In 2004 the

Israeli Defense Forces Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

launched Operation "Days of Penitence" (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: מבצע ימי תשובה), otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance" in the northern

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

. The operation lasted between 29 September and 16 October 2004. About 130

Palestinians Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

, and 1 Israeli were killed. The operation, focused on the town of

Beit Hanoun Beit Hanoun or Beit Hanun ( ar, بيت حانون) is a city on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-2006. It is administered by the Hamas admi ...

and

Beit Lahia Beit Lahia or Beit Lahiya ( ar, بيت لاهيا) is a city in the Gaza Strip north of Jabalia, near Beit Hanoun and the 1949 Armistice Line with Israel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of ...

and

Jabalia Jabalia also Jabalya ( ar, جباليا) is a Palestinian city located north of Gaza City. It is under the jurisdiction of the North Gaza Governorate, in the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Jabalia had a pop ...

refugee camps, which were said to have been used as launching sites of

Qassam rocket The Qassam rocket ( ar, صاروخ القسام ''Ṣārūkh al-Qassām''; also ''Kassam'') is a simple, steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. These rockets cannot be fired ...

s on the

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i town of

Sderot Sderot ( he, שְׂדֵרוֹת, , lit. ''Boulevards'', ar, سديروت) is a western Negev city and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In it had a population of . Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the ...

and

Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, or Israeli colonies, are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, overwhelmingly of Jewish ethnicity, built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The international community considers Israeli se ...

s 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 The High Holidays also known as the High Holy Days, or Days of Awe in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim ( he, יָמִים נוֹרָאִים, ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm''; "Days of Awe") #strictly, the holidays of Rosh HaShanah ("Jewi ...

season during which the operation was carried out.

Overview

Following the death of two Israeli children from a

launched by

Palestinian militants Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence perpetrated for political ends in relation to the State of Palestine or in connection with Palestinian nationalism. Common political objectives include self-determination in and sovere ...

launched a major military invasion of the northern

Gaza strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

, focusing on the towns of

and

and the Jabaliya

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peo ...

. 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 Israeli settlements, or Israeli colonies, are civilian communities inhabited by Israeli citizens, overwhelmingly of Jewish ethnicity, built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The international community considers Israeli se ...

in Gaza and the town of

. During this 17 day attack the Israeli military killed some 130 Palestinians; demolished at least 85 houses and damaged hundreds more;''129 Palestinians killed during IDF's Gaza raid''
Haaretz, 15 October 2004 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

s and for shooting

anti-tank missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

s. During the

UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

deliberations over censuring Israel for this military attack, Israel accused the

United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Pa ...

(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 An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to med ...

. UNRWA denied the accusation and demanded an apology stating that the object was a

stretcher A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...

, not a rocket (the person in the video was carrying the lightweight object with just one hand). On October 6, Israel retracted the accusatio
(Reuters)
''See further discussion

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a ...

''. The attack resulted in a proposed

Security Council resolution A United Nations Security Council resolution is a United Nations resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council, Security Council (UNSC); the United Nations (UN) body charged with "primary responsibility for the ...

condemning the Israeli action, calling for Israeli withdrawal and respect for human rights of Palestinians. The resolution was vetoed by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

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
Israel 'redeploys' in Gaza, but who won?
Both sides claimed victory in the operation. Capt. Jacob Dallal, an

Israeli Defence Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branch ...

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.
Israel 'redeploys' in Gaza, but who won?
Th
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 Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni- Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qas ...

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.
Hamas: Resistance forced occupation to retreat

Timeline

September 29

* Five

, including

member Tawfik Ali Charafi, were killed during

i raids in the Jabalia refugee camp in the

and Nablus in the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. The Israeli government claims the troops entered in response to continued shelling of the Israeli town of

from the Jabalia area, including

s launched on September 28
(BBC)(Reuters)
* Two

i children, aged 3 and 5, are killed after a

attack by

on the town of

. Hamas claimed the attack was launched in retaliation for the Israeli raid of the Jabalia refugee camp, which left four Palestinians dead
(BBC)
** Two

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

teenager Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

s are killed and power supplies are knocked out after an

i raid on the Jabalia refugee camp. The raid was launched in response to the rocket attacks on the town of

which left two children dead
(BBC)

September 30

launched a major offensive into the Jabalia refugee camp killing at least 23 gunmen and civilians. Earlier this morning, a column of Israeli

