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Israel strikes back against terror infrastructure in Gaza 27-Dec-2008 Page 1 of 7

Israel strikes back against Hamas terror infrastructure in Gaza 11 Jan 2009 Since the beginning of the IDF operation in Gaza (Dec 27, 2008), four Israelis have been killed and 250 wounded by rocket fire. 695 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel.

Hamas base and training camp in central Gaza (IDF Spokesperson) Video: Hamas Use of Civilians as Human Shields

Video: Gaza school and zoo wired with explosives

Video: From Disengagement to Operation Cast Lead

Victims of Hamas rocket fire after Hamas ends calm Since December 27, four Israelis have been killed by rocket and mortar fire from Gaza.

- Selected communiques, statements and interviews

Today, almost one million Israelis are under immediate threat due to the 40-km range of the rocket fire out of the . Since December 27, over 500 rockets and mortars have landed in Israel.

Rocket and mortar fire on Israel - Dec 27 2008 - Jan 11 2009

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Israeli communities within range of rocket fire from Gaza

Map: IDF

The "Color Red" system provides warning to civilians from the launch to the rocket strike: Up to 10 km. - 15 seconds 10-20 km. - 30 seconds 20-30 km. - 45 seconds 30-40 km. - 1 minute

Video: Citizens of under missile attack

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Sderot child displays drawing of Kassam rocket with the caption "color red" - the words of the rocket warning siren. He is in a security room converted into a temporary school on Monday, January 5, after schools were closed in all communities within 40 km of the Gaza Strip until further notice. (Photo: Rafael Ben- Ari/Chameleons Eye)

- Israel continues to supply humanitarian aid to Gaza and issues warning to the Palestinian population in Gaza: In the space of a few days, the IDF forces dropped 80,000 leaflets over the of Rafah in the Gaza Strip warning civilians prior to operations in order to minimize harm to innocent civilians.

To Rafah Residents, The IDF is operating against the organizations and individuals that participate in terrorist activity targeting the State of Israel. The IDF will strike and destroy every site or building in which weapons or smuggling tunnels are found. Following this announcement, anyone located in a build containing weapons, or where there are smuggling tunnels, is there at his/her own risk and it is his/her responsibility to exit and evacuate his/her family! You have been warned! IDF Command

Jan 6: IDF Spokesperson: Initial inquiry into school incident in Jabalya - Behind the Headlines: The tragedy at the school in Jebaliya - Archive footage of Hamas mortar fire from UN School in (Oct 2007) - TV footage of Hamas 120mm mortar crew operating within Jebaliya (6 Jan 2009) - Hamas exploitation of civilians - Selected videos - IDF issues warnings to the civilians of Gaza

Jan 3: Operation Cast Lead expanded IDF Spokesman Brigadier-General Avi Benayahu: "The objective of this phase of the operation is to intensify the heavy blow already dealt to Hamas and to take control of area from where most of the rocket attacks against Israel originate, in order to reduce those rocket attacks." - Security Cabinet decision on continuation of IDF operation in Gaza - IDF updates: Operation Cast Lead - Behind the Headlines: Israel expands Operation Cast Lead

Video: Fighting in Gaza - Why did the IDF embark on the military operation in Gaza? - What does Israel want to achieve? - The harming of innocent civilians - When will Israel conclude the operation? - What will follow it?

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Video: FM Livni briefs diplomatic corps in Sderot

PM Ehud Olmert in (Jan 1): "It was clear that we could not live in the reality which had been created. We could not countenance a situation in which hundreds of thousands of people were going to sleep and waking up in the morning in fear, distress and uncertainty. We will act so that there will be quiet in the southern communities. I very much hope that we will succeed in reaching our goals as quickly as possible. What we want is for our children to grow up in safety and that the children of Sderot, Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon will not have to flee from the shriek of missiles. We have not declared war on the residents of Gaza. I reiterate that we will treat the population with silk gloves but will apply an iron fist to Hamas."

Selected communiques, statements and interviews:

FM Livni at joint press conference with German FM Steinmeier (11 Jan 2009) A military operation ends when deterrence has been achieved. The war on terror is a long war

PM Olmert's remarks to the Cabinet (11 Jan 2009)

Washington Post interview with FM Livni (10 Jan 2009) In six months, Hamas has changed the range of the missiles from 20 kilometers to 50 kilometers. This now threatens 1 million Israelis.

Statement by Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs (9 Jan 2009)

PM Olmert's reaction to diplomatic developments & UNSC Resolution 1860 (9 Jan 2009)

Statement by Amb Leshno-Yaar to UN Human Rights Council (9 Jan 2009) I am addressing the Council today as the voice of one million Israeli citizens living within range of daily Hamas missile attacks. Their suffering has long been overlooked by this body and by the Office of the High Commissioner.

Statement by Amb Shalev to the UN Security Council (8 Jan 2009) The international community must focus its attention on the cessation of Hamas' terrorist activity and make clear that a terrorist organization can never be a legitimate leadership.

Briefing by FM Livni to the Diplomatic Corps (8 Jan 2009) "We are familiar with the need to be in touch, to share information to open humanitarian corridors and to do whatever it takes in order to make the distinction between the organization which governs the Gaza Strip and the population."

