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On Dec. 27, Israel began defensive
operations to dismantle Iran-backed Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and
stop the terrorist group from its 8-years-long campaign of attacking Israeli
civilians with 10,000 rockets, missiles and mortars. [1]
Despite Hamas’s unrelenting rocket attacks,
Israel continues to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians
in Gaza, warning the civilian population to stay clear of terrorist sites.
Said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, "Israel has made it clear
that we are fighting against terrorism, not the Gazan residents, and the
extremists are the ones who are taking advantage of the concern of the
humanitarian organizations and the international community as a means of
pressuring Israel." [2]
Israel’s Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
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396
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truckloads
of humanitarian aid that have been delivered through Israeli crossings into
Gaza since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead, including basic food
commodities, medication, medical supplies, blood units and donations by
various governments and blood units. [3]
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80
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truckloads
of humanitarian aid expected to arrive in Gaza on Jan. 5 [4]
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20
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Palestinians
evacuated to Israel for medical treatment (including two children) [5]
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800,000+
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leaflets
disseminated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to Gaza civilians
instructing them to stay away from terrorist and weapons storage sites [6]
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70+
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times
the IDF warned populated areas before conducting airstrikes [7]
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10,000
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tons of
aid transported into Gaza at the request of international organizations,
the Palestinian Authority and various governments since the beginning of
Operation Cast Lead. The World Food Program informed Israel last week
that that it would cease shipment of food to Gaza because warehouses are at
full capacity, with enough food to last two weeks. [8]
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0
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wounded
Palestinians allowed by Hamas to cross from Gaza into Egypt for treatment.
[9]
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Iran-backed Hamas Rocket, Mortar Attacks and
Nuclear Developments
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10,000+
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rockets
and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001. [10]
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3,200+
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rockets
and mortars fired from Gaza in 2008 alone. [11]
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6,500+
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rockets
and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. [12]
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538+
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rockets
and mortars fired from Gaza into Israeli territory during the ceasefire
from June 19 to Dec. 19, 2008. [13]
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480
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rockets
and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since Operation Cast Lead began
Dec. 27. [14]
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28
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deaths caused
by rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since 2001. The dead
include Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the ceasefire
ended, Iran-backed Palestinian groups in Gaza fired rockets and mortars
that killed an Israeli-Arab construction worker and a mother of four who
was seeking shelter in a bus station as a rocket warning siren sounded.
[15]
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1,000+
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people
in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001, including
Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the start of Israel’s
defensive operation in Gaza Dec. 27, 90
Israelis have been injured and at least 244 have
been treated for shock. [16]
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20,000
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Hamas
terrorists Israel is targeting as part of its defensive operations [17]
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1,000,000
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Israeli
civilians Hamas is targeting and can reach. [18]
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15
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seconds
Israelis have to get to a bomb shelter once a warning siren has sounded.
[19]
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8
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years Israel
has endured rockets and mortar fire from Gaza [20]
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3
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mosques
in Gaza used as weapons, ammunitions and explosives depots that were struck
by the Israel Defense Forces during the operation in Gaza. [21] The strikes
occurred only at night and never during prayer times, to avoid civilian
casualties.
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4
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UN
Security Council resolutions passed since 2006 to try to stop Iran from
enriching uranium. [22]
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5,000+
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number of
centrifuges operating in Iran to enrich uranium, the material used to
produce a nuclear weapon. [23]
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What Israel Gave
Up in Hopes of Peace - Gaza Withdrawal Aug. 2005
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100%
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proportion
of the Gaza Strip evacuated and handed over to the
Palestinians. [24]
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300
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square
miles of the West Bank evacuated. [25]
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21
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Israeli
settlements uprooted in the Gaza Strip. [26]
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4
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Israeli
settlements uprooted in the West Bank. [27]
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48
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graves uprooted
in Gaza’s former Gush Katif Cemetery, including six graves of area
residents murdered by terrorists. [28]
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9,000
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approximate
number of Israelis, including 1,700 families, who lived in Gaza and the
northern West Bank. All of them were moved out as part of the
withdrawal. [29]
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38
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synagogues
dismantled in the Gaza Strip. [30]
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5,000
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school-age
children who had to find new schools. [31]
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42
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daycare
centers that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [32]
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36
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kindergartens
that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [33]
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7
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elementary
schools that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [34]
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3
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high
schools that were closed in the Gaza Strip. [35]
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320
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mobile
homes, ordered by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to serve as temporary housing
for settlers. [36]
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45,000
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Israeli
soldiers and policemen who participated in the Gaza withdrawal. [37]
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$1.7 billion
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the
approximate cost to the Israeli government for the withdrawal initiative.
[38]
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166
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Israeli
farmers who were moved out of Gaza. [39]
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800
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cows,
which comprised the second largest dairy farm in Israel, moved out of
Gaza’s Gush Katif community. [40]
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$120 million
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value
of flowers and produce exported annually from Gush Katif and lost following
the evacuation. [41]
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1
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zoo,
the “Katifari,” that housed hundreds of animals and was moved. [42]
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10,000
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people
who were employed in agriculture and related industries in Gush Katif,
including 5,000 Palestinians. [43]
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60%
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proportion
of Israel's cherry tomato exports that came from the Gaza Strip. Israel’s
withdrawal from Gaza extinguished this economic resource. [44]
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3.5 million
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square
meters (almost 1,000 acres) of greenhouses abandoned in Gaza. [45]
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70
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percentage
of Israel's organic produce grown in Gaza – another economic resource lost
in the evacuation. [46]
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60
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percentage
of herbs exported from Israel that came from Gush Katif. [47]
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15
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percentage
of Israel agricultural exports that originated in Gaza – exports lost
following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. [48]
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$360,000
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expected
average compensation amount Israel expected to pay to relocate each family.
[49]
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$870 million
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approximate
cost for Israel to facilitate the resettlement of former West Bank and Gaza
residents elsewhere in the country. [50]
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$500 million
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amount
of money Israel's security establishment spent to relocate Israel Defense Forces
bases outside the Gaza Strip and build new border crossing facilities. [51]
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After Israel’s evacuation from Gaza…
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430,000
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West
Bank Palestinians able to move freely within and between
Palestinian-controlled areas. [52]
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1
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Israeli
remaining in Gaza. Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit was abducted from Israel on June
25, 2006 by Hamas in a bloody cross-border raid in which the terrorists
also killed two IDF soldiers and wounded four others. [53]
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1.2 million
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Arabs
who remained full and legal citizens of Israel. All Israeli citizens –
Christians, Muslims, and Jews – have freedom of speech, religion, press,
and the right to vote. [54]
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1.3 million
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Palestinians
living in the Gaza Strip many of them in Palestinian Authority-controlled refugee
camps, who live under their own leaders. [55]
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820,000
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Jewish
refugees forced to flee without their belongings from Arab countries
between 1947 and 1949, and who have never been compensated by Arab
governments for their losses. [58]
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650,000
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Arab
refugees who left Israel from 1947-1949 and still need Palestinian leaders
who will end terrorism and the culture of hate. [57]
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Israel’s withdrawal from four northern West Bank
settlements created an area more than twice
the size of Gaza’s 140 square miles under Palestinian
control and devoid of any Israeli presence. [58]
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