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...

s moved into the center of the camp, followed by

bulldozer A bulldozer or dozer (also called a crawler) is a large, motorized machine equipped with a metal blade to the front for pushing material: soil, sand, snow, rubble, or rock during construction work. It travels most commonly on continuous track ...

s. At least three Palestinian civilians have been killed thus far. Homes are being demolished, forcing people to flee. 72 Palestinians are known to have been wounded
(BBC)(Reuters)
* Two

are killed by

i troops returning fire after an Israeli

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' deri ...

was killed at an observation post in the northern

. The troops have been engaged in that part of the northern Gaza Strip since yesterday, September 29
(AP)
** Two

is, including a

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not " combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant ...

, are killed in an ambush close to Gaza. The

gunman was also killed
(BBC)

October 1

i troops, backed by

s and other military vehicles, entered the northern

city of Jabalia, and the nearby towns of

and

Beit Lahiya Beit Lahia or Beit Lahiya ( ar, بيت لاهيا) is a city in the Gaza Strip north of Jabalia, near Beit Hanoun and the 1949 Armistice Line with Israel. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the city had a population of 5 ...

. At least five Palestinians are killed by Israeli rocket strikes on Jabalia
(BBC)
* The

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

releases

unmanned drone An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

br>footage
of the

showing what Israel says are Palestinian militants loading rockets into a van marked "UN." The UN dismisses the claim, saying that the footage actually shows a stretcher being loaded into a van
(Islam Online, S. Arabia)
(Haaretz

October 2

Yassir Arafat Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...

declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

in the

and called for international aid following

's raid into Jabalia
(News 24 [S. Africa])
*

i forces shoot dead four members of

Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...

and

, who had tried to infiltrate the Israeli

Kibbutz A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...

Nahal Oz Nahal Oz ( he, נַחַ"ל עֹז, ''lit.'' "Mighty Stream" or "Mighty Nahal") is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northwestern part of the Negev desert close to the border with the Gaza Strip and near the development towns of Sderot a ...

, about 200 meters outside of that Kibbutz
(Haaretz)(The Statesman [India])(INN [Israel])
* The U.S.

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

issues a statement urging

not to use excessive force during its current offensive into the

(BBC)
* The

Palestinian militant Palestinian fedayeen (from the Arabic ''fidā'ī'', plural ''fidā'iyūn'', فدائيون) are militants or guerrillas of a nationalist orientation from among the Palestinian people. Most Palestinians consider the fedayeen to be " freedom fig ...

group

says that it will continue using rockets to attack

i communities that border on the

, or

s within it, regardless of Israeli military operations
(BBC)
* The

i military begins an operation to create a "

buffer zone A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. Common types of buffer zones are demili ...

" within the northern

. Israel says that the purpose of the zone is to protect Israel from attacks using

s (which have a range)
(The Telegraph)(CNN)

October 3

* On interview to CBC, UNRWA's commissioner-general, Peter Hansen said that he was sure that members of

are also members of UNRWA. The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, who designate

as a

terrorist organization A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...

said it "will immediately seek clarification from Mr. Hansen directly and from UN authorities."
(CBC)
* The UNRWA demanded an apology from

over claims that Gaza militants used a UN vehicle to transport a homemade

. The UN body showed what it said was the

seen in footage released by the Israel Defense Forces and presented its driver and rescue workers to reporters
(Haaretz)(Jerusalem Post)
He later said it would "have been outright dishonest to say that among a population with about 30% support for Hamas that none of them worked for us
(The Guardian)
*

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

requested that

halt its current military operations in the

, saying that they have led to "the deaths of scores of

, among them many

s, including children." He also urges the

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

to convince

to halt the firing of rockets into Israe

* At least four

s—a deaf man and 3 children—are killed during

i raids in the

town of Jabalia. More than 60

, including civilians, have been killed during Israel's current offensive into Gaza. Israeli

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. S ...

says the Gaza operation will continue until

attacks end
(BBC)(Toronto Star)
* Two

are killed by an

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...

-launched missile moments after they launch a

into

(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 4

*The siege on and within Gaza was severely tightened. According to

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights or Al Mezan (ميزان) is a non-governmental organization based in the Jabalia Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Its declared goals are: To promote and protect human rights in the OPT and especiall ...

