BICOM

• Statements made by several EU officials currently working on brokering a solution to the conflict in Gaza have indicated that there is wide interest in reaching a viable and long-lasting resolution that will provide security to Israel, prevent Hamas from rearming and restore stability to the region’s population.
• Egyptian public figures have strongly condemned Hamas’s actions in the Gaza Strip and have accused the organisation of initiating the conflict and bearing responsibility for the suffering of the people in Gaza. Additionally, they have slammed Hamas’s sponsors in Iran and Syria for destabilising not only Gaza and southern Israel, but the entire region. These statements highlight the growing rift within the Arab world between Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the one hand, and the regimes in Damascus and Tehran on the other.
• Figures released by the IDF indicate that the Israeli operation is showing clear results: missile, rocket and mortar attacks against Israel have fallen by 50% in the past days, compared with the number of attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists during the first days of the operation. The IDF attributes this to the ongoing pressure placed on rocket launching cells and the retreat of Hamas forces from sites previously used to launch rockets at Israeli towns and cities.

Key statements

Karam Jaber, editor of the Egyptian Roz Al-Youssef Magazine, condemns Hamas’s actions in Gaza (12/1): “History won’t forget to mention that Hamas had inflicted death and destruction on the Palestinians. We hope that Hamas has learned the lesson and realises that it has been fighting a war on behalf of others. We hope the Hamas leaders will realise that they are fighting a destructive war on behalf of the Iranians and Syrians.”

Egyptian political analyst Magdi Khalil condemns Hamas’s actions in Gaza (12/1): “Ever since Hamas seized control over the Gaza Strip in 2007, they turned the area into hell. They imposed restrictions on the people there and even prevented them from performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. Hamas and its masters in Damascus and Teheran want to spread chaos in Egypt. By endorsing the Iranian agenda, Hamas has brought the Iranians to Egypt’s eastern border. Hamas has also copied Hezbollah’s policy of entering into pointless adventures.”

Quartet Middle East Envoy Tony Blair on Gaza ceasefire (12/1): “I am hopeful we can put an agreement together but it’s going to have to be worked on very hard and it’s got to be credible.”

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the conditions of the ceasefire (12/1): “Two things must happen in order for the fighting to end quickly; firstly, residents of the South must be able to live as quietly as people in Paris and London. Secondly, we must ensure that the terror groups will not be able to smuggle weapons into Gaza in the future. I don’t think our demands are exaggerated. We share the right of every state in the world to protect its citizens. We’re not asking any other country’s permission or approval in order to protect our residents.”

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Egypt’s role in stabilising the situation in Gaza (11/1): “Egypt is responsible for what happens on the border, but can also help improve the process of preventing arms smuggling. We are working on this process now with Egypt as well. The international understanding is now that Israel has the right to self-defence and the right to protect its citizens, and that the possibility of letting Gaza remain wide open to arms smuggling in the future is not permissible.”

Situation on the ground

As Operation Cast Lead enters its third week, IDF officials said yesterday that there has been a dramatic drop in the ability of Hamas to launch rockets against Israel. Currently, the launches have dropped by 50% compared to the first day of Operation Cast Lead, 17 days ago.

According to Israeli government reports, the senior Hamas leadership is hiding at the basement of the Shifa hospital complex in Gaza City. During a cabinet meeting a week ago, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said senior Hamas officials decided to occupy the hospital basement because they know Israel would not target it, due to the patients on the upper floors.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired at least 13 rockets at the western Negev on Monday, one of which scored a direct hit on a home in Ashkelon. The five residents of the house managed to flee to a bomb shelter before the strike, thus avoiding casualties. A number of people were treated for shock.

Israel has begun to deploy some of the reserve troops recently mobilised in operations in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the current impression is that Israel is conducting operations in order to maintain pressure on Hamas, rather than begin a large-scale move deeper into the densely-populated areas of Gaza. The IDF is deployed outside Gaza City, the main population centre of the strip and the seat of the Hamas government. Some operations are being conducted in Gaza City, but no thoroughgoing attempt to seize larger parts of the city has yet begun.

