Operation autumn clouds
Map of the Gaza Strip
| date | November 1, 2006 - November 7, 2006 |
|---|---|
| place | Gaza Strip |
| output | Israeli forces withdraw, conflict continues |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
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| Commander | |
| losses | |
|
1 soldier killed |
80+ killed |
Operation Autumn Clouds ( Hebrew מבצע ענני סתיו Miwtza Ananei Staw ) is the code name for an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip that began on October 31, 2006.
prehistory
At the end of June 2006 the Israeli Armed Forces (Tzahal) occupied the Gaza Strip again after the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants . Israel stated that it wanted to free Shalit through this. The Israeli army did not achieve this goal and ended Operation Summer Rain during the 2006 Lebanon War . The ruling Hamas only wants to release Schalit as part of a prisoner exchange. Hamas makes it a condition that about 1,200 Palestinian prisoners must first be released in Israeli prisons before Schalit can be released. Israel refuses to negotiate and demands the release of Shalit without any preconditions, but in return is ready to negotiate the release of the Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
However, there have been reports that indirect negotiations are under way through Egypt's mediation . Representatives of the Palestinian People's Resistance Committee had indicated that the conclusion of negotiations with the Shalit exchange would be a matter of "days". Progress in the negotiations was also confirmed by a Hamas spokesman, but according to Usama al-Muzaini, the exchange was not imminent at the time.
The negotiations also took place against the background of growing tensions between the Fatah movement of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Hamas, which has ruled since the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council in March 2006 . There are various reasons for this. On the one hand, the economic and financial embargo of the United States , the EU and other countries has resulted in a lack of financial aid to pay administrative employees. The embargo was imposed by the western states because Hamas refused to recognize Israel's right to exist, as agreed in the correspondence between Yasser Arafat and Israel when the Oslo Accords were signed . Around 165,000 administrative employees, mostly Fatah sympathizers, have been without wages for months. On the other hand, the United States is trying to bring about the overthrow of the government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya through targeted funds . At least 15 Palestinians were killed in armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas, although some of them were also based on feuds between rival families.
There were also reports that the President of the Palestinian Authority planned to dissolve the government and call early elections.
After the completion of "Operation Summer Rains", Israeli troops were repeated in the Gaza Strip entered since Israel also stated, the shelling of the western Negev with Qassams to want to stop. However, these operations did not reach the scope and severity of the previous military operation, but were local and time-limited actions. These include the Regenmann , Four Species and Footprints in the Sand operations .
Around 320 Palestinians (including 84 civilians) and five Israeli soldiers had been killed in the fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants by the end of October.
Course of the operation
In the two weeks leading up to Operation Autumn Clouds , Israel considered that weapons smuggling and better training of soldiers in the Gaza Strip could pose a threat to Israel comparable to the situation in southern Lebanon . This includes in particular the fear that even the Hezbollah used Katyusha rockets could reach Gaza. Operation Footprints in the Sand , in particular , had focused on finding and destroying tunnels in the area of the Philadelphi Route that were being built by militants to smuggle weapons from Sinai into the Gaza Strip.
Before the offensive began, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced to a Knesset committee on October 30, 2006 that he would extend the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. The aim is to concentrate in particular on arms smuggling, but not to reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip.
The military operation was initiated by three air strikes. The fighting initially concentrated in the area around the city of Beit Hanun . A Tzahal spokeswoman said the focus was on Beit Hanun because more than a third of the rockets fired at Israel since the beginning of the year had been launched from the area. Ground troops then first circled the city with the support of tanks and combat helicopters and then occupied it. Later snipers took position on the roofs of houses and the troops searched every house. According to Reuters , residents of the city reported that 4,000 Palestinian men were caught in such raids , most of which were released after interrogation. Some were interned and some were also brought to Israel.
According to various Palestinian sources, two, four or at least nine Palestinians were killed in the fighting over a mosque in Beit Hanun. On November 2, armed Palestinians barricaded themselves in the building. The militants and soldiers fought for several hours during the night. The Israeli army then tore down a wall of the building with a bulldozer, causing the roof to collapse. With the measure, the Tzahal wanted to force the Palestinians to give up. The representations of the incident deviate from one another in the further course. Hamas had issued a call to women to gather at the mosque to form human shields and thus prevent the Israeli troops from attacking the Palestinian fighters. About 50 women (other reports speak of hundreds) gathered after the call. However, the Israeli soldiers opened fire, according to their statements, on armed men, which allegedly killed two women in the hail of bullets. Ten other women were injured and some of the entrenched militants were able to flee in the confusion that followed. Hamas later announced that 32 militants had escaped.
