December 2008 air strikes in the Gaza Strip

Israeli started airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on December 27, 2008, at 11:30 local time, and announced a "unilateral ceasefire" on the evening of January 17, 2009, after three weeks of all-out military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.[1]

War in Gaza
Gaza Strip in Palestine (red region)

The battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is part of the conflict between the Arabs and Israel that lasted from December 27, 2008 to January 17, 2009. In Israel, it is known as Operation Cast Lead, and among Arabs, it is called the Gaza Massacre (Arabic: مجزرة غازة).[2] Since the first day of the battle ended with the highest number of Palestinian dead and wounded, because this incident was unprecedented since 1948, this day became known as Black Saturday killing day among some Arabs.[2]

The battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza started shortly after the end of the six-month agreement that was signed between Israel and Hamas and 12 militant groups. According to that agreement, Hamas and Israel had committed to refrain from launching armed operations against each other's territory. During these six months, Israel accused Hamas of breaching the agreement for firing rockets towards its territory, and Hamas accused Israel of breaching the agreement for continuing the economic and fuel blockade of Gaza.[3][4][5]

Start of operation

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Israel started these attacks on December 27, 2008, at 11:30 local time, and announced a "unilateral ceasefire" on the evening of January 17, 2009, after three weeks of all-out military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.[1] Israel has refused to reopen the crossings of the Gaza Strip after announcing the ceasefire, and as a result, the reconstruction of the ruins of this area has not been carried out. Israel has cited the reason for this siege to prevent more weapons from entering the region. After the announcement of the ceasefire, sporadic clashes between the parties have been reported from time to time.[6]

Casualties

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According to the Israeli army, the number of Israeli casualties up to the 19th day of the war included 3 civilians and 10 soldiers.[7] There is a difference of opinion regarding the number of Palestinians killed, and due to Israel not allowing international journalists to enter Gaza, it is not possible to independently verify the number of casualties and injuries.[8] According to the estimates of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of Palestinians killed varies between 1314 and 1434.[9][10] The war in Gaza caused many damages to the industrial, economic and health infrastructure of the Gaza Strip.[11]

Violation of human rights

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During the war, the United Nations Human Rights Council in a resolution accused Israel of "gross violations of human rights". The report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Committee, prepared by Richard Goldstone, accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes. Israel's war crimes included the use of white phosphorus to attack the buildings of the IDP Relief Agency, the targeting of al-Quds Hospital, and the attack on Al-Vafa Hospital.[2][12][13][14]

The groundwork for the Gaza war in 2022

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The Air strikes in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 became the basis for subsequent conflicts. The 2022 Gaza–Israel clashes is a battle between Israel and the jihadist forces of the Gaza Strip led by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement. After the assassination of the prominent commander of the Al-Quds Brigades, Tayseer al-Jabari, by the Israeli army on August 5, 2022,[15] the Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched successive and intense rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns,[16][17] which triggered the war.[18][19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "اسرائیل در غزه آتش بس اعلام کرد" [Israel announced a ceasefire in Gaza] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "در مورد جنگ غزه" [About the Gaza war] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  3. ^ "چرا اسرائیل تهدیدی جدی علیه امنیت جهانی است؟" [Why is Israel a serious threat to global security?] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ^ "ﭘﯿﺎﻣﺪﻫﺎي زﯾﺴﺖ ﻣﺤﯿﻄﯽ ﺟﻨﮓ ۲۲ روزه ﻏﺰه در ﺳﺎل ۲۰۰۸" [The environmental consequences of the 22-day war in Gaza in 2008] (PDF) (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  5. ^ "محاصره نوار غزه" [Siege of the Gaza Strip] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. ^ "جنگ‌هایی که هیچ گاه از یاد سربازان اسرائیلی نخواهد رفت" [The wars that will never be forgotten by Israeli soldiers] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  7. ^ "افزایش تلاش برای برقراری آتش بس در غزه" [Increasing efforts to establish a ceasefire in Gaza] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  8. ^ "شمار کشته‌ها در غزه به بیش از هزار نفر رسید" [The number of dead in Gaza reached more than a thousand people] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Rights group: IDF killed 16 medical workers during Gaza war" [گروه حقوق بشر: ارتش اسرائیل ۱۶ کارمند پزشکی را در جریان جنگ غزه کشت]. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Counting casualties of Gaza's war" [شمارش تلفات جنگ غزه]. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Press release" [بیانیه مطبوعاتی] (PDF). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  12. ^ "انتشار گزارش کمیسیون تحقیق شورای حقوق بشر ملل متحد راجع به غزه" [Publication of the report of the Commission of Inquiry of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Gaza] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  13. ^ "کمیته حقیقت یاب سازمان ملل متحد اعلام کرد: جنایت ضد بشری در جنگ غزه" [The UN fact-finding committee announced: Crime against humanity in the Gaza war] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  14. ^ "رژیم صهیونیستی اسرائیل ناقض حقوق بشر" [The Zionist regime of Israel violates human rights] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Israeli strikes in Gaza kill senior militant leader, at least 9 others" [حملات اسرائیل در غزه یک رهبر ارشد شبه نظامی، و دست کم ۹ تن دیگر را کشت]. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Operation Breaking Dawn was a tactical success, but won't be last round of fighting" [عملیات Breaking Dawn یک موفقیت تاکتیکی بود، اما آخرین دور نبرد نخواهد بود]. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Israel and Palestinian militants declare Gaza truce" [اسرائیل و مبارزان فلسطینی آتش بس در غزه اعلام کردند]. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  18. ^ "حال این روزهای جهان‌ خوب نیست..." [The world is not good these days...] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  19. ^ "جنگ غزه ۲۰۲۲" [Gaza war 2022] (in Persian). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
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