December Timeline of the Gaza War (2008–09)

1 december

1.1 27 december 2008
1.2 28 december 2008
1.3 29 december 2008

1.3.1 dignity incident


1.4 30 december 2008
1.5 31 december 2008

december
27 december 2008

israeli armed forces began operations against hamas , rocket launchers @ 11:30 a.m., 27 december. more 50 fighter jets , attack helicopters entered gazan airspace. palestinian sources said israeli forces responsible killing 225-292 palestinians , wounding more 1,000. extensive attack on gaza since 1967. iaf, said responding hamas rocket attacks on southern israel, dropped more 100 bombs on 50 targets, reportedly included hamas paramilitary bases, training camps, , underground qassam rocket launchers. bombs dropped on government offices, police stations, , hamas headquarters.

the aircraft used f-16 fighter jets , ah-64 apache helicopters. 140 members of hamas security forces killed, including police chief tawfiq jabber, head of hamas’ security , protection unit , police commander central gaza, along @ least 15 civilians. children among casualties. bombed areas included ceremony new police officers. 40 graduates killed. mosque in gaza city targeted in airstrikes , 2 palestinians killed. israeli military spokesmen said mosque being used terrorist activities .

sixty israeli planes targeted hamas security , military training compounds, weapon storage buildings, , dropped more 100 tons of bombs. of bombs used on 27 , 28 december u.s. built gbu-39 small diameter bomb, first shipment of arrived in israel @ beginning of month.

hamas later fired 700 rockets , mortars @ israel. 1 of rockets hit town of netivot, killing israeli man, destroying house , wounding 6 other people. rocket hit synagogue in eshkol regional council, injuring 2 men, 1 seriously. in evening 2 men in israeli community of mivtahim injured, 1 seriously, direct hit hamas rocket.

according united nations officials, fuel deliveries gaza strip through nahal oz crossing suspended, last delivery taking place day previous on 26 december.

many palestinians refer 27 december massacre of black saturday produced highest one-day death toll in 60 years of conflict.

28 december 2008

twenty-five airstrikes carried out on sunday israel, raising number of casualties 287 dead , 900 wounded. according egyptian foreign minister ahmed aboul gheit, hamas refused allow casualties leave gaza medical treatment. 1 rocket shot f-16 fighter jet on mosque near shifa hospital in gaza city, rockets reported israeli media launched, killed 4 members of hamas. in gaza city, 5 children same family killed in israeli airstrike. israeli jets bombed tunnels in rafah area. these tunnels reportedly used smuggle civilian goods , weapons after israel , egypt imposed blockade of gaza in june 2007. main road of sallah el-dein in northern gaza strip bombed. road leads towns of beit hanoun, beit lahia , jabalia. no injuries reported in bombing.

an israeli air-to-ground rocket destroyed metal workshop in northern gaza city which, according israel, used in manufacturing qassam rockets fired @ israel. al-noor organisation in gaza city, belonging hamas organization, bombed, causing severe damage building. main building of hamas-owned al-aqsa tv station struck. station continued broadcasting via mobile unit . aidan white, secretary-general of international federation of journalists condemned destruction of television station, stating international law forbids attacks on media installations, when instruments of propaganda . iaf attacked jabalia , northern gaza killing 2 more people , wounding others.

al saraya, building in gaza city contained government offices, security offices , prison, attacked. 4 people died. fuel lorry traveling in rafah near egyptian border destroyed, killing 6 people. idf confirmed attack on tunnels in philadelphi route , claimed successful destruction of 40 of them. missiles hit near beit hanoun city hall.

rockets fired gaza strip, range of extended. 3 rockets landed near city of ashdod – fifth largest israeli city , main sea port. border egypt breached , inhabitants gaza moved egypt. 1 egyptian border policeman killed palestinian gunmen, , several palestinians wounded egyptian gunfire , taken hospital in egypt.

the united nations security council held closed door meeting convened @ request of libya. meeting lasted 4 hours, , resulted in press statement calling on parties stop military activities ... [and] address serious humanitarian , economic needs in gaza , take necessary measures, including opening of border crossings.

on eve of ground incursion israeli forces, khaled mashal assured should idf launch ground offensive, black destiny , abduction awaits israeli soldiers. hamas spokesman added god s gaza become graveyard israeli troops.