Residents of the city, which has about 30,000 inhabitants, said that the Tzahal had taken complete control of the urban area. The Israeli army extended its operation to the area between Beit Hanun and Gaza City on November 3rd .
The militant Palestinians continued their rocket attacks unabated. In response to the impact of four Qassam rockets in Sderot on November 5, 2006, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced that Israel would continue the operation indefinitely.
Withdrawal from Beit Hanun
On the night of November 7, 2006, the Israeli troops withdrew from Beit Hanun. According to Israeli sources, during the six-day operation it was possible to eliminate nine groups of militants who fired Qassam rockets on the western Negev .
However, the Tzahal announced that they would continue their military action in the vicinity of Beit Hanun even after the official end of Operation Autumn Clouds. The troops have regrouped on the outskirts of the city. 60 Palestinians were killed during the offensive, of which 18 were civilians , according to Haaretz's calculations . The Israeli armed forces put the number of civilians killed lower, at seven or eight.
Other events
The IDF subsequently continued its military attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip, including an attack on the home of Palestinian MP Jamila Shanti, which reportedly killed three people. Shanti had organized the demonstration through which the armed men entrenched in the Nasser Mosque managed to escape despite the siege by Israeli soldiers. There was also a clash between Israeli soldiers and members of the Islamic Jihad at Digit , in which two Palestinians were killed. On Monday there was a suicide attack committed by the Islamic Jihad group. In the attack, a student at the Islamic University of Gaza , eighteen-year-old Mervat Masaoud, set off a bomb that slightly wounded an Israeli soldier. Relatives identified the body and said that a cousin of hers was involved in the suicide attack in Ashdod port in 2004 that killed 10 people.
Grenade bombardment incident in Beit Hanun
At around 6 a.m. on November 8, 19 civilians (nine children, four women and six men) were killed in a shell bombardment by Israeli forces in Beit Hanun. Of these, 18 belonged to the Athamneh family, whose house had been ransacked seven days earlier by Israeli soldiers and damaged with a tank. According to an initial investigation by the Israeli army, the incident was primarily caused by a technical failure of the Shilem fire control system. Hamas immediately sent a statement to the Associated Press that the United States is providing “political, financial and logistical cover for the Zionists' war crimes. You are therefore responsible for the Bait Hanun massacre. ”President Abbas called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against Israel. Activists of the Israeli peace movement such as Uri Avnery from Gush Shalom also called the action a massacre , and the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem condemned the grenade attack on Beit Hanun as a war crime . A condemnation of Israel failed because of the American veto in the UN Security Council.
The event aroused some fierce international criticism. The Italian Foreign Minister called the incident "an unacceptable escalation of violence". Syria "strongly condemns the state terrorism committed by Israel" and called on the international community to put a stop to Israel. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she was “deeply shocked” but also called for the “unacceptable” Qassam rocket fire by militants to cease. EU Foreign Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said for the European Union that the killing of so many civilians, including many children, is a really shocking event ”. A spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert initially stated that the operations would continue. The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni spoke of an "unfortunate incident", such as could happen in the fight against terrorism. Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz regretted the death of the civilians. The gun group responsible for the deaths of 19 civilians in Beit Hanoun belongs to the same battalion in the Israeli army that killed 100 Lebanese civilians in the first artillery attack on Cana . Qatar subsequently introduced a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling on Israel to cease hostilities and to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian militias to end their rocket attacks on Israel, but the draft was vetoed by the United States on November 11, 2006 States. The General Assembly of the United Nations , however, decided by an overwhelming majority of 156 to 7 to set up a commission of inquiry. According to a decision by the Human Rights Council , the former Nobel Peace Prize laureate and South African Bishop Desmond Tutu is to lead this fact-finding mission.
