Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel

Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip have occurred since 2001. As of January 2009, over 8,600 rockets had been launched, leading to 28 deaths and several hundred injuries, as well as widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life. The weapons, often generically referred to as Qassams , were initially crude and short-range, mainly affecting the Israeli city of Sderot and other communities bordering the Gaza Strip. However, in 2006 more sophisticated rockets began to be deployed, reaching the larger coastal city of Ashkelon , and by early 2009 major cities Ashdod and Beersheba had been hit by Katyusha and Grad rockets. Attacks have been carried out by all Palestinian armed groups and according to a 2008 poll are supported by most Palestinians , though the stated motives and goals have been mixed. The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, have been designated as terrorism by European Union and Israeli officials, and are defined as war crimes by human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch . Defenses constructed specifically to deal with the weapons include fortifications for schools and bus stops as well as an alarm system named Red Color . A system to intercept short-range rockets is being developed. The attacks were a stated cause of the Gaza blockade , Operation Cast Lead (Dec 27, 2008 - Jan 21, 2009) and other Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, including Operation Rainbow (May, 2004) and Operation Days of Penitence (2004), Operation Summer Rains (2006), Operation Autumn Clouds (2006), and Operation Hot Winter (2008).

Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict . As of July 2014 the attacks have killed 50 people, and injured more than 1900 people, but their main effect is their creation of widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life among the Israeli populace. Medical studies in Sderot , the Israeli city closest to the Gaza Strip, have documented a post-traumatic stress disorder incidence among young children of almost 50%, as well as high rates of depression and miscarriage . A public opinion poll conducted in March 2013 found that most Palestinians do not support firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip. Another poll conducted in September 2014 found that 80% of Palestinians support firing rockets against Israel if it does not allow unfettered access to Gaza. These rocket attacks have caused flight cancellations at Ben Gurion airport . The weapons, often generically referred to as Qassams , were initially crude and short-range, mainly affecting Sderot and other communities bordering the Gaza Strip. In 2006, more sophisticated rockets began to be deployed, reaching the larger coastal city of Ashkelon , and by early 2009 major cities Ashdod and Beersheba had been hit by Katyusha , WS-1B and Grad rockets. In 2012, Jerusalem and Israel's commercial center Tel Aviv were targeted with locally made "M-75" and Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, respectively, and in July 2014, the northern city of Haifa was targeted for the first time. A few projectiles have contained white phosphorus . Attacks have been carried out by all Palestinian armed groups, and, prior to the 2008–2009 Gaza War , were consistently supported by most Palestinians, although the stated goals have been mixed. The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, have been described as terrorism by United Nations , European Union and Israeli officials, and are defined as war crimes by human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch . Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets are illegal under international law . Israeli defenses constructed specifically to deal with the weapons include fortifications for schools and bus stops as well as an alarm system named Red Color . Iron Dome , a system to intercept short-range rockets, was developed by Israel and first deployed in the spring of 2011 to protect Beersheba and Ashkelon, but officials and experts warned that it would not be completely effective. Shortly thereafter, it intercepted a Palestinian Grad rocket for the first time. Range of missiles launched from Gaza Strip (10-160 km). In the cycle of violence, rocket attacks alternate with Israeli military actions. From the outbreak of the Al Aqsa Intifada (September 30, 2000) through March 2013, 8,749 rockets and 5,047 mortar shells were fired on Israel, while Israel has conducted several military operations in the Gaza Strip, among them Operation Rainbow (2004), Operation Days of Penitence (2004), Operation Summer Rains (2006), Operation Autumn Clouds (2006), Operation Hot Winter (2008), Operation Cast Lead (2009), Operation Pillar of Defense (2012), and Operation Protective Edge (2014). One joint Israeli-European study (2009) concluded that Israel is responsible for 79% of disruptions of the lull in hostilities, while Hamas and other factions were responsible for 8% of such violations. "רקטות גראד נורו לדרום, לראשונה: גם לרמת הנגב" . וואלה! חדשות . Two rockets land outside J'lem; two fired at TA , Jerusalem Post 16-11-2012 "IDF examining whether missiles were fired at Haifa and area | JPost | Israel News" . Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 . International Committee of the Red Cross . Iron Dome successfully intercepts Gaza rocket for first time , Haaretz 07-04-2011 "Rocket and mortar fire into Israel" . B'Tselem . 24 July 2014 [1 January 2011] .

Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict . The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, have been described as terrorism by United Nations , European Union and Israeli officials, and are defined as war crimes by human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch . The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets illegal under international law . From 2004 to 2014, these attacks have killed 27 Israeli civilians, 5 foreign nationals, 5 IDF soldiers, and at least 11 Palestinians and injured more than 1900 people. Their main effect is their creation of widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life among the Israeli populace. Medical studies in Sderot , the Israeli city closest to the Gaza Strip, have documented a post-traumatic stress disorder incidence among young children of almost 50%, as well as high rates of depression and miscarriage . A public opinion poll conducted in March 2013 found that most Palestinians do not support firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip with only 38% favoring their use and over 80% supporting non-violent protest. Another poll conducted in September 2014 found that 80% of Palestinians support firing rockets against Israel if it does not allow unfettered access to Gaza. These rocket attacks have caused flight cancellations at Ben Gurion airport . The weapons, often generically referred to as Qassams , were initially crude and short-range, mainly affecting Sderot and other communities bordering the Gaza Strip. In 2006, more sophisticated rockets began to be deployed, reaching the larger coastal city of Ashkelon , and by early 2009 major cities Ashdod and Beersheba had been hit by Katyusha , WS-1B and Grad rockets. In 2012, Jerusalem and Israel's commercial center Tel Aviv were targeted with locally made "M-75" and Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, respectively, and in July 2014, the northern city of Haifa was targeted for the first time. A few projectiles have contained white phosphorus said to be recycled from unexploded munitions used by Israel in bombing Gaza. Attacks have been carried out by all Palestinian armed groups, and, prior to the 2008–2009 Gaza War , were consistently supported by most Palestinians, although the stated goals have been mixed. Israeli defenses constructed specifically to deal with the weapons include fortifications for schools and bus stops as well as an alarm system named Red Color . Iron Dome , a system to intercept short-range rockets, was developed by Israel and first deployed in the spring of 2011 to protect Beersheba and Ashkelon, but officials and experts warned that it would not be completely effective. Shortly thereafter, it intercepted a Palestinian Grad rocket for the first time. Range of missiles launched from Gaza Strip (10-160 km). In the cycle of violence, rocket attacks alternate with Israeli military actions. Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 . "רקטות גראד נורו לדרום, לראשונה: גם לרמת הנגב" . וואלה! חדשות . The phosphorus rocket exploded in an open field in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported. Still, the source said the groups' use of phosphorus shells was "an experiment" and that there are no plans to put it to mass use. "We don't have the kind of phosphorus the Israelis are talking about." White phosphorus found in mortar shells fired from Gaza".

Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict . The attacks, widely condemned for targeting civilians, have been described as terrorism by the United Nations , the European Union , and Israeli officials, and are defined as war crimes by human rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch . The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets to be illegal under international law . From 2004 to 2014, these attacks have killed 27 Israeli civilians, 5 foreign nationals, 5 IDF soldiers, and at least 11 Palestinians and injured more than 1900 people. Their main effect is their creation of widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life among the Israeli populace. Medical studies in Sderot , the Israeli city closest to the Gaza Strip, have documented a post-traumatic stress disorder incidence among young children of almost 50%, as well as high rates of depression and miscarriage . A public opinion poll conducted in March 2013 found that a majority of Palestinians do not support firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip, with only 38% favoring their use. Another poll conducted in September 2014 found that 80% of Palestinians support firing rockets against Israel, if it does not allow unfettered access to Gaza. These rocket attacks have caused flight cancellations at Ben Gurion airport . The weapons, often generically referred to as Qassams , were initially crude and short-range, mainly affecting Sderot and other communities bordering the Gaza Strip. In 2006, more sophisticated rockets began to be deployed, reaching the larger coastal city of Ashkelon , and by early 2009 major cities Ashdod and Beersheba had been hit by Katyusha , WS-1B and Grad rockets. In 2012, Jerusalem and Israel's commercial center Tel Aviv were targeted with locally made "M-75" and Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, respectively, and in July 2014, the northern city of Haifa was targeted for the first time. A few projectiles have contained white phosphorus said to be recycled from unexploded munitions used by Israel in bombing Gaza. Attacks have been carried out by all Palestinian armed groups, and, prior to the 2008–2009 Gaza War , were consistently supported by most Palestinians, although the stated goals have been mixed. Israeli defenses constructed specifically to deal with the weapons include fortifications for schools and bus stops as well as an alarm system named Red Color . Iron Dome , a system to intercept short-range rockets, was developed by Israel and first deployed in the spring of 2011 to protect Beersheba and Ashkelon, but officials and experts warned that it would not be completely effective. Shortly thereafter, it intercepted a Palestinian Grad rocket for the first time. Range of missiles launched from Gaza Strip (10-160 km). In the cycle of violence, rocket attacks alternate with Israeli military actions. Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977 . "רקטות גראד נורו לדרום, לראשונה: גם לרמת הנגב" . וואלה! חדשות . 28 October 2012. The phosphorus rocket exploded in an open field in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported. Still, the source said the groups' use of phosphorus shells was "an experiment" and that there are no plans to put it to mass use. "We don't have the kind of phosphorus the Israelis are talking about." White phosphorus found in mortar shells fired from Gaza".