29 december 2008

air strikes on strip continued. after midnight on 29 december, israeli forces made 6 separate airstrikes against islamic university of gaza, cultural symbol of hamas, though university had evacuated days in advance. according jerusalem post, university hosts hamas military laboratories under auspices of professors , buildings used storing rockets , explosives. according idf , shin bet, 1 compound near islamic college, bombed twice, being used chemical lab , hamas explosives lab; israel said hamas had been working improve rockets , manufacture mortar shells. israel asserted university chemistry laboratory fair target , if not show conclusively inside laboratory @ time of attack engaged in making weapons.

the death toll rose 415 morning, reported associated press. palestinian interior ministry in gaza building hit israeli missiles @ dawn. university , ministry both located in tel al-hawa neighborhood.

a mosque in jabaliya refugee camp bombed iaf. building destroyed , 5 young girls house neighboured mosque killed. ziad abu-tir, senior member of islamic jihad s military wing killed in strike in khan younis area.

the international red cross reported hospitals in gaza strip overwhelmed , unable cope casualties. red cross spokesman in gaza iyad nasr said gaza needed more supplies brought in urgently, in particular hospitals have been depleted , stretched maximum because of closure imposed . according idf, israel permitted number of turkish-donated ambulances west bank transported gaza strip, red cross, unrwa, world food programme , doctors without borders medical supplies.

the israeli city of ashkelon hit grad rocket, killing israeli-arab construction worker , wounding 3 other people. nahal oz army base in southern israel hit mortar fire, killing 1 soldier, later identified lutfi nasraldin. attacks increased pressure on government army amassed infantry , armored forces along border.

israel s military intelligence chief said hamas ability fire rockets had been reduced 50 percent, hamas continued command 20,000 fighters .

the foreign ministry of senegal reported exiled hamas leader khaled meshaal ready sign immediate ceasefire israel, provided israel lifted blockade on gaza strip.

on 29 december idf spokesperson confirmed first time that, apart maintaining naval blockade on gaza, israeli navy taking active part in operation. video taken israeli navy , published on several news sites showed israeli navy attacking gaza coast line, using both typhoon weapon system , surface-to-surface missiles.

according haaretz, among targets hit israeli navy ismayil haniah s offices, several command , control centers used hamas, , hamas patrol boat. on 31 december, israeli navy targeted number of hamas outposts , rocket launching sites , according idf spokesperson. on 4 january, israel extended naval blockade 6 to 20 nautical miles (11–37 km; 6.9–23.0 mi) prevent vessels entering strip.

dignity incident

on 29 december 2008, free gaza movement motor yacht dignity set course cyprus, carrying aid gaza. boat, carried irish human rights activist caoimhe butterly, former united states representative , 2008 green party nominee u.s. president cynthia mckinney, journalists al jazeera , cnn such karl penhaul, , 3 surgeons including dr. elena theoharous, member of cyprus parliament, attempted enter gaza strip, carrying 3.5 tonnes (3.9 short tons) of medical supplies. passengers stated several israeli naval vessels approached boat. free gaza member david halpin said israeli officers on board asked captain halt dignity s course gaza, refused. according cnn reporter penhaul israeli vessel rammed motor yacht, causing heavy damage. penhaul has admittedly stated did not have view of israeli vessel @ time. other passengers said several israeli vessels fired machine guns water. activists stated boat in international waters, 70-80 miles or 90 miles gaza strip coast. mckinney said israeli vessel had rammed boat approximately 3 times, twice in front , once in side .

israeli foreign ministry spokesman yigal palmor said no shooting had occurred, , motor yacht inside israeli territorial waters, , boat had failed respond israeli naval radio contact. palmor said dignity had crashed israel vessel while attempting outmanoeuvre it. palmor said fact ship carrying journalists, including cnn crew had broadcast live 3 times, proved incident provocation on part of media. after incident, boat turned back. palmor stated naval ship offered assist passengers had declined offer. palmor stated israeli ships escorted damaged boat cypriot territorial waters. did not have enough fuel return cyprus , ended docking in lebanon, greeted cheering crowds.

cypriot foreign minister markos kyprianou stated cyprus lodge formal complaint regarding incident. in written statement, consulate general of israel southeast usa, based in atlanta, georgia, said mckinney has taken upon herself commit act of provocation , endangering herself , crew, , called behavior irresponsible .