Armistice on November 26th
On November 25, 2006, the two sides agreed a ceasefire that came into effect on November 26, 2006 at 6:00 a.m. local time. According to information from Ehud Olmert's environment, in a telephone conversation with the Israeli president, the Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas offered to end the rocket attacks on the western Negev, suicide attacks on Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip and the digging of tunnels to smuggle weapons from Egypt . In return, the Israeli government promised to stop all military action in the Gaza Strip. Israel claims to have withdrawn all troops from the Gaza Strip shortly afterwards. In addition, Israel stopped targeting and killing radical Palestinians. The ceasefire, which has been signed by all Palestinian groups, is described by both sides as fragile. Around two hours after the ceasefire came into force, a Qassam rocket hit Israel, but it did no damage. Defense Minister Peretz threatened that if the ceasefire is not kept by the Palestinians, the attacks will resume. A Hamas spokesman condemned the rocket launch by the Qassam Brigades and Islamic Jihad . Hamas stated on its website that the shooting down was because not all Israeli soldiers left the Gaza Strip, as Israel claims.
Reactions on the Palestinian side
The Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar warned Israel that Gilad Shalit's life would be endangered by the new offensive because the Tzahal "will bomb certain places and [thereby] damage the soldiers." In the interview for the Egyptian news agency Middle East News Agency , Zahar indirectly threatened the death of the soldier, further losses and even more prisoners if Israeli troops tried to break into the building in which Shalit is being held.
President Abbas has condemned the new offensive and demanded that the United Nations Security Council put an end to the "Israeli aggression".
International reactions
Both the Secretary General of the United Nations and the European Union have urged Israel to do everything possible during the military operation to avoid civilian casualties. However, Kofi Annan also called for the Qassam rocket fire to cease. The United States granted Israel the right to defend itself against shelling of Israeli territory by Palestinian militants, despite the loss of innocent lives that US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack described as "a real tragedy". He accused the United Nations of not having a neutral position. The British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett also certified Israel to defend itself against attack by missiles the right, but called on Israel also to that "any actions are appropriate and consistent with international humanitarian law". The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Ghait , on the other hand, criticized the new offensive as "excessive"; Israel would make the situation of the Palestinians more difficult through the operation and the attempts to come to a political solution. He also called on the various Palestinian groups to stop the shelling of the western Negev in order to avoid provoking military retaliation by Israel.
On 15 November 2006, addressed the Human Rights of the United Nations a commission of inquiry into the attack on Beit Hanun, led by Desmond Tutu one. In doing so, it followed the request from Pakistan and Bahrain . 32 of the 47 member states voted to set up the commission; eight states, including Germany , voted against. The commission of inquiry was to report to the UN Human Rights Council by mid-December 2006. However, Israel refused entry to the commission of inquiry.
Endangering Gilad Shalit's life
Both Israel and Hamas have placed Operation Autumn Clouds and the fate of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Palestinian militants , into an interdependent state.
The new minister for strategic threats reacted to the indirect threats of the Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmud Zahar and a spokesman for the popular resistance committee by the name of Abu Mujahid that the continuation of the offensive and the attack on “certain places” could endanger Shalit's life Avigdor Lieberman with a comparison that promised Zahar and Haniyya the fate of suicide bombers . "Ismail Haniyya and Mahmud Zahar can share society with the Shahids," said the minister. (In the eyes of the Israeli Defense Minister Peretz, however, these statements were useless "agitation"). However, on November 5, 2006, the People's Resistance Committee , which was involved in the kidnapping, relativized it to the effect that Shalit would not suffer any harm except through the bombing of Palestinian infrastructure by Israeli troops themselves.
