Israel-Palestine War 2008-2009

Background
The Gaza Strip has been separated from Israel by the IsraelGaza barrier since 1996,
which has helped reduce infiltration into Israel. Since the beginning of the Second Intifada,
Gazans are no longer permitted to enter Israel for work purposes. Special permits to enter
Israel for medical purposes have also been greatly reduced, which has made travel for
Palestinians a difficult task1.
Since the Palestinian legislative election, 2006, Israel has been negotiating with Mahmoud
Abbas and the PLO, but has been simultaneously targeting and bombing Hamas activists
and militants and arresting Hamas's elected legislative counsel politicians2.
When the Islamic party Hamas won the January 2006 Palestinian legislative election,
gaining a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, the conflict between
Israel and Gaza intensified. Israel sealed its border with the Gaza Strip, largely preventing
free flow of people and many imports and exports. Palestinians have been shooting
Qassam rockets at Israeli settlements located near the Gaza borders, and have staged
cross-border raids aimed at killing or capturing Israeli soldiers.
In June 2007, internal fighting broke out between Hamas and Fatah and Hamas fully
consolidated its power by staging an armed coup d'tat and taking control of the Gaza
Strip. Following the internecine fighting that occurred between 7 and 15 June 2007, also
known as the Battle of Gaza 2007 in which 118 Palestinians were killed and over 550 were
wounded3, the entire Gaza Strip came under full control of a Hamas government.
As a response to the Hamas takeover, Israel sharply restricted the flow of people and
goods into and out of Gaza. About 70% of Gaza's workforces have become unemployed or
without pay, and about 80% of its residents live in poverty.
Since Hamas' takeover, Palestinian armed groups in Gaza and Israel continued to clash.
Palestinian armed groups have fired rockets into Israel, killing Israeli civilians, including
children, and wounding others, as well as causing damage to infrastructure; and Israel
have launched attacks, and shelled Gaza with artillery, killing Palestinian combatants as
well as civilians, including children, and causing devastating damage to infrastructure.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Palestinian deliberate attacks against civilians
1www.btselem.org. (2008). Restriction of movement. . [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.btselem.org/freedom_of_movement/checkpoints_and_forbidden_roads..
[Last Accessed 28 october 2014].

2www.wikipedia.com. (2008). Israel and Gaza Conflict. . [ONLINE] Available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza%E2%80%93Israel_conflict. [Last Accessed 28 october
2014].

3 Idem.

violate international humanitarian law. Because Hamas exercises power inside Gaza, it is
responsible for stopping unlawful attacks even when carried out by other groups4.
Causes
Broadly, this conflict appears in biblical times, however the most important causes to
generated the conflict between Palestinians and Jewish, it is when Theodore Herzl in 1891
the founder of Zionist- began to get the idea of their own Jewish State, and this place is
the currently zone of Jerusalem and its surroundings because the history shows this place
is the beginning of their religion.But in the same way, it zone is the beginning of Arab
religion, besides they have been to longer time than the Jews in that place even in
contemporary age since empire ottoman to the English protectorate.
After these two world wars, the Jews genocide, many Jews have influenced the
government: United States and United Kingdom to try to get their own Jewish State and as
result, the United Nations make the resolution 181 it determined the following: Palestine
was thus divided into 3 parts: a Jewish part, a Palestinian part and an internationally
administered zone to include the city of Jerusalem as a Corpus Separatum to be
administered by the United Nations5
But the immediate cause of Gaza War since 2008 to 2010 isthe following context: Hamas
won a surprise victory in Palestinian elections in early 2006 but has since been engaged in
an intermittently violent power struggle with Fatah. Hamas, an Islamic organization, rose to
prominence in Gaza during two Palestinian uprisings and refuses to recognize or negotiate
with Israel. Fatah, a secular political grouping headed by Mr Abbas, ran the Palestinian
Authority until 2006 and officially recognizes Israel6.
Development of conflict
GAZA WAR TIMELINE7
Date
Details

4 Human Rigths Watch. (2008). Human Rights Watch written statement on Gaza to the

UN
Human
Rights
Council.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/01/21/human-rights-watch-written-statement-gazaun-human-rights-counci. [Last Accessed 28 october 2014].

5Lets We Forget (2010). Resolution 181: The Partition Resolution of 29 November 1947. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.1948.org.uk/un-resolution-181/. [Last Accessed 7 November 2014].

6BBC (2007). Hamas takes full control of Gaza. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6755299.stm. [Last Accessed 07 november 2014].