30 december 2008

israeli air-strikes struck 5 ministerial buildings, structure owned islamic university, sports center, 2 hamas training camps, home of senior hamas commander (who not present), , offices of popular resistance committees. 10 fatalities reported. whole compound of ministerial buildings in gaza city, including ministries of finance, interior , education, destroyed 30 december. international middle east media center stated ministries not terrorist or military sites , buildings civilian buildings served population in civil matters . premises of gaza community mental health programme (gcmhp) destroyed.

gazans said israeli strikes came without warning, israeli forces said in reply offered general warnings dropping leaflets , interrupting radio broadcasts telling gaza residents flee homes if hiding weapons or terrorists. amnesty international argued there no safe places in gaza civilians seek shelter .

israel kept schools closed within radius of 50 km (31 mi) gaza border, citing concerns further rocket fire. residents told remain indoors , on alert alarms heralding incoming rockets. hamas launched chinese-made rockets @ beersheba, city in southern israel. grad missile landed in empty kindergarten, causing damage. 24 qassam rockets , 11 mortars fired israel, causing damage no injuries.

egypt said open border gaza strip if crossing post come under control of mahmoud abbas s palestinian authority.

israel had banned reporters entering gaza strip since november 2008, citing security reasons. petition made 400 foreign journalists enter gaza strip filed israel s supreme court.

israel permitted 100 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies enter gaza strip via kerem shalom border crossing. 5 ambulances donated turkey allowed entry.

31 december 2008

about 35 hamas fighters , 5 palestinians civilians killed during continued air strikes, unrwa reported @ least 25 percent of dead far in conflict had been civilians. israel continued bombing, striking dozens of targets including smuggling tunnels along gaza–egypt border.

during morning, 2 more rockets launched gaza hit city of beersheba; 1 of rockets hit school, causing severe damage building, no casualties, israeli authorities instructed schools remain closed. 2 rockets landed in israeli city of ashkelon, causing light injuries 2 people; rocket hit town of ofakim; several more landed around these cities , cities of kiryat gat, kiryat malachi , ashdod. altogether, more 60 katyusha , qassam rockets fired gaza israel.

according un humanitarian coordinator max gaylard, gaza s hospitals facing severe strain dealing largest ever trauma caseloads under of adverse conditions imaginable . douglas alexander, britain s international development secretary quoted saying thousands suffering. medical items in short supply. fuel shortages have led power cuts in turn affecting hospitals , other essential services. , un stocks of food low. limited aid getting through cannot distributed because of bombing air , rocket attacks launched inside gaza . injured six-year-old palestinian boy allowed transferred gaza israeli children s hospital treatment.

israel rejected international appeals proposed french foreign minister bernard kouchner grant 48-hour cease-fire, saying conditions not right ceasefire. meanwhile, hamas spokesman ayman taha told afp agency hamas open ceasefire proposition end israeli airstrikes , stop gaza blockade. palestinian president mahmoud abbas, threatened halt peace talks if go against palestinian interests , offer support aggression .

in briefing israeli cabinet, shin bet chief yuval diskin said hamas has suffered significant damages , rule on gaza has been compromised, , many hamas operatives hiding in hospitals, posing medical staff, or hiding in mosques , using them headquarters, since assumed israel won t attack them there. according israeli air force, hamas cells have been firing rockets within densely populated areas , attempting use palestinian civilians human shields. cells have been detected in neighborhoods in gaza city, jabalya, khan younis , rafah. israel defense forces has distributed flyers palestinian population in gaza, warning civilians not stay close hamas related buildings, own safety. israeli air force bombed gaza strip mosque. according idf mosque used hamas storage site missiles , explosive materials , rocket cells firing @ israel mosque area , nearby sites. according ynet, attack on mosque carried out after legal consultation idf experts on international law.

israel s supreme court, in response court petition heard previous day, gave israeli government until 10 a.m. thursday allow small group of reporters gaza strip. court warned reporters in embattled area @ own risk . ruling went against government decision 6 weeks ago keep foreign reporters out of gaza until rockets fired against israel halted .

ninety-three trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies , food donated jordan , international organisations allowed entry gaza strip, through kerem shalom border crossing. world food programme notified idf not in need of further food shipments, warehouses filled capacity.

top un aid officials urged israel allow resumption of fuel deliveries gaza strip, noting fuel shortage resulting suspension of deliveries had caused main power plant in gaza shut down on 30 december, affecting 350,000 people in central , northern gaza, live 16 hours or more of powercuts per day.

the united nations security council met 2 hours hear statements secretary general, representatives of palestine, israel , other members of council.