The 21 November agreement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants brought to an end eight days of intensive military action inside the Gaza Strip, but no indication of a long-term resolution to their fundamental differences.
In a post-ceasefire statement, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) says more than 1,500 targets inside Gaza were attacked by its aircraft, naval vessels and artillery during the "Pillar of Defense" campaign. This was mounted following its 14 November assassination of the head of Hamas's military operations, Ahmed al-Jabari, which prompted a major upsurge in cross-border rocket and missile attacks on its territory.
Israel says it attacks included 19 command centres, 26 weapon manufacturing and storage facilities, 140 smuggling tunnels and dozens of long-range rocket launchers and launch sites. It also targeted 30 "senior operatives" from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, including individuals described as having been involved in air defence, anti-tank and propaganda operations.
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Rex Features |
The IDF says just over 1,500 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel during the conflict. Of these, 421 were intercepted using five Iron Dome missile defence batteries, which achieved an overall success rate of 84%. Another 875 came down in open areas and 58 struck urban areas, with 152 launches reported to have failed.
Source: Flight International