, electricity and water facilities were targeted. Sick people were not allowed access to medical treatment in main hospitals in Gaza City or Egypt. *

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

killed six more Palestinians in their attack on Jabalia including five Palestinians who were killed in an air strike just before dawn. IDF said it targets bomb-planters and Qassam launchers
(UN Monitor)
**Two senior

activists were also seriously injured in a separate Israeli

helicopter gunship A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support. In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft having laterally-m ...

attack in Gaza City overnight. Two rockets were fired at Mohammad al Simri and Hassan al Jabari. A Palestinian woman was also injured in the attack
(UN Monitor)
** Ramzi Hassaballah, 21, was fatally hit by a bullet in the eye in Jabalia
(UN Monitor)
**Israeli army chief Moshe Yaalon warned that the raid could last weeks
Melbourne Herald

October 5

* The United States vetoed a Security Council resolution demanding an immediate end to military operations in the northern Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 in favor and one against, with Britain, Germany and

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

abstaining
(ABC News)
* A 13-year-old girl,

Iman Darweesh Al Hams Iman Darweesh Al Hams ( Arabic: ''ʾĪmān Darwīsh al-Hamṣ''; also ''Iyman'') (1991 – 5 October 2004) was a 13-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fire on 5 October 2004, in Rafah, Gaza Strip. The IDF com ...

, was shot by soldiers from an Israeli military post near

Rafah Rafah ( ar, رفح, Rafaḥ) is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 (2014) is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestini ...

, while she was on her way to school. According to Israeli forces, the area was restricted and they suspected that Iman's schoolbag contained a bomb. IDF chief of staff Moshe Yaalon said she was sent there as a decoy by Palestinian militants. Platoon soldiers accused their commander of shooting 20 rounds at close range to "confirm the kill". The Israeli army chief prosecutor ordered an investigation of the allegations. * Palestinians claim an Israeli unmanned drone aircraft fired a missile towards the Al Ajramy street in Jabalia camp. Two brothers were killed, Hasan Abdul Hai Darweesh, 30, and Mousa Abdul Hai Darweesh, 24, both from the neighboring Mashrou' neighborhood. Six others were injured, two of whom critically
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* In Gaza City,

Bashir al-Dabbash Bashir or Basheer or the francicized Bachir or Bechir ( ar, بشير) is a male given name. Derived from Arabic, it means "the one who brings good news". It is also a surname. Bashir may refer to: Mononym * Bashir I, Lebanese emir of the Shiha ...

, a leader in the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, is killed by a missile fired from an Israeli aircraft.
(INN)(BBC)
* Three

militants are killed after infiltrating the Israeli settlement of

Kfar Darom Kfar Darom ( he, כְּפַר דָּרוֹם, ''lit.'' South Village), was a kibbutz and an Israeli settlement within the Gush Katif bloc in the Gaza Strip. History Kfar Darom was founded on 250 dunams of land (about 25 hectares or 60 acres) pu ...

. One of the militants blew up when hit by Israeli gunfire, killing a Thai worker in addition to himself. The other two militants were killed by IDF forces. Gaza Strip
(Haaretz)(INN)(IMRA)

October 6

* An Israeli tank fired artillery at homes in the Al Maslakh neighborhood of Jabalia camp killing Abdullah Qahman, 15, Hamdan Faraj Ubaid, 50, and his 22-year-old son Hammudeh Ubaid. IDF said it shot back after being attacked by anti-tank weapon, hitting the house from which the rocket was fired
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights
* Ahmad Imad Abu Samak, 8, and Amneh An Najjar, 60, were critically injured by bullet wounds to the head in al Maslakh and Nuzha neighborhoods, respectively, of Jabalia town. * A 10-year-old boy, Muhammad Mansour Abed Rabu was wounded in his left leg by Israeli gunfire in al Mahkama street in Jabalia
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 7

* Suleyman abu Foul, 15, and his 14-year-old nephew Raed abu Zaid, were killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia. Israeli military sources said Suleyman and his nephew were killed by a missile fired from a helicopter after an airborne drone spotted two suspicious figures who appeared to be launching a Qassam rocket. A 16-year-old from Jabalia, Muhammad Abu Saif, died from wounds received by Israeli bullets in the neck and the chest on October 1
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* Their deaths—plus the death of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who had been injured earlier—pushed the toll from the latest fighting to more than 80. Late in the day, Israeli forces shot a 12-year-old girl, Samah Mu'een Udeh, in the head in the Beit Hanoun community
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2004/10/08/gaza_death_toll_includes_youths_caught_in_the_fighting/ (Boston Globe)] * Witnesses say that two Palestinian children were killed when the Israeli military shelled a crowd near the Jabaliya refugee camp. Israel says that an Israeli

fired at two people attempting to launch a

(BBC)

