Israel Attacks Gaza Strip

Israel launched a massive air and ground strike on the Gaza Strip in late December of 2008 and early January of 2009. The attack was a retaliation against Hamas, whose members ended a six-month unilateral cease-fire by launching rockets into southern Israeli towns.LA Times: In Gaza, at least 35 Palestinians killed in Israeli ground attack (January 4, 2009) CNN: Israel clamps down on West Bank, Jerusalem mosques (January 2, 2009) Reuters: Israeli tanks and soldiers invade Gaza Strip (January 3, 2008) FOXNews.com: Israel At 'War to the Bitter End,' Strikes Key Hamas Sites (December 29, 2008) ABC News: No End in Sight to Israeli Operations Inside GazaA tenuous, informal cease fire was agreed upon the week of January 17, 2009, and the Israelis finished a withdrawal from the region on January 20.

On March 14, 2009, Bin Laden announced in an audio recording that he blames Arab leaders for not stopping the bloodshed in Gaza, calling them hypocrites. He also accused them of collaborating with Israel in the attack.MSNBC: Bin Laden calls Gaza offensive a 'holocaust' (March14, 2009)

On January 10, 2009, Israel dropped leaflets on the Gaza Strip warning that it was planning to escalate the military action. The leaflets warned people to stay away from locations associated with Hamas.BBC: Israel warns Gaza of escalation (January 10, 2009) Rockets launched into Israel from southern Lebanon led Hezbollah to warn Israel not to retaliate by attacking Hezbollah.Reuters: Hezbollah warns Israel against sparking conflict (January 10, 2009)

On the evening of January 3, 2009, Israeli ground forces were observed entering Gaza. The invasion was later confirmed by Israeli military spokesperson Major Avital Leibovitch, who said: "The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations."Reuters: Israeli tanks and soldiers invade Gaza Strip (January 3, 2008) In a televised statement, Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan responded by saying, "We will fight till our last breath, your invasion of Gaza will not be a cake walk, Gaza will be your cemetery and you have no choice but to end the aggression and lift the blockade."Bloomberg: Israel Starts Ground Offensive in Gaza in Bid to Halt Rockets (January 4, 2008)

Israel's military forces clashed with Hamas in Gaza City on January 5, 2009. Hamas said it had fired missiles at Israeli tanks, killing several Israeli soldiers.Australian Broadcasting Association: Israel takes anti-Hamas war into Gaza capital (January 6, 2009)

On December 29, Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, described the attack as an "all-out war against Hamas and its branches." Israel declared the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas a "closed military zone."FOXNews.com: Israel At 'War to the Bitter End,' Strikes Key Hamas Sites (December 29, 2008) Israeli air strikes continued for the next week and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the air assault was the "first of several stages" of military action.BBC News: Israel vows lasting Gaza campaign (December 30, 2008)

Protests against (and some in support of) the air strikes broke out all over the world.CNN: World rallies around Palestinians amid Gaza offensive (December 29, 2008) Egypt Daily News: Divisions inside pro-Gaza protests (December 29, 2008) The Bush administration said that Hamas was to blame for the current violence and demanded that they submit to a "sustainable and durable cease fire."YouTube: White House Blames Hamas for New Violence (Time: 1:46)

On January 6, 2009, Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak proposed a cease-fire plan between Israel and Gaza. The proposal came after discussions between Mubarak and French president Nicolas Sarkozy.Reuters: Egypt announces Israel-Palestinian ceasefire plan (January 6, 2009)

Under the plan, Israel and Gaza would accept an immediate ceasefire for a limited period, allowing for safe passage for humanitarian aid to Gaza; Egypt would host a meeting to reach arrangements and guarantees; and Egypt would invite the Palestinian Authority to work towards national reconciliation.Reuters: Egypt announces Israel-Palestinian ceasefire plan (January 6, 2009)

On the same day as the announcement, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Mubarak told a visiting group of European Union ministers that Hamas "must not be allowed to emerge from the fighting with the upper hand." Haaretz reported that the group, headed by Karel Schwarzenberg of the Czech Republic, visited Israeli Foreign Affairs minister Tzipi Livni and briefed her on the meeting with Mubarak.Haaretz: Egypt's Mubarak to EU: Hamas must not be allowed to win in Gaza (January 6, 2009) Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman, Hossam Zaki, denied the report, saying, "There is an obvious reason for Israel at this moment to further the wedge that has been driven between Egypt and Hamas."AFP: Egypt denies Mubarak said Israel must win war on Hamas (January 6, 2009)