7Copyright 2010 Jerusalem Media & Communications Center, available in

http://www.jmcc.org/fastfactspag.aspx?tname=73

Juny,
2007
27
February,
2008
4 March
2008
19 June
4
Novembe
r 2008
WEEK 1
(Dec. 27,
2008

Jan.
2,
2009)
WEEK 2
(Jan. 3
Jan.
7,
2009)

WEEK 3
(Jan. 8
Jan.
13,
2009)
FINAL
WEEK
(Jan. 15
Jan.
18,
2009)

Hamas took over control Gaza Strip

The Operation, called, Hot Winter began

The end of Hot Winter Operation

A little time of relative peace

Dec. 27 More than 50 Israeli war planes fire missiles at numerous areas of
the Gaza Strip. Targets include police headquarters of Hamas leadership in
Gaza. Top Hamas leader Sheikh NizarRayyan is assassinated.
During the week, white phosphorus bombs are used by Israeli military for first
time during attempts to occupy Jabbal al-Rais, east of Gaza city.
Second phase of war starts with deployment of ground forces. Israeli troops
undertake intensive shelling of northern Gaza. Residential buildings come
under fire. Palestinian death toll at this stage is estimated at 700, with 3,000
wounded. Rockets attacks against Israel continue. Approximately 100 rockets
are launched to target Israel during this week. Israeli forces enter BeitLahia,
while residents evacuate. Fierce battles take place between the army and
Palestinian fighters. Three Israeli soldiers are killed.
Jan. 7 Israeli shelling of an UNRWA school sheltering civilians kills 45
Palestinians. An additional 55 injuries are reported. Meanwhile, the UN
Security Council fails to adopt a ceasefire resolution.
Jan. 8 UN Security Council adopts resolution 1,860. Meanwhile intense
fighting continues between Palestinian factions and Israeli forces. Death toll
reaches 1,033 Palestinians with 4,850 wounded. Casualties include 330
children and 80 women. As many as 560 rockets are launched on Israel,
including 90 grad missiles.
Jan. 15 Israeli army assassinates Hamas interior minister Said Siam, along
with his brother, a commander in IzzedinQassam brigades. Meanwhile,
Egyptian mediation efforts succeed in convincing Hamas delegation to travel
to Cairo.
Jan. 16 Gaza Strip experiences the most violent shelling since start of war.
Northern BeitLahia is heavily targeted.
Jan. 17 Israel announces unilateral ceasefire. Palestinian factions agree to
ceasefire and demand Israeli forces to withdraw in a weeks time.
Jan. 18 Israeli troops begin to withdraw. Death toll reaches 1,330.

Consequences
3

The consequences of the conflict were as varied as the nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict in
which it is framed. The main consequences derived from damage both in the Gaza Strip
and in southern Israel as a result of the increase in hostilities during the conflict; the
number and the nature of the victims produced, mainly on the Palestinian side; the
accusations by various international organizations on both sides by the possible
Commission of crimes of war and use of prohibited weaponry during the war; the situation
in which were both the Gaza Strip and southern Israel after the offensive; the resumption
in the rhythm of rocket launch from the coastal strip into Israeli territory and attacks carried
out by the Hebrew army in Gaza following the complete withdrawal of the Israeli troops on
January 21, 2009; and the different diplomatic and political consequences that resulted
from the conflict; In addition to the work of reconstruction of Gaza, altered because of the
political situation in which is located the coastal territory after the conflict.8
Aerial attacks perpetuated over the years than hard this confrontation, left thousands of
wounded and dead; in a single attack by Israel, killed 225 and left more than 700 people. 9
The Governments of Qatar and Mauritania announced the suspended diplomatic relations
with Israel as a way to protest over the conflict in the Gaza Strip and exert pressure for an
end to the conflict. Palestine (Hamas) is unable to establish relations diplomatic with
Israel's allies on the other hand creates a climate of tension among the involved10
The military power of Hamas was seriously damaged during the Israeli offensive. Dozens
of stores of weapons of the Islamist organization were destroyed, and according to the
Israeli army estimates, 500 militiamen died from bombing and fighting11.
Overall, in the two years that followed the imposition of the blockade (15 June 2007 - 15
June 2009), a total of 2,008 Palestinians were killed and approximately 6,700 people were
injured12. This statistic involve the whole conflict
8 Consecuencias del conflicto de la Franja de Gaza de 2008-2009
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecuencias_del_conflicto_de_la_Franja_de_Gaza_de_2008-2009

9 27 de diciembre 2008. El Pas Internacional,

http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2008/12/27/actualidad/1230332407_850215.html

1016 Ene. DOHA, (EUROPA PRESS) http://www.europapress.es/internacional/noticia-qatar-mauritaniaanuncian-suspension-relaciones-israel-20090116163934.html

11

Yet. News. Com. IDF: Hamas forced us to act

Greenberghttp://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3658907,00.html

in

civilian

areas.

Hanan

12United Nations (April 2009). LOCKED IN: THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF TWO YEARS OF
BLOCKADE ON THE GAZA STRIP. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_impact_of_two_years_of_blockade_august_2009_english.
pdf. [Last Accessed 7 November 2014].

