Raid on Beit Hanoun (2004)
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The Raid on Beit Hanoun of 2004 or "Operation Forward Shield" was a 37 days long
invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity aggressively enter territory (country subdivision), territory owned by another such entity, gen ...
and
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
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 ...
in northern Gaza by the Israeli army, from 29 June to 5 August 2004. The stated goal was to prevent future rocket attacks from Gaza following the deaths of two residents of the Israeli 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 ...
on 28 June.''Preliminary Humanitarian Situation Report Operation "Forward Shield"''
. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 20 August 2004 19 or 20 Palestinians were killed, including 6 children, and about 70 houses were destroyed.


Background

Following the deaths of two residents of the Israeli 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 ...
on 28 June 2004, killed in a rocket attack by militants in
occupied ' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
Gaza, the Israeli army started a raid on
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 ...
, dubbed ''"Operation Forward Shield"''. The stated goal was to prevent future rocket attacks from Gaza. The operation, ahead the planned unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, was preceded by Operation Rainbow (2004) and followed by
Operation Days of Penitence In 2004 the Israeli Defense Forces launched Operation "Days of Penitence" (Hebrew: מבצע ימי תשובה), otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance" in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation lasted between 29 September and 16 Octob ...
.


The operation

The raid started on 28/29 June 2004, around midnight, with a direct attack on the offices of local and international media. From an attack helicopter, 4
missile In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocke ...
s were launched at the offices of inter alia
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
,
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
,
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, the German broadcast ARD and Al-Jeel. It was the third Israeli attack against media in Gaza in less than 2 months. The IDF said it targeted ''"a structure which was used by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza City"'', that the building was ''"a communications center which maintained constant contact with terrorists"'' and that it had distributed ''"incitement material"'' from Hamas.
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
and PCHR said it was a clear intent to silence local Palestinian media.''Israel: Strikes to Silence Palestinian Media''
Human Rights Watch, 2 July 2004 The
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journ ...
(CPJ) wrote a letter Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, expressing its concerns.''CPJ expresses grave concern about Gaza strike''
Committee to Protect Journalists, 30 June 2004 On 29 June 2004, about 5 am, the Israeli army deployed its forces around
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 ...
in north-eastern Gaza. With tanks and helicopters, the IDF attacked Beit Hanoun and neighbouring areas. The operation caused large-scale damage and destruction to property and infrastructure. On 3 August, the IDF expanded the operation further west with tanks and other armoured vehicles. The whole period of 37 days, civilian movement into and out of the town as well as movement within the town was banned. After 37 days, the IDF began its redeployment, on 5 August at 1 am.''A paper on the IOF Invasion of the town of Beit Hanoun (29 June – 5 August 2004)''
. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, 12 August 2004. On


Casualties

During the raid, 19 or 20 Palestinians were killed, including 6 children.


Damages

With tanks and bulldozers, the Israeli army caused immense damage. According to PCHR, 70 houses were destroyed. Al Mezan reported 33 completely destroyed homes. Also factories and workshops were destroyed. The IDF damaged and destroyed schools, health and other public facilities, kindergartens, mosques, sewerage pumps and security posts. There was large-scale damage to infrastructure: water, electricity and sewerage networks and roads. Sixteen water-wells were destroyed. Levelling of agricultural land by IDF bulldozers and tanks was one of the main components of operation "Forward Shield". Orchards were almost completely destroyed. In addition, 6 livestock farms were destroyed. Some 2,600-4,000 dunams of agricultural land were razed and destroyed. ''A special Issue at the End of 2004''
. PCHR, 30 December 2004


Violation of international law

According to the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR, ar, المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الإنسان) is a Palestinian human rights organization based in Gaza City. It was founded in 1995 by Raji Sourani, who is its director. It was est ...
, the Israeli army was responsible for large-scale damage and destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure. They also accused them of systematically obstructing medical assistance saying a number of Palestinians died as a result. They also claimed that Ambulances, clinics and medical centres and medical crews were systematically attacked saying they were fired at and personnel were threatened.PCHR
''Third Report on Israeli Attacks against Palestinian Medical Personnel, 1 September 2002 – 31 December 2004''
par. ''Beit Hanoun '' Al Mezan said that the IDF occupied 36 homes and they systematically detained the inhabitants inside one room of the house, held them hostage and used them as human shield.''Al Mezan paper on the IOF Invasion, 12 August 2004''

''"Another 36 homes were occupied by Israeli soldiers and used as watch posts. In every case of home occupation the IOF detained the inhabitants inside one room of the house"'' Al Mezan claimed that the siege constituted collective punishment of the entire population, calling it a breach of IHL and, especially, the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. Also the attacks on the press are considered a breach of international humanitarian law.


See also

*
Operation Days of Penitence In 2004 the Israeli Defense Forces launched Operation "Days of Penitence" (Hebrew: מבצע ימי תשובה), otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance" in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation lasted between 29 September and 16 Octob ...
, 2004 * Operation Autumn Clouds, 2006


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004, Israeli raid on Beit Hanoun
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 ...
Beit Hanoun Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...