A squad of terror operatives opened fire this morning at IDF ground forces from a mosque. The IDF forces directed IAF forces that targeted the squad, and then searched the mosque, uncovering Qassam rockets and mortar shells. In a separate incident, a force identified a number of armed gunmen and opened fire at them. The force later searched the area and uncovered a large amount of weaponry including anti-aircraft missiles, mortar shells and machine guns.

Diplomatic developments

According to initial reports, Hamas has rejected the Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas reportedly rejects the Egyptian demand for a complete cessation of rocket fire and is not willing to accept monitoring of the Gaza-Egypt border for the prevention of smuggling. These latest reports suggest that previous statements by Egyptian officials yesterday, which described a positive atmosphere in the talks with Hamas, were perhaps premature.

Egypt continues to concentrate the diplomatic effort on reaching an agreement that will bring a viable and stable solution to the current round of violence. After meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair said earlier today that elements were in place for a ceasefire agreement. Blair also said that any solution to the conflict “has got to be credible,” and deal with the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.

The French government continues to push for the stationing of EU monitors along the Egypt-Gaza border as part of a mechanism that will prevent the rearming of Hamas through the smuggling of weapons. Both Egypt and Israel have expressed reservations over the proposal, and no alternative force has been agreed upon yet. One suggestion under discussion regards a professional force of European engineers who would accompany Egyptian troops monitoring the border and assist with the discovery of smuggling tunnels. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed the need to stop the smuggling of weapons to Hamas, saying that it is the key question for moving from a humanitarian ceasefire to a permanent ceasefire. Steinmeier is currently conducting a round of meetings in the region and has already met with his Egyptian and Israeli counterparts.

Tally of missiles, rockets and mortar shells fired from Gaza

• Since 2001, total number of identified rocket and mortar shell hits: 8,778
• Since Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza in August 2005:6,086
• Since 4 November 2008: 985
• Since the ceasefire ended on 19 December 2008: 919
• Since Operation Cast Lead began on 27 December 2008: 764

For a daily tally of rockets and mortars fired into Israel, see BICOM Statistics: Total number of identified rocket and mortar shell hits since 2001; daily tally for 2008 and 2009. Please note the new web link.

Humanitarian aid to Gaza

Israel is conducting the latest operation while making sure that food, basic supplies and medical needs are constantly transferred into the Gaza Strip. Israel maintains ongoing contact with humanitarian agencies and enables the constant flow of goods and supplies into the strip.

Since the beginning of operation in Gaza, 806 truckloads (19,983 tons) have been transferred at the request of international organisations, the Palestinian Authority and various governments. Israel does not wish to see the humanitarian situation in the strip deteriorate. Preparations are underway to facilitate further shipments expected to arrive in the coming days.

12 January 2009

165 humanitarian aid trucks carrying medical aid, food and grain are expected to enter Gaza today.

11 January 2009

91 trucks carrying food, medical equipment and other humanitarian aid entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

There are efforts to repair the electricity system in Gaza. Of the ten Israeli lines (which supplies around 70% of electricity), six are operative and four are being repaired. The Palestinian power station (20%) is running intermittently. Both Egyptian lines (10%) are functional.

There is no transfer of fuel into Gaza from Nahal Oz because the tanks on the Gaza side are full and Hamas is refusing to allow the tankers to distribute the fuel. This is a tactic we have seen in the past.

There is a good deal of coordination on humanitarian affairs between Israel and international organisations. COGAT representatives met with the ICRC yesterday to coordinate the movement of ambulances in Gaza. In recent days, Amos Gilad – in his position at COGAT – has met with UNWRA director Karen AbuZayd, UNSCO head Robert Serry and the ICRC’s representative.  

10 January 2009

Official updates have not yet been published. When they are we will update this space.

9 January 2009
41 trucks carrying food products and electrical equipment entered via the Kerem Shalom crossing. While most of the population in the Gaza Strip has electricity, work continues to restore additional electrical lines.

8 January 2009
Israel transferred 89 humanitarian aid trucks to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing, totalling 2,227 tons of food products, medical supplies and medication. 315,000 litres of fuel for the Gaza power station, alongside 143 tons of natural gas for domestic uses were transferred through the Nahal Oz terminal. 223 foreign nationals were permitted entry into Israel to leave Gaza, following requests from their respective governments.