On January 7, 2009, Israel announced it would halt military operations for three hours each day so that food and fuel could reach people in need in the Gaza Strip. Hamas said it would stop launching missiles during these times. Arab and Western diplomats reported that a cease-fire agreement had been reached on January 8, 2009, following a resolution proposed by the U.N. Security Council. However, both Hamas and Israel have rejected this resolution, with Israeli diplomats calling it "not practical."The New York Times: Israel and Hamas Rebuff U.N. Cease-Fire Call (January 9, 2009)

On January 11, 2009, Israeli reserve forces entered Gaza for the first time. As offensive troops pressed in towards the most populous cities in the region, they encountered increased Hamas resistance.Associate Press: Israeli troops meet Hamas resistance... (January 11, 2009)

On January 15, 2009, the main U.N. aid compound in the city of Gaza was hit by Israeli artillery fire; it continued to burn in the hours that followed. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak apologized to U.N. officials, calling the shelling "a grave mistake."CNN: Israel: Shelling of U.N. complex 'a grave mistake' (January 15, 2009)

On January 16, 2009, Israel announced that their Security Cabinet would be voting whether or not to accept a ceasefire resolution proposed by Egypt. An acceptance of the truce would mark a phased decrease of Israeli militant activity in Gaza while gauging the reaction of Hamas.FOXNews.com: Israeli Cabinet to Vote Saturday on Proposal to Halt Gaza Attacks (January 16, 2009) Following the meeting of the security cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that a unilateral cease fire would begin on January 18, 2009, at 2:00 a.m. local time. This marked a rejection of the Egyptian-proposed cease fire agreement and will allow Israel to withdraw its troops and end the conflict on their terms.

Earlier in the day, Hamas officials reportedly said that they would continue to fight Israeli troops as long as they remained in Gaza.Al Jazeera: Olmert announces Gaza ceasefire (January 17, 2009) Hamas' exiled political leader, Khaled Mashaal, said on January 16, 2009, that the group would not accept Israel's cease-fire conditions. He also asked other Arab countries to cut off ties with Israel in the wake of the Gaza conflict. Hamas demanded that Israel withdraw its forces from Gaza and open the blockaded border crossings in the territory.FOXNews.com: Hamas Chief Refuses Israeli Conditions for Gaza Cease-Fire (January 16, 2009)

On January 19, 2009, the Israelis said they intended to be completely withdrawn by the time that American president-elect Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. A senior Israeli official said the move was to allow Obama to focus on rebuilding Gaza and securing a long term peace.International Herald Tribune: Israel hopes to complete Gaza troop withdrawal by Tuesday (January 19, 2009) Israeli military officials said the last troops were removed before dawn on Wednesday, January 21, 2009.FOXNews.com: Israel Withdraws All Troops From Gaza Strip (January 21, 2009)

However, Hamas had began to increase mortar fire into Israel around January 30, which prompted Israel to conduct an air strike into the region. The air strike reportedly killed a Gaza militant and wounded a second person.AP: Israeli air strike kills Gaza militant(February 2, 2009)

Despite some aggression on both sides, as of February 2, 2009, the ceasefire has held. U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell and French President Nicolas Sarkozy went to the region to discuss cementing the cease fire. Hamas leaders went to Egypt to work with mediators. The United Nations prepared a $613 million aid package to Gaza, and have appealed to Israel, Egypt, and Hamas to allow construction equipment and materials into Gaza for the reconstruction to begin.Los Angeles Times: U.N. makes $613-million appeal for Gaza (January 30, 2009) VOA News: UN Urges No Political Interference in Gaza Aid Operation (February 2, 2009) On February 10, 2009, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ordered a probe into attacks that struck U.N. facilities during the Israeli-Hamas conflict.International Herald Tribune: Ban sets probe in attacks on UN's Gaza facilities

"We have stretched our hand in peace many times to the Palestinian people. We have nothing against the people of Gaza. But this is an all-out war against Hamas and its branches. The restraint that we have demonstrated is the source of our strength when it is time to fight."—Ehud BarakFOXNews.com: Israel At 'War to the Bitter End,' Strikes Key Hamas Sites (December 29, 2008)

"In order for the violence to stop, Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel and agree to respect a sustainable and durable cease fire."—White House spokesmanYouTube: White House Blames Hamas for New Violence (Time: 1:46)