Operation Days of Penitence

Operation "Days of Penitence"
Part of the Second Intifada
Date29 September – 16 October 2004
LocationGaza Strip
Result Israeli victory
Belligerents
 Israel (IDF) Hamas
Casualties and losses
1 soldier c. 130 Palestinians
including 50-70 militants

Operation "Days of Penitence" (Hebrew: מבצע ימי תשובה), otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance"[1][2] was the name used by Israel to describe an Israel Defense Forces invasion of the northern Gaza Strip conducted between 29 September and 16 October 2004. About 130 Palestinians, and 1 Israeli were killed.[3]

The operation, focused on the town of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and Jabalia refugee camps, which were said to have been used as launching sites of Qassam rockets on the Israeli town of Sderot and Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and in particular in response to the death of two children in Sderot. The operation's name corresponds to the Hebrew name for the High Holiday season during which the operation was carried out.

Overview

Following the death of two Israeli children from a Qassam rocket launched by Palestinian militants, Israel launched a major military invasion of the northern Gaza strip, focusing on the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and the Jabaliya refugee camp. The stated goal of the operation, code-named "Days of Penitence" (ימי תשובה) by the Israeli Defence Force, was to prevent Palestinians from launching rockets and mortar shells into Israeli settlements in Gaza and the town of Sderot in Israel.

During this 17 day attack the Israeli military killed some 130 Palestinians; demolished at least 85 houses and damaged hundreds more;[4][5] damaged public facilities, including schools, kindergartens and mosques, and destroyed farmland. According to Israeli soldiers, many of the buildings that were demolished were used by Palestinian militants as a cover for launching Qassam rockets and for shooting anti-tank missiles.

During the UN Security Council deliberations over censuring Israel for this military attack, Israel accused the United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) of complicity in Palestinian attacks by allowing its vehicles to transport rockets. The Israeli government released a video claiming that it showed rockets being loaded into the UNRWA ambulance. UNRWA denied the accusation and demanded an apology stating that the object was a stretcher, not a rocket (the person in the video was carrying the lightweight object with just one hand). On October 6, Israel retracted the accusation.(Reuters) See further discussion here.

The attack resulted in a proposed Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli action, calling for Israeli withdrawal and respect for human rights of Palestinians. The resolution was vetoed by the United States on October 5 who criticized it for ignoring terrorism against Israelis.

Over the weekend of October 17, the Israeli military announced that its troops withdrew from the Jabalia refugee camp and other populated areas and redeployed to positions nearby and proclaimed the attack a success, with a warning that the troops would return if the rocket attacks resume, which analysts from both sides say is likely.

Both sides claimed victory in the operation.

Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli Defence Forces spokesman, acclaimed the operation's success: "We really impaired the ability to shoot Qassams from Jabalya. We engaged many cells and now there are fewer Hamas members to shoot rockets," he says. "We dealt a hard blow to the whole Hamas infrastructure in Jabalia."

The Palestine Information Center published a statement by Hamas spokesman Ismail Hanneya who asserted that the problem was not in resistance or in Qassam missiles but rather in what Hamas views as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land: "Hamas achieved a victory over the Zionist enemy ... the blows of the resistance and the steadfastness of the people caused the occupying forces to withdraw without achieving any of their goals."

Timeline

September 29

September 30

October 1

October 2

October 3

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

October 9

October 10

October 11

October 12

October 13

October 14

October 15

October 16

Allegations of Israeli war crimes

In 2005 and 2006 Adalah requested the Military Advocate General (MAG) to initiate a criminal investigation into events that took place during Operation Rainbow. In 2007 also for Operation Days of Penitence. All requests had been denied. On 15 April 2007, Adalah, PCHR and Al-Haq filed a petition, in which they asked the Israeli High Court of Justice to order a criminal investigation, referring to many local and international organizations who had accused Israel of committing war crimes.[13] Not earlier than two years later, on 6 May 2009, the Court held a hearing.[1] Another 1.5 years later, on 8 December 2011, the Court rejected the petition because, according to the Israeli judges, the request was too late and too unspecific, the aim of the operations was justified, and a criminal investigation was not the most appropriate tool.[14]

Casualties

Number of casualties from 28 September to 16 October 2004 is as follows: * [15]

Israelis

Palestinians

References

  1. 1 2 Court unmoved by demand for probe into 2004 IDF Gaza op. Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, 6 May 2009
  2. 1 2 Disproportionate Force Suspected in Northern Gaza Strip. B'Tselem, 18 October 2004
  3. ↑ IAF Role Grew in Days of Penitence Operation. Haaretz, 19 October 2004
  4. 1 2 3 Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 14 October 2004. IOF expand their Operations in North Gaza and Rafah: 550 Palestinians killed and injured
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 129 Palestinians killed during IDF's Gaza raid. Haaretz, 15 October 2004
  6. ↑ Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 4 October 2004. 320 Palestinians Killed and Injured in IOF Incursion of North Gaza; Many of whom are Children
  7. ↑ Israeli army under fire after killing girl. Christian Science Monitor, 26 November 2004
  8. ↑ IDF probing if officer fired at already-wounded Gaza girl. Haaretz, 11 October 2004
  9. ↑ Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 12 October 2004. The slaughter of children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) must stop now
  10. ↑ UNRWA, 13 October 2004. Child Shot in UNRWA School Dies
  11. 1 2 Army pulls back from Gaza leaving 100 Palestinians dead. The Guardian, 16 October 2004
  12. 1 2 Palestinians sift rubble after Israel's Gaza assault. Reuters, 16 October 2004
  13. ↑ High Court to start hearing Adalah petition on possible IDF war crimes in Gaza. Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz, 15 April 2007
  14. ↑ Supreme Court Approves MAG's Decision Not to Initiate Criminal Investigations into Operations "Rainbow" and "Days of Penitence", Terrorism and Democracy | Issue No. 36 . Ido Rosenzweig, Yuval Shany, Israel Democracy Institute (IDI). Retrieved 21 November 2013
  15. ↑ Note: No reliable sources for figures, gathered some time after the conflict. No reliable sources for the number of killed fighters.

External links

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