Statement by Amb Shalev to the UN Security Council (6 Jan 2009) We have to defend ourselves - not from the Palestinian people, but from the terrorists who have taken them hostage. Not to gain territory or power, but to demonstrate that our restraint was not weakness and to give our citizens the basic right of a normal life.

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President Peres meets with European Union Troika (6 Jan 2009)

Joint press conference with FM Livni and EU representatives (5 Jan 2009) There is a fight against terrorism, and it is not going to be settled in an agreement with terror.

President Peres meets with French President Sarkozy (5 Jan 2009)

PM Olmert meets with American Jewish leaders (5 Jan 2009)

CNN interview with FM Livni (4 Jan 2009) Q: How long can this go on? FM Livni: Until we have made Hamas weaker, until we know that they understand that Israel is not willing to live in a reality in which our citizens are being targeted.

Channel 2 TV interview with FM Livni (3 Jan 2009) We are defending ourselves, acting against Hamas, and mistakes can happen. But Hamas targets women and children, schools and kindergartens.

Statement by DM Ehud Barak (3 Jan 2009)

Security Cabinet decision on continuation of IDF operation in Gaza (2 Jan 2009)

President Peres visits Ashkelon (31 Dec 2008)

Statement by Amb Shalev to UN Security Council (31 Dec 2008) The international community must reject the agenda of the extremists and support that of the moderates calling for coexistence and the realization of two states living side by side in peace and security.

FM Livni press conference on IDF operation in Gaza (31 Dec 2008) Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni addressed foreign journalists in Sderot after visiting a kindergarten and a school in Beersheba that were hit directly by Grad missiles from Gaza

PBS interview with Gen Michael Herzog, chief of staff to DM Barak (31 Dec 2008)

Address to Knesset by FM Livni on Gaza operation (29 Dec 2008) Israel has been under attack from Gaza for the past eight years. We did everything we could to prevent a deterioration of the situation.

Letter from Israel Amb Leshno-Yaar to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ( 28 Dec 2009)

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I am both surprised and disappointed that you did not find it appropriate to issue any public statement when Israeli civilians in towns and across southern Israel were targeted by Hamas with rockets and mortars in an unrelenting and indiscriminate fashion.

FM Livni briefing in Sderot - Opening remarks (28 Dec 2008) We need you to make the distinction between Hamas and between Israel - a terrorist organization which controls the Gaza Strip, and a member state of the United Nations.

IDF operation in Gaza: Briefing after Cabinet meeting (28 Dec 2008)

Statement by President Shimon Peres on IDF operation in Gaza (28 Dec 2008) Israel doesn't have any ambition in Gaza. But we cannot permit that Gaza will become a permanent base of threatening and even killing children and innocent people.

PM Olmert press briefing on IDF operation in the Gaza Strip (27 Dec 2008) The operation in the Gaza Strip is designed, first and foremost, to bring about an improvement in the security reality for the residents of the south of the country.

Saturday, 27 December 2008 - IDF Spokesperson: IDF operation Cast Lead against terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip launched

Since this morning, the IDF attacked dozens of targets affiliated with the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip. The targets included command centers, training camps, various Hamas installations, rocket manufacturing facilities and storage warehouses. The vast majority of the casualties are terror operatives, most of whom were wearing uniform and working on behalf of terror organizations.

- IDF updates: Operation Cast Lead

* * *

Defense Minister Ehud Barak convened a press conference on Saturday afternoon (27 December) to formally announce the beginning of the IDF's operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip launched at 11:30. Barak laid out the three objectives of the offensive: dealing Hamas a forceful blow, fundamentally changing the situation in Gaza, and bringing to the cessation of rocket attacks against Israeli citizens.

"The time has come to act. We do not go to this clash gladly, but neither are we afraid of it. We will not let terrorists hurt our citizens or soldiers. We will do what is necessary. For weeks Hamas and its affiliates lobbed Kassams and Grads and mortar shells on the towns

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and communities of the South. We have no intention of allowing this situation to continue. In the afternoon IAF aircraft attacked Hamas and terror targets in the Gaza Strip. In this strike the IAF hit more than 190 Hamas operatives, including senior police officials, and destroyed infrastructure used by the terror groups."

* * *

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit harshly censured Hamas today (27 Dec), placing responsibility for the current situation on Hamas. At a noon press conference broadcast on Egyptian television, he said that Egypt had repeatedly cautioned against continuing the situation and that whoever did not listen (Hamas) should assume responsibility and not blame others. He added that Israel had publicly warned that continued rocket fire would lead to military action. Prime Minister Olmert said just two days ago in an Al Arabiya TV interview that if Hamas did not stop the rocket fire, Israel would respond militarily. The Egyptian foreign minister added angrily that right before Foreign Minister Livni’s arrival in Egypt on Thursday, 60 rockets were fired, meant to foil Egypt’s efforts to achieve quiet.

At a press conference in Cairo on Monday (28 Dec 2008) PA President Abbas was asked why there were no wounded being evacuated to Egypt... - View video

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