Operation "Days of Penance"
| date | September 30th - October 15th, 2004 |
|---|---|
| place | Gaza Strip |
| Casus Belli | Attack on Israeli city of Sderot with Qassam rockets |
| output | Israeli victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| losses | |
|
5 killed |
104–133 dead |
"Days of Penance" (Hebrew מבצע ימי תשובה, mivza jemei chuva) is the name of a military operation by the Israeli army from September 30 to October 15, 2004 in the northern Gaza Strip .
prehistory
In the course of 2004, the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stepped up his plan for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In addition to the withdrawal of the Israeli military, this plan also envisaged the dismantling of all Jewish settlements. With the project, however, Ariel Sharon came under strong domestic political pressure. There was considerable opposition from many quarters, including in his own party (the Likud ).
In the course of 2004 there were several military actions, including a. on " Operation Rainbow " in spring. These actions were interpreted against the sketched background as
- that a strengthening of Hamas in Gaza after the withdrawal should be made as difficult as possible and
- that it should be demonstrated that Israel is withdrawing in a position of strength ( Hezbollah interpreted the withdrawal from Lebanon as Israeli weakness).
The immediate trigger for the “Days of Repentance” operation was the continued bombardment of the southern Israeli city of Sderot with Qassam rockets from the northern Gaza Strip, which claimed some lives. The day before the invasion, two small children were killed in an attack with Qassam rockets.
course
On September 30, 2004, the Israeli army marched into the northern Gaza Strip in one of the largest military operations in years. They advanced with tanks and air support into Jabaliya , where there was heavy fighting with members of Hamas . Hamas fighters killed an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint and a jogger and a paramedic in the Nisanit settlement . 25 people were killed on the first day.
In the days that followed, the fighting continued. According to Israeli media reports, 2000 soldiers and 200 tanks were deployed during the action. As of October 4, 2004, 78 people (including five Israelis) died in the fighting and many were injured. In addition to soldiers and Palestinian fighters, civilian victims were among the dead. The Israeli army also destroyed houses and plantations.
Initially, the plan was to continue the action and establish a buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip. By occupying an area almost ten kilometers wide, missile attacks should be prevented in the future. The leadership of the Israeli army assumed an operation lasting several weeks.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed to Israel to end the operation.
On October 15, the Israeli army withdrew prematurely to their starting positions.