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Gaza… Hamas… Conflict… Facts!
On December 27, 2008, after enduring an 8-year-long barrage of 12,000 rockets and having exhausted all other options, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in Gaza.   'Operation Cast Lead'  was limited to two objectives:

1. To stop the bombardment of Israeli civilians by destroying Hamas' mortar and rocket launching apparatus and infrastructure.

2. To reduce the ability of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza to perpetrate future attacks against the civilian population in Israel.
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Operation Cast Lead - Israel Defends its Citizens

22 days of war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip

• December 27, 2008 - After 8 years of ongoing missile attack, Israel responds. Operation Cast Lead in Gaza begins.
• January 3, 2009 - The ground stage of the operation commences.
• January 18, 2009 - After 22 days of fighting in Gaza, Israel ends the operation, unilaterally declaring that it is holding its fire. All Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
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  MFA releases

Israel responds to UN Secy-Gen report on implementing recommendations of Goldstone report 5-Feb-2010
Gaza Operation Investigations: An Update - Jan 2010
Status of IDF investigations of Gaza incidents - Update 5-Nov-2009
Amb Shalev addresses UN General Assembly 4-Nov-2009
• Deputy FM Ayalon briefs diplomatic corps 3-Nov-2009
Israel's reaction to the decision of the UN Human Rights Council 16-Oct-2009
Statement by Amb Leshno Yaar to the Human Rights Council prior to the vote 16-Oct-2009
Statement by Amb Leshno Yaar to the Human Rights Council 15-Oct-2009
Statement by Amb Shalev to the UN Security Council 14-Oct-2009
MFA briefing to the foreign press on the Goldstone Report 1-Oct-2009
• Israeli Response to Report of the Fact Finding Mission on Gaza 24-Sep-2009


Gaza War Crimes - Videos

The truth about the Gaza War - see for yourself

Selected video reports by Hamas, IDF soldiers and civilians provide first hand and indisputable testimony to Hamas' terrorism (against Palestinian as well as Israeli citizens) and document the cynical military tactics it employed during the Gaza War.
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War Crimes? FAQ - Main Topics

The Background - What prompted Operation Cast Lead in Gaza?

The Operation - What was the legal framework for the use of force in Gaza?

The Civilians - Were human rights abused in the operation? And if so, by whom?

The Law - Did Israel comply with international law in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza?

The Investigations - What are the complaints and how are they handled by the Israeli justice system?
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Goldstone Mission - Investigation or politics?

Operation Cast Lead, and claims of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza, have been investigated by numerous international organizations, almost always  with Israeli cooperation. Unfortunately, the Goldstone Mission - based on a UN Human Rights Council mandate - was politically motivated and one-sided, making Israeli cooperation with the mission impossible.

Hamas is guilty of repeated and deliberate attacks on civilian populations, which, by definition, constitute war crimes. The HRC mandate, however, ignored Hamas terrorist actions, focusing solely on the Israeli reaction.

The Goldstone Report: Articles from the world press
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Conflict in Gaza - Links

Links to additional sources of information about the conflict in Gaza
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