October 8

* A nine-year-old girl, Samah Samir Nassar, was killed and several homes were damaged. * Israeli tanks fired shell towards Abu Hasira neighborhood, near Jabalia Youth Club and killed two Palestinians: Muhammad Nabil Subeh and Yasir Al Khateeb, both 19, from Jabalia camp. Three other people were injured, one of whom critically
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* A worker at Rafiah Yam is shot and killed by Palestinian militants
(INN)

(INN)
* Salih Abu Al Ghseen, 35, a man suffering from

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

, was killed by Israeli forces east of

Wadi as-Salqa Wadi as-Salqa ( ar, وادي السلقا) is a Palestinian agricultural town in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, located south of Deir al-Balah. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the municipality had a population of ...

village in the middle of the

(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 9

i troops shot and killed a local leader of the

’ military wing in Jabalia, Abed Rauf Nabhan, as he was preparing to fire an anti-tank missile at

tanks invading the Jabalia refugee camp. The Israeli military claimed that Nabhan was responsible for the launching of the rocket that killed two young children in

Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tis ...

eve, triggering the army offensive in northern Gaza. Abed Nabhan, 25, was one of five Palestinians killed Saturday
(ABC News)(Maariv)
* Israeli tanks fired shells towards a 6-story residential building, owned by the Salim family, in the town of Beit Lahia. It hit the sixth floor and killed Ameen Mahmud Salim, 36 Sufiyan Mousa Salim, 28. Three of the family members were injured in the attack: Dawoud Salim, Ahmad Salim and Muhammad Salim
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* Palestinian anti-tank missile hit a house in Beit Hanoun, causing to collapse on the people inside

October 10

* At approximately 3am today, Sunday 10 October 2004, explosion is heard at the Center of the town of Beit Hanoun. Palestinian say a missile hit close to the UNRWA Women's Center and injured two Palestinians criticall
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* Raid Muhammad Al Mabhouh, 22, from Jabalia camp died from wounds sustained on October 1, 2004
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* Israeli forces fired a missile at a house owned by Adnan Al Ajrami and a crafts factory in a densely populated neighborhood in Jabalia camp. The house and factory were destroyed and nine neighboring homes were severely damaged. A schoolteacher, Mahir Muhammad Zaqout, 39, was killed on his way to school and nine people were injured, including 4 children. The IDF said it targeted bomb-planter
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* An Israeli drone launched a missile towards Al Ajrami Street in Jabalia refugee camp. Four Palestinians were injured, one of whom, 21-year-old Sameh Zamil Al Wheedy, died at hospital a few hours later
(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 11

* At 3:15am, an Israeli

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controll ...

launched a missile towards Al Harthani Secondary School in Beit Lahia. Three people were injured, one critically
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* In the middle-Gaza town of Deir Al Balah, Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers entered the Al Mahata neighborhood of Jabalia camp. Samir Muhammad Khammash, 29, was killed by a bullet to the head. Five other people were injured, including three children. Ibrahim Fayiz Abdul Hadi, 7, was injured while inside his house
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* At 10:30am, artillery from the Israeli settlement of

Neve Dekalim Neve Dekalim ( he, נְוֵה דְּקָלִים) (lit. "Oasis of Palms") was an Israeli settlement and a community in the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip. It was founded in 1983 after the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula ...

was launched on the Palestinian refugee camp at

Khan Younis Khan Yunis ( ar, خان يونس, also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus; translation: ''Caravansary fJonah'') is a city in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Khan Yunis had a population of 142 ...

. The maternity ward of Nasser Hospital was hit. Hospital workers and patients were treated for trauma
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* At 3:15am today, 22-year-old Ahmad Zaki Hamad, from the town of Beit Hanoun, and 21-year-old Yousif Abu Saif of Jabalia were pronounced dead from injuries suffered in two separate missile attacks on October 10
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* About 3:56pm, two

s were launched at Kibbutz Saad in the

Negev The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its sout ...