The reported number of Palestinian fatalities during "Cast Lead" ranges from 1,116 (IDF)
to 1,455 (Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza). Based on the cross-checking of multiple
fatality lists, OCHA has identified the records of 1,383 Palestinians, including 333 children
whose death was confirmed by at least two independent sources; a significant proportion
of these fatalities were civilians not involved in the hostilities13.
More than 20,000 displaced people are forced to continue living in rented apartments, in
the houses of relatives and in tents next to their damaged houses14.
Economic Damage on Palestine

Source:
United
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_impact_of_two_years_of_blockade_august_2009_english.pdf

Nations,

The lack of essential imports, including raw materials, coupled with the ban on exports,
has decimated economic activity in the private sector and resulted in the loss of

13 Idem
14Idem

approximately 120,000 jobs. Over 40 percent of Gaza's workforce, or more than 140,000
people, are currently unemployed15.
A comprehensive survey performed by the Gaza Private Sector Council indicates that 268
establishments were totally destroyed and 432 sustained damage, resulting in a combined
loss estimated at US $139 million16
In addition, the most recent Israeli military operation resulted in the widespread loss of
productive agricultural assets with an estimated direct loss of USD 180 million17
Consequences on Israel
In the same period, a total of 25 Israelis were killed and 586 were injured inside Gaza and
in towns in southern Israel18.
Conclusion
Israel and Palestine have been in constant clashes throughout history, one of the most
recent and bloody conflicts between the two, it is the one developed in the previous pages,
which took place in the period 2008-2009. As a group we can conclude, that it is necessary
for the international community to make relevant efforts to contribute to generate a
dialogue of peace between the two sides that may lead to the creation of a peace
agreement, which has become so necessary between Israel and Palestine. We believe
that it is of great importance that institutions like the United Nations, through the
Commission on human rights, become vigilantes of the human rights of the civilian
population of both parties involved, in order to avoid events that occurred between 2008
and 2009, in which affected children, girls, women, young and innocent and civilian adults
were.

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Summary Essay
Israel-Palestine War 2008-2009
The man is not wise to resolve all conflicts with the weapons of the mind, not the
physical. (Werner Braun). Conflict Israel-Palestine goes back many years a following, so
far have existed various conflicts with areas of high fire, but without even agreement that
ensures peace in between the two States.The purpose of this essay is to explain the
backgrounds, develop and consequences in Gaza war: 2008-2010.
First, the background of Gaza War: 2008-2010 in the point of view of both countries. In the
case of
Palestinian legislative election, 2006 victory, Hamas assumed administrative
control of Gaza, consolidating this control after a military conflict with Fatah. Israel and
Egypt then partially sealed their border crossings with Gaza, on the grounds that Fatah
was no longer providing security. They imposed a blocked on the territory, prohibiting many
exports and allowing only enough imported goods to avert a humanitarian or health crisis.
After many acts of violence, foreign journalists left the Gaza strip due to the lack of security
in the zone. As a result of the June 2007 tightening of the Israeli embargo on Gaza Hamas
and other Palestinian paramilitias more than doubled the monthly number of Qassam
rockets and mortars fired from the Gaza strip into Southern Israel. Israel conducted
airstrikes and raids against Hamas and other targets in Gaza during 2007 and 2008.
Second, the actions carried out by Israel and Palestine during the conflict are varied but
include: the deployment of Israeli troops and Hamas rocket. The deployment of Israeli
troops, were part of the second phase of the conflict. Israeli troops begin an intensive
bombardment of northern Gaza, which caused destruction of buildings, entire homes were
under fire. It estimates that this stage of the conflict leave 700 wounded. The launch of
rockets by Hamas, were a response to attacks Israelis, Palestinians used powerful rockets
that came to affect cities Israeli Ashkelon and Ashdod, causing severe damage.
As result, the Gaza War in both countries have several damages on people and the
economy. In Palestine around 1300 people have died since the outbreak of hostilities
between Hamas and the Israeli army, Palestinians death: bleeding, mutilated, crushed and
executed by the army of Israel; also inside this statistics, about 300 children who have died
from this war - it shows that many people are not Hamas fighters - or just was their lucky
day and they were part of more than 6,000 Palestinians injured, Palestinians still are living
have not little chance to go to a hospital, buy medicine or find food, because even after
that they have been hearing, seeing and feeling like Israel planes, tanks and troops have
destroyed their environment, yet Israel decided to keep the blockade of humanitarian
needs. All Israeli weapons have caused damage to the Palestinian economy, about 300
million dollars per year, the fishermen have seen as Israeli navy prevented from going
beyond 3 nautical miles and farmersremind the tanks smashed their crops and
irrigation.However the damage to Israel that the Palestinians are less damage, about 25
people, in the economy the damage is shared by Jews Citizens.
7

In summary, the backgrounds, develop and consequences about Gaza war: 2008-2010
was a result of the previous tensions among Palestinian forces (Hammas and Al Fatah)
and Israel, where each part wants to exert control over the Gaza Strip. The constantly
attacks by Palestinian factions mainly by Hammas radical groups after they won the
legislative elections and the internal fighting between Al Fatah and Hammas where this
second group takeover the control over this zone and continue with the provokes against
Israel settlements near of the Gaza strip provokes that Israel answer this threatens with
airstrikes and ground incursions. As a result of these confrontations many Gazans died
nearly 118 others 550 were wounded and thousands were displaced from their homes.
The conflict solution was the Israel withdrawn from the Gaza strip of unilateral way, and the
rising of a barrier to limit the access of Gazans into Israel, this action intensified getting
more discontent by Gazan authority, stating so a new conflict had