceasefire, the disarmament of militias in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers. Casualties & Impact: Israel: 121 IDF soldiers and 43 to 44 civilians were killed; around 300,000 to 400,000 Israelis were displaced. Lebanon: Over 1,000 Lebanese were killed and approximately 800,000 to 1,000,000 were displaced. (A big difference in casualties is that in Israel, most people have bomb shelters they are to get to while in Lebanon, it is doubtful if any people have bomb shelters.)
*** Israel–Hamas War GAZA-HEZBOLLAH-HOUTHIS-IRAN (2023–Present): Triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, leading to a full-scale ground and air campaign in Gaza alongside multi-front hostilities with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and direct exchanges with Iran.
On October 7, 2023, the outdoor dancing event in Israel was the Supernova Sukkot Gathering (often called the Nova Music Festival) The event was a large outdoor trance music rave organized to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot as well as Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah, a festival traditionally associated with joy, community, and dancing. Thousands of young people gathered near Kibbutz Re'im in the Western Negev desert, close to the Gaza border, to dance through the night and welcome the sunrise. The celebration was abruptly cut short at 6:29 AM when Hamas launched a massive rocket barrage followed by a cross-border terrorist attack, killing over 360 festivalgoers and abducting dozens of others.
Israel launched numerous significant air and ground campaigns against militant factions in THE GAZA STRIP. BUT LET'S US GO BACK TO 2008.
- Operation Cast Lead (2008–2009) GAZA-HAMAS Dates: December 27, 2008 – January 18, 2009 (ending with unilateral ceasefires). (also known as the First Gaza War or the Gaza Massacre) was a 22-day military conflict fought between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian armed groups (led by Hamas) in the Gaza Strip from December 27, 2008, to January 18, 2009.
- Stated Objective: Stated Israeli Objective: To stop ongoing rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel and curb weapons smuggling. Israel aimed to halt rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel and degrade Hamas's military and governing infrastructure. Phase 1: Intensive air and naval strikes starting December 27, 2008, targeting Hamas facilities, police stations, tunnels, and rocket launch sites. Phase 2: A ground invasion launched by the IDF on January 3, 2009. Began with an intensive 7-day aerial, artillery, and naval bombardment campaign targeting Hamas infrastructure, government buildings, police stations, and launch sites. Expanded into a ground invasion by IDF troops on January 3, 2009, Conclusion: Israel and Hamas declared unilateral ceasefires on January 18, 2009.
- Operation Pillar of Defense (2012) GAZA-HAMAS Operation Pillar of Defense was an eight-day military campaign launched by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip from November 14 to November 21, 2012.Start Date: November 14, 2012 (initiated with an airstrike that killed Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari) PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To stop cross-border rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and degrade the military capabilities of Hamas and other militant groups. End Date: November 21, 2012 (following an Egypt- and U.S.-brokered ceasefire).
Biggest Hamas tunnel discovered by IDF; Big enough to drive a large vehicle through, tunnels like this are 'one of the main reasons why war is still going on' - Operation Protective Edge (2014) GAZA-HAMAS was a 50-day military campaign launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip from July 8 to August 26, 2014. Triggers: Escalating cross-border projectile fire and the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. Three Israeli teenagers—Eyal Yifrach (19), Gilad Shaer (16), and Naftali Frenkel (16)—were kidnapped and murdered in the West Bank in June 2014 Stated Israeli Objectives: Stop ongoing rocket and mortar attacks by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza, and destroy their network of cross-border infiltration and assault tunnels. End Date: August 26, 2014, following an Egyptian-brokered unconditional ceasefire.
- Operation Guardian of the Walls (2021) GAZA-HAMAS-JERUSALEM Operation Guardian of the Walls was an 11-day military campaign launched by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip from May 10 to May 21, 2021. Escalating tensions in Jerusalem, clashes on the Temple Mount, threats regarding the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and subsequent rocket fire toward Jerusalem by Hamas on May 10. Hamas termed their side of the action the "Sword of Jerusalem". Rocket Attacks from Gaza: Hamas and the PIJ fired over 4,360 to 4,400 rockets and mortar shells toward Israeli population centers (including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem). Roughly 680 misfired and landed inside Gaza, while Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system intercepted about 90% of the rockets that crossed into Israeli airspace. IDF Response: The IDF carried out extensive airstrikes and naval/artillery bombardments, targeting over 1,500 military and-terror sites in Gaza. This included destroying over 100 kilometers of Hamas's underground tunnel network ("the Metro"), rocket-manufacturing workshops, command hubs, and launch sites.CASUALTIES: In Israel: 13 people were killed (12 civilians, including children and foreign workers, and 1 IDF soldier). In Gaza: According to the Gaza Health Ministry and IDF reports, over 200 to 248 Palestinians were killed, including senior military commanders from Hamas and the PIJ alongside civilian casualties. Resolution: A mutual, unconditional ceasefire brokered by Egypt went into effect at 2:00 AM on May 21, 2021.
- Wikipedia
