Editing Operