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Operation Defensive Shield
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== Background == The [[IsraeliโPalestinian conflict]] escalated during the [[Second Intifada]].<ref name=UNreport /> In January and February 2002, 71 people were killed on all sides during attacks from Palestinian terrorists and the Israeli army. March and April 2002 saw a dramatic increase in attacks against Israelis by Palestinian militants such as [[Hamas]], [[Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine|Islamic Jihad]] and the [[Fatah]]-affiliated [[Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades]].<ref name=UNreport>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020806174944/http://www.un.org/peace/jenin/index.html ''Report of the Secretary-General prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution ES-10/10''. August 1, 2002.] </ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3243071.stm "Palestinian Authority funds go to militants". November 7, 2003.] [[BBC]]. </ref><ref>[http://www.pmw.org.il/Latest%20bulletin.html#july12 "Arafat Blames Israel for Tel Aviv Bombing".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315091334/http://www.pmw.org.il/Latest%20bulletin.html#july12 |date=March 15, 2010 }}, [[Palestinian Media Watch]], July 12, 2004</ref> In addition to numerous shooting and grenade attacks, fifteen [[List of Palestinian suicide attacks|suicide bombings]] were carried out in March, an average of one suicide bombing every two days. March 2002 became known in Israel as "Black March".<ref>Falk, Ophir and Henry Morgenstein: ''Suicide Terror: Understanding and Confronting the Threat''.</ref> The large number of attacks severely disrupted daily life in Israel. The first wave of Israeli incursions took place between 27 February and 14 March.<ref name="UNreport" /> Following nine attacks by Palestinian militants between March 2โ5, the [[Cabinet of Israel|Israeli cabinet]] decided to massively expand its military activity against these groups. On March 5, while talking with reporters in the [[Knesset]] cafeteria, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, pointing to the bloodiest week against Israelis since the start of the [[Second Intifada]], explained the cabinet's decision: "The Palestinians must be hit, and it must be very painful. ... We must cause them losses, victims, so that they feel a heavy price."<ref>{{cite web|date=4 March 2002|url=http://www.nyjtimes.com/Heritage/News/Mar402.htm|title=Weekend of terror leaves 23 Israelis dead|website=www.nyjtimes.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040826040541/http://www.nyjtimes.com/Heritage/News/Mar402.htm|archive-date=2004-08-26}}<br /> - On March 4, the first [[Qassam rocket]] attack of March 2002 was made into Israel; there were no casualties. (Source: IDF Spokesperson Statistics).<br /> - {{cite web|url=http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/22/191379|script-title=he:ืืืืื: 3 ืืจืืืื ืืคืืืืข ืืชื ืืืื โ ืืืื ืืจื ืืขืืจ ืืืกืขืืืช "ืืคืืฉ ืืกืืืืง" ื"ืกื ืคืื ืืจืงื"; 31 ื ืคืฆืขื - 4 ืงืฉื; ืืืจืืืื: ืืื ืืื, ืืืกืฃ ืืืื ืืืฉืืืจ ืกืืื ืืจืืืช; ืืคืชื: ื ืงืื ืขื ืืจื ืืืืืื ืืจืืืืื; ืืชืืช ืืืืื ืืฆืืจืคืช|date=5 March 2002|language=he}}<br /> - {{cite web|url=http://news.walla.co.il/?w=%2F%2F191728|script-title=he:ืืจืื ืืคืืืืข ืืชืืืืืช ืืืืืืืืก ืืขืคืืื โ ืืืื ืืชืืื, ืืืืฉ ืืขืื ืืืืื, ืคืืฆืฅ ืขืฆืื ืืืืืืืืก ืืงื 823 ืื ืฆืจืช ืขืืืืช ืืชื ืืืื; ืขืื 11 ืื ื ืืื ื ืคืฆืขื; ืื'ืืืื ืืืืกืืืื ื ืื ืืืจืืืช; ืืชืืช ืืืืื ืืฆืืจืคืช|date=5 March 2002|language=he}}<br /> - {{cite news |work=News 1 |script-title=he:ืืกืืื: 3 ืืจืืืื ืืืคืืฉ ืืกืืืืง ืืช"ื; ืืจืื ืืืืืืืืก ืืขืคืืื; ืืจืืื ืืืจืืฉืืื |url=http://www.nfc.co.il/Archive/001-D-6138-00.html?tag=23 |language=he |access-date=June 23, 2008 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213412/http://www.nfc.co.il/Archive/001-D-6138-00.html?tag=23 |url-status=dead }}<br /> - {{cite web|url=http://www.gamla.org.il/english/memorial/e310.htm|title=Devorah Friedman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020616215625/http://www.gamla.org.il/english/memorial/e310.htm|archive-date=2002-06-16}}<br /> - {{cite web|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/archive/ART/258/091.html|script-title=he:ืืคืขื ืืงืกืื ืคืืข ืืขืืจ โ ืืชืืื ืืคื ืืช ืขืจื, ืืืจื ืืืื ืฉื ืืจืืจ ื ืืจื ืฉืชื ืจืงืืืช ืงืกืื 2 ืื ืฉืืจืืช|language=he|author=Eli Bohadana|date=2002-06-03}}<br /> - {{cite web |url=http://sderotmedia.com/?p=54 |title=Qassam rocket attack on Sderot injured a 16-month-old