. No injuries were reported
(INN)
* About 5:50pm, security fence workers were fired upon south of Kissufim. No injuries were reporte
(INN)
* About 6:16pm, three Israeli soldiers were wounded in Jabaliya
(INN)
* About 8:38pm, two 25

kilogram The kilogram (also kilogramme) is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. ...

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

s were disarmed by Israeli demolition expert
(INN)
* About 7:52pm, a

was launched against Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the

. No injuries were reported
(INN)

October 12

* About 8:15am, several mortar shells were fired at the community of Ganei Tal
(INN)
* At approximately 11:00am, Palestinian security and hospital sources claimed that Israeli soldiers at the

settlement shot at

UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...

Al Khalidyeh Primary School in Khan Younis refugee camp critically injuring 10-year-old Ghadeer Jaber Mkheemar in the chest while she was inside her classroom. Israeli military sources claim that the soldiers where shooting at a mortar emplacement either next to or within the school grounds
(CNN)
* About 12:30pm, an

was fired at Israeli soldiers near Rafah
(INN)
* About 1:15pm, a bomb was detonated against Israeli soldiers operating in Jabaliah
(INN)
* About 4:22pm, Israeli soldiers fired at fighters attempting to launch a missile from within the area of a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in Khan Yunis. The missile launch was prevented
(INN)
* Mortar attack in southern Gaza
(INN)

October 13

* About 4:48am, Arab medics reported that an Israeli helicopter missile strike upon a house in Beit Lahia killed Mohammed Marous, 22, a

militant and wounded three others
(Reuters)
* Israeli Defence Forces killed two

al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...

militants in

(Haaretz)
*At 12:20pm today Israeli forces fired a missile towards a crowd of people in the western part of Beit Lahia killing two Palestinians, Riziq Hasan Az Zeety, 38, and Muhammad Said Al Masri, 25
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
* Two

s landed in open field near

. An early warning system to alert the residents of

, which was installed by the IDF, worked flawlessly, according to security officer. Due to the closeness of Gaza launch sites to Sderot only 15–20 seconds of warning was possible
(Haaretz)
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=70327 (INN)] *In Rafah at 6:40pm, Israeli forces killed Jihad Housam Barhoum, 16, and critically wounded Abdul Rahman Barhoum, 8, when a tank fired shells at the refugee camp
(Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
*In

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after East J ...

, IDF forces arrested Imad Qawasameh,

senior who was responsible for the double

suicide bombing A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

which killed 16 people in

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

on August 31, 2004. According to witnesses, Imad surrendered immediately after a

Caterpillar D9 The Caterpillar D9 is a large track-type tractor designed and manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. It is usually sold as a bulldozer equipped with a detachable large blade and a rear ripper attachment. The D9, with 354 kW (474 hp) of gross po ...

armoured bulldozer The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bu ...

started to demolish his house
(Haaretz)
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=70330 (INN)] * About 7:20pm, a

landed near Kibbutz Miflasim in the

(INN)
* About 9:21pm, mortar shells landed within the Israeli community of Netzarim
(INN)
* Four militants were killed in two actions by Israeli soldiers.
(Reuters)

October 14

* The Israeli army attacked the refugee camp of

, in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces stormed into Block (J) of the refugee camp at 9:45pm. Tanks fired shells towards the densely populated block killing Ismail Muhammad As Sawalha, 70, Ahmad Salih Al Tahrawi, 21, and Ali Abdul Kareem Shaath, 23. In addition, Khadra Shoman, 75, was wounded by shrapnel wound to the head.Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 14 October 2004
''IOF expand their Operations in North Gaza and Rafah: 550 Palestinians killed and injured''
Israeli press, however, reported that the Tahrawi and Shaath were armed militants.

October 15

prevented a launch of

from

refugee camp. According to soldiers from the

Golani Brigade The 1st "Golani" Brigade ( he, חֲטִיבַת גּוֹלָנִי) is an Israeli military infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigade ...