literature
- Danny Rubenstein: Aiming at Hamas, but hitting Abbas . In: Haaretz (English) accessed on November 5, 2006
Individual evidence
- ^ IDF concludes Operation Autumn Clouds in Beit Hanun . ( Memento of the original from February 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Israel Defense Forces , November 7th, 2006
- ^ Leading the Forces . ( Memento of the original from March 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Israel Defense Forces , November 1, 2006
- ↑ a b 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict casualities timeline in the English language Wikipedia
- ↑ Thousands attend Gaza mass funerals ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Al-Jazeera , November 9, 2006
- ↑ Hamas denies progress on Shalit deal . In: Jerusalem Post , October 28, 2006
- ↑ a b Seven die in Israeli raid on Gaza . BBC News, November 2, 2006
- ↑ Gaza town shocked and battered by Israeli raid . ( Memento of the original from May 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Reuters , November 4, 2006
- ↑ a b c Israeli troops open fire on women outside mosque . In: The Guardian , November 3, 2006
- ↑ Women confront Israelis . In: Kölner Stadtanzeiger , November 4, 2006
- ↑ Gaza: Human shields die in battle for mosque Spiegel Online , November 4, 2006
- ↑ Beit Hanoun offensive Expands to northern Gaza . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 5, 2006
- ^ Fighting continues in day 5 of operation . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Jerusalem Post , November 5, 2006
- ↑ Palestinian Territories: Offensive ended . Zeit Online , November 7, 2006
- ^ IDF kills 5 Palestinians in northern Gaza incidents . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 7, 2006
- ↑ 7 Palestinians killed; IDF exits Beit Hanun . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 8, 2006
- ^ IDF tanks fire shells at Gaza home of Hamas lawmaker . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Jerusalem Post , November 7, 2006
- ^ IDF soldiers withdraw from north Gaza town of Beit Hanun . ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 7, 2006
- ^ How a Beit Hanun family was destroyed . ( Memento of the original from November 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 13, 2006
- ↑ Inquiry results regarding the incident in Beit Hanoun on November 8th 2006 . ( Memento of the original from February 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Israel Defense Forces , November 9, 2006
- ^ Children among 19 killed by Israeli tank fire . In: The Guardian , November 8, 2006
- ↑ Uri Avnery : In One Word: MASSACRE! Gush Shalom , November 11, 2006. Blood on the flag . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Gush Shalom, November 8, 2006
- ^ The Killing of Civilians in Beit Hanun is a War Crime . B'Tselem , November 8, 2006
- ↑ US vetoes UN resolution condemning Israel on Gaza . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Reuters , November 11, 2006
- ↑ EU: Gaza shelling 'profoundly shocking'; Syria: UN must step in . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 8, 2006
- ^ Children among 19 killed by Israeli tank fire . In: The Guardian , November 8, 2006
- ↑ PM Olmert and DM Peretz express regret at death of Palestinian civilians . Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, November 8, 2006. Israel 'apology' as Palestine grieves . ( Memento of the original from November 8, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Al Jazeera . Sample: Fatal IDF shell likely result of human or technical error . ( Memento of the original from November 8, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 8, 2006. “Galant: Gaza attack was 'preventative'. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Jerusalem Post , November 8, 2006.
- ↑ Beit Hanun is the Palestinian version of Kfar Kana . ( Memento of the original from January 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 9, 2006
- ↑ Security Council fails to adopt draft resolution on Middle East, owing to negative vote by United States . United Nations , November 11, 2006
- ↑ UN condemns Israeli offensive . In: Washington Post , print page A18, November 18, 2006
- ^ Tutu to head UN rights mission to Gaza Strip . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 30, 2006
- ↑ Deal Is Reached To Halt Fighting in Gaza . In: Washington Post , November 26, 2006 (print page A 19)
- ^ Fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip . In: FAZ , November 26, 2006
- ↑ Israel threatens retaliation for rocket attacks . In: Die Welt , November 26, 2006
- ^ Zahar: IDF Gaza operations may endanger Shalit's life . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 4, 2004
- ↑ Palestinians ask Security Council for help . In: Die Welt , November 4, 2006
- ↑ Gaza: Offensive continues . ZEIT Online , November 4, 2006
- ↑ Terrorists threaten to renew attacks if IDF won't leave Gaza . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Jerusalem Post , November 3, 2006
- ^ Egyptian FM condemns IDF offensive in Gaza as 'excessive' . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 5, 2006
- ^ ARD / Tagesschau : Israel blocks UN investigative commission . (tagesschau.de archive), December 12, 2006
- ↑ Tutu regrets entry ban . In: taz , December 12, 2006
- ↑ Israel blocks UN commission . In: Junge Welt , December 12th
- ↑ Desmond Tutu says Israel refused fact-finding mission to Gaza . In: International Herald Tribune , December 11, 2006
- ↑ Shalit's father says he hopes Gaza raid will come to swift end . ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Haaretz , November 5, 2006