baby |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218034505/http://sderotmedia.com/?p=54 |archive-date=2009-02-18 }}</ref><ref name="TIME1" /> Palestinian attacks continued, with suicide bombings on 9 March (see [[Cafรฉ Moment bombing]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/3/Suicide%20bombing%20at%20Cafe%20Moment%20in%20Jerusalem%20-%209-Ma |title=Suicide bombing at Cafe Moment in Jerusalem |date=9 March 2002 |publisher=Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215184351/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/3/Suicide%20bombing%20at%20Cafe%20Moment%20in%20Jerusalem%20-%209-Ma |archive-date=15 December 2010 }}</ref> 20 March,<ref>{{cite book |title=Never-Ending Conflict: Israeli Military History |first=Mordechai |last=Bar-On |page=236 |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=2006 |isbn=0-8117-3345-9}}</ref> and 21 March. Shooting and grenade attacks also continued to occur in Israel and [[Israeli settlement]]s. On 27 March, a suicide attack occurred in [[Netanya]], where 30 people were killed in the Park Hotel while celebrating [[Passover]]. The event became known as the [[Passover massacre]]. The following day, a Palestinian gunman infiltrated the Israeli settlement of [[Elon Moreh]] and killed four members of the same family. On March 29, the Israeli government announced Operation Defensive Shield, terming it a large-scale [[Counter-terrorism|counter-terrorist]] offensive.<ref name=UNreport/><ref name="MajZiv"/><ref name="PMnDM">{{cite web|publisher= Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches%20by%20Israeli%20leaders/2002/Statements%20by%20PM%20Sharon%20and%20DM%20Ben-Eliezer%20at%20pres|title=Statements by PM Sharon and DM Ben-Eliezer at press conference following Cabinet meeting-29-Mar-2002|date=29 Mar 2002}}</ref> The [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) issued emergency call-up notices for 30,000 reserve soldiers, the largest call-up since the [[1982 Lebanon War]].<ref>{{cite book |title=War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land |first=Anton |last=La Guardia |page=[https://archive.org/details/warwithoutendisr00lagu/page/348 348] |year=2003 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=0-312-31633-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/warwithoutendisr00lagu/page/348 }}</ref><ref name=Time>{{cite magazine|author=Rees, Matt |date=May 13, 2002|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]|url-access=subscription|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002406-1,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406171450/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002406-1,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 6, 2008|title=Untangling Jenin's Tale}}</ref> The same day, two Israelis were stabbed in the Gaza settlement of [[Netzarim (settlement)|Netzarim]]. Two suicide bombings occurred the next day, and another one took place the day after that.{{cn|date=January 2023}} Overall, in March 2002, some 130 Israelis including approximately 100 noncombatants were killed in Palestinian attacks, while a total of 238 Palestinians including at least 83 noncombatants were killed in the same month by the IDF.<ref name="MajZiv">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3303440,00.html|title=ynet ืืืืืฃ ืืื: ืื ืืืฉ ืฉื ืคืืืืขืื ืืืจื - ืืืฉืืช|work=ynet|access-date=19 December 2014|date=2006-09-13|last1=ืจืืื ืืืกืงื|first1=ืื}}</ref><ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+since+2000/Victims+of+Palestinian+Violence+and+Terrorism+sinc.htm Victims of Palestinian Violence and Terrorism since September 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403024612/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-%2BObstacle%2Bto%2BPeace/Palestinian%2Bterror%2Bsince%2B2000/Victims%2Bof%2BPalestinian%2BViolence%2Band%2BTerrorism%2Bsinc.htm |date=2007-04-03 }}, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs</ref><ref>Source: [http://www.btselem.org/english/Statistics/Casualties_Data.asp?Category=1®ion=TER Btselem casualty statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013054058/http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/Casualties_Data.asp?Category=1®ion=TER |date=2009-10-13 }}. Note that the combatant status of many of the Palestinian dead is unknown. It is only known that they were killed during IDF operations in Palestinian population centres. B'Tselem however has determined that at least 83 of the Palestinians killed during March 2002 were noncombatants.</ref>
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