, militants were accompanied by

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

, who helped carry the rockets to the launch site. The army refrained from using a

because of the presence of children allegedly being used as

human shield A human shield is a non-combatant (or a group of non-combatants) who either volunteers or is forced to shield a legitimate military target in order to deter the enemy from attacking it. The use of human shields as a resistance measure was popula ...

s. Israeli forces report that infantry units engaged the militants with warning shots causing them to flee, abandoning the launcher and other equipment
(Haaretz)
* At 12:05am today, Israeli forces launched a missile towards Block (7) in Jabalia camp. Two Palestinians, Muhyi Ad Din Al Madhoun, 19, and Nidal Harb Masoud, 20, were killed. Several homes were also damaged in the attack. * Three armed militants, two of

al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. L ...

and one of

were killed in

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...

strike
(Haaretz)
* IDF begins to redeploy in northern Gaza area. Troops, armored forces and

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

pull-back from

and

. The forces remain on alert to reenter the area if a

should be launched
(Haaretz)
* An IDF investigation regarding the death of

on October 5 cleared the Givati Brigade platoon commander on the scene of charges by fellow soldiers that he emptied his rifle magazine into the girl's body as she lay wounded. The IDF accepted the commander's claim that he fired into the ground near the girl after coming under fire in a dangerous area. The officer was suspended from duty pending the final outcome of a police investigation
(BBC)
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART/797/683.html (Maariv)] * In

, two soldiers are lightly injured from an

(Haaretz)
* The Israeli army in the evening began withdrawing from

and

in northern Gaza''Army pulls back from Gaza leaving 100 Palestinians dead''
The Guardian, 16 October 2004
Reuters, 16 October 2004 as "a gesture to the Palestinians ahead of the Muslim holy month of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

", which began that Friday and entered Rafah in southern Gaza, to continue their military operations.

October 16

* One

militant, hit on Friday, died from his wound
(Haaretz)
* The

US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

welcomed the Israeli withdrawal and stressed the U.S. government position that Palestinians were responsible "for ending violence and terror, and particularly for ensuring that this area - that no area is used for attacks on Israel with rockets."

Allegations of Israeli war crimes

In 2005 and 2006

Adalah Adalah ( ar, عدالة) means ''justice'' and denotes the Justice of God. It is among the five Shia Principles of the Religion. Shia Muslims believe that there is intrinsic good or evil in things, and that God commands them to do the good th ...

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 Al-Haq () is an independent Palestinian human rights organization based in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank. Founded in 1979, Al-Haq monitors and documents human rights violations committed by parties to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict ...

filed a petition, in which they asked the

Israeli High Court of Justice ar, المحكمة العليا , image = Emblem of Israel dark blue full.svg , imagesize = 100px , caption = Emblem of Israel , motto = , established = , location = Givat Ram, Jerusalem , coordinat ...

to order a criminal investigation, referring to many local and international organizations who had accused Israel of committing war crimes. Not earlier than two years later, on 6 May 2009, the Court held a hearing.''Court unmoved by demand for probe into 2004 IDF Gaza op''
Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, 6 May 2009 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.

Casualties

The casualties from 28 September to 16 October 2004 are as follows:Note: No reliable sources for figures, gathered some time after the conflict. No reliable sources for the number of killed fighters.

Israelis

* One

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

* One woman * Two children

Palestinians

* According to

, from 28 September to 14 October: 129 people killed, including 31 children * According to

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...

: 129 Palestinians: 68 members of the military wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad; 42 civilians * According to

B'Tselem B'Tselem ( he, בצלם, , " in the image of od) is a Jerusalem-based non-profit organization whose stated goals are to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, combat any denial of the existence of su ...

: 133 Palestinians, including at least 50 civilians''Disproportionate Force Suspected in Northern Gaza Strip''
B'Tselem, 18 October 2004 * According to

IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...

: circa 130 people, most of them armed militants; 9 or 10 civilians * According to Reuters: some 50 Hamas fighters; at least 62 militants and 43 other Palestinians believed to be civilians

References

External links

Gideon Levy: Killing children is no longer a big deal

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Monitoring Reports

Israeli raid on northern Gaza (28 September-15 October 2004)
(Electronic Intifada)
IDF statement regarding Operation Days of Penitence
(October 10, 2004)

* ttp://www.isracast.com/Transcripts/061004a_trans.htm Sderot Blitz
''List of Palestinians who were killed by IOF since the beginning of the incursion of North Gaza''
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, undated list {{coord missing, Gaza Strip Battles of the Second Intifada Counterterrorism in Israel Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip September 2004 events in Asia October 2004 events in Asia 2004 in the Gaza Strip