Unclassified Operation Pillar of Defense 161200 The Strategic

-Unclassified- Operation “Pillar of Defense” 161200 The Strategic Division/Military-Strategic Information Section -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Overview -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Overview Living under fire has become the routine reality for one million Israeli citizens over the last twelve years. When rockets are fired, citizens have fifteen seconds to reach shelters. Weapons smuggled from Iran, Libya, and Sudan via land sea routes have accelerated the process of Gaza turning into a terror base. Over the past few months, the situation in Israel’s south has become intolerable. Hamas and other terrorist groups have been firing missiles indiscriminately towards civilian populations on a daily basis. No state would acquiesce to live in a reality in which its civilians are continuously attacked. The State of Israel has the legal right and the moral obligation to protect its citizens. Israel has demonstrated great restraint for a long period but cannot accept the recurring attacks on its citizens. -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Overview In order to restore security to its citizens the IDF initiated on 14 November Operation “Pillar of Defense, ” which began with airstrikes against Hamas leaders and weapons. The IDF’s actions are solely directed against military targets and terrorist activities, and are conducted according to the international law governing armed conflicts. The IDF is making the utmost effort to minimize harm to civilians. Hamas and other terrorist organizations, however, are flagrantly committing war crimes. They are firing missiles from civilian areas into civilian areas, thus involving civilians as both their shields and their targets. The IDF is prepared to broaden the scope of the operation, including a wide ground offensive if necessary in order to achieve its goals. -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Background -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Background - Hamas rocket and mortar attacks 1800 Yearly Distribution 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 Missiles and Rockets Mortars 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Operation 2008 In Gaza 563 204 482 283 141 135 156 97 628 176 1593 1685 783 640 946 22 -Unclassified- 179 238 2009 2010 2011 281 876 155 265 35 257 0 2012 (Through October) 4 245

-Unclassified- Background - Hamas rocket and mortar attacks Monthly Distribution - 2012 228 149 82 70 41 49 30 20 3 0 January (2012) 0 February 29 9 1 March 1 April 3 7 6 0 May Qassam Rockets 7 June Mortars -Unclassified- 12 6 21 18 1 July Grad Rockets 9 August 0 10 3 September 6 October

-Unclassified- Background – Recent Events Israel’s operation was precipitated by an intense escalation by Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region. Indeed, just before the commencement of the operation, four rockets that possibly originated in Sinai hit Israel. Recent attacks Date 10/11 11/11 12/11 13/11 14/11 Total Rockets 35 68 13 1 74 191 IAF Airstrikes Date 10/11 11/11 12/11 13/11 14/11 Total Airstrikes 3 6 3 2 98 112 -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Background – Recent Events A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip on Nov. 11 directly hit this house in the southern Israel town of Sderot On the morning of Nov. 12, a rocket fired from Gaza struck this house in the southern Israeli town of Netivot. -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Background – Recent Events Hamas has also recently attacked IDF soldiers on routine patrols of the area. This includes: 10 November 10 - Anti-tank missiles were fired at an IDF force in the vicinity of the Karni crossing. 4 IDF soldiers were injured (one severely). 8 November 8 - A tunnel consisting of explosives set off approximately six km south of the Kissufim crossing while an IDF force was present. One IDF soldier was lightly injured. An IDF vehicle sustained damage. 23 October- An IED exploded near an IDF force near the Netiv Ha'asara community. One IDF officer was severely injured. -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Background - Hamas rocket buildup -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Significant Events 14 November • The IAF initiated a precision airstrike, killing Ahmad Jabari, the head of Hamas’s military wing. Jabari was a senior Hamas commander and was directly responsible for executing terrorist attacks against Israel, including recently. • IAF initiated waves of airstrikes against Hamas’s and other terrorist groups’ missile arsenals, focusing on rockets with ranges reaching up to 70 km. • Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups have initiated intense barrages, unleashing hundreds of rockets towards Israeli civilian population centers 15 November • Three Israeli civilians killed and 6 injured in the direct impact of a rocket on an apartment building in the town of Kiryat Malahi. • At approximately 5: 00 pm a rocket struck the Rishon Lezion area; no injuries reported. • At approximately 6: 30 pm, two rockets landed in open areas in the vicinity of the city of Bat Yam, the first time in over 20 years that missiles have hit the Tel Aviv area -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Significant Events 16 November • IAF aircraft are continuing sorties against Hamas operatives, missile launching sites, infrastructure, and ammunition cachés. • Limited mobilization of IDF reserves. • Israeli PM announced cessation of fire during the visit of Egyptian PM in Gaza. Despite this, Hamas and other groups continue rocket fire. Hamas rocket attacks: 430 missiles fired at Israeli territory 14/11 74 15/11 16/11 315 41 -Unclassified- Total 430

-Unclassified- Significant Events The burnt remains of a car after being hit by a Grad rocket in Beersheba on 14 November -Unclassified- The Iron Dome missile battery in action near Beersheva on 14 November

-Unclassified- Significant Events A family seeks cover while the alarm is sounded in Ashdod Victims of the Kiryat Malahi rocket attack -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Israeli civilians under fire Tel Aviv area 8 Verified Rocket/Mortar Hits by Area Ashdod – Gan Yavne Area 32 Ashkelon – Zikim Area 22 Gedera – Kiryat Malahi Area 16 Kiryat Gat Area 11 Gaza “belt” Area 101 Gaza Strip 0 Netivot – Ofakim – Zehelim Area 16 -Unclassified- Be’er Sheva – Lehavim – Rahat Area 102

-Unclassified- Israeli civilians under fire Running for cover during the sounding of the siren Aftermath of a missile impact -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Israeli civilians under fire A home destroyed by a missile impact Missile impact in Sha’ar Hanegev -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Casualties Israeli Casualties Killed Lightly Injured Moderate Condition Critical Condition IDF Soldiers - 1 2 Israeli Civilians 3 16 2 2 Total 3 17 4 2 19 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 80 -100 have been injured. -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Casualties – Minimizing harm to civilians Translation of IDF leaflets dropped on Gaza -Unclassified-

-Unclassified- Appendix - Ahmed Jabari, the head of Hamas’ military wing, was directly responsible for executing terror attacks against the State of Israel in the past number of years. Jabari was officially the second in command of Hamas's Izz ad-Din al. Qassam Brigades and was responsible with making the terrorist group's military wing increasingly more professional. He was involved in the string of deadly terror bombings committed by Hamas in 1996 that claiming the lives of 59 Israelis. In October 1998, after helping execute a terror attack on a school bus in the Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari settlement of Kfar Darom that killed two Israeli children, and severely injured a few others, he was arrested by the Fatah security forces and jailed in Gaza. Jabari personally oversaw the kidnapping and imprisonment of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Jabari sent a Hamas squad along with members of the Popular Resistance Committee and Army of Islam to tunnel into Israel. They killed two Israeli soldiers and took Gilad Shalit hostage in Gaza. After Schalit's release, Jabari planned to kidnap more Israeli soldiers and officers in order to use them as bargaining chips for the release of Palestinian prisoners. -Unclassified- Ahmed Jabari (far right)