7 January 2009
Throughout the day, the crossings facilitated the movement of 76 trucks loaded with 2,068 tons of humanitarian goods, comprised of donations from Jordan and Egypt and aid on behalf of UNRWA, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Also, 482,000 litres of heavy duty diesel for the power plant, 92,000 litres of diesel for UN humanitarian operations and 43 tons of gas for domestic use were transferred to the Gaza Strip. 

Ongoing activities are taking place to repair additional electrical lines. Nevertheless, most of the population in the Gaza Strip has electricity.

6 January 2009

57 trucks loaded with 1,312 tons of humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The trucks contained medical supplies, flour, powdered milk, potatoes, barley and more, shipped to Gaza at the request of international organisations including UNRWA, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation, as well as international donations on behalf of the governments of Jordan, Egypt and Greece. Israel’s humanitarian efforts, in conjunction with international organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, also include medical treatment in Israeli hospitals and infrastructure repairs in the Gaza Strip.

5 January 2009

49 trucks carrying 1,119 tons of food and medicines were transferred to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, including four with medical equipment and medicines. The aid was donated by international organisations – UNRWA, WFP and the ICRC – and by several countries, including Egypt and Jordan. In addition, 215,000 litres of diesel fuel for the power plant, 93,000 litres of diesel for the use of various UN organisations and 50 tons of cooking gas for domestic uses were transferred via the Nahal Oz terminal.

The evacuation of dual nationals is continuing.

2 January 2009
Israel transferred 64 trucks carrying 1,530 tons of humanitarian aid (including basic foodstuffs, medicines and medical supplies, tents and generators) via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

1 January 2009
60 trucks, with approximately 1,360 tons of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and medication were conveyed through Kerem Shalom cargo terminal.

31 December 2008
93 truckloads carrying some 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and medications were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The World Food Programme notified the Israeli authorities that their food warehouses in the Gaza Strip are full, with a two-week supply, and they do not require further shipments.

The Nahal Oz fuel crossing remained closed due to continuing fire in the area.

Twelve Palestinians, including two children, were transferred to Israeli hospitals.

30 December 2008
93 truckloads carrying 2,366 tons of humanitarian supplies as well as five ambulances donated by Turkey were transferred to the Gaza Strip. A Red Cross plane arrived with medical supplies for the hospital operating room. The aid included food and medicine provided by the World Food Programme, UNRWA, UNICEF, the ICRC, the World Health Organisation, Doctors without Borders, and Care International, as well as donations from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Turkey.

29 December 2008
63 trucks with 1,545 tons of humanitarian goods (food, medicines and medical supplies) were delivered via the Kerem Shalom crossing. Most of the aid was provided by the International Red Cross, UNRWA, Doctors without Borders, and Care International. Five ambulances from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Ramallah passed through, at the request of the International Red Cross (ICRC). 1,000 units of blood donated by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were also delivered.

Erez crossing: Four people (patients and their escorts), and ten international staff, including a pregnant employee of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and her Palestinian husband, left the Gaza Strip and crossed into Israel.

28 December 2008
At the request of international organisations (the International Red Cross, UNRWA, WFP) and of the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah, 23 truckloads of humanitarian goods such as flour, medicines and medical supplies were transferred via Kerem Shalom crossing.

However, the transfer of additional aid through the crossings is being delayed by the high risk of terrorist attacks on the crossings themselves. There is a long history of such attacks, including:

• 22 May 2008: a Palestinian bomber blew up an explosives-laden truck on the Palestinian side of the Erez crossing, causing substantial damage.
• 20 April 2008: Hamas gunmen wounded 13 Israeli soldiers in an assault with mortar shells, explosives-laden vehicles and gunfire against the Kerem Shalom crossing.
• 9 April 2008: Two Israeli civilian fuel truck drivers working at the Nahal Oz fuel depot – which supplies fuel to Gaza – were killed in an attack by Gaza militants.

Further Information

• To visit our new Operation Cast Lead section on our website, click here. It contains daily situation updates, analyses, useful facts and figures, and videos. You can also find the section by going to our homepage and clicking on the Operation Cast Lead button on the right-hand side.
• For a full news review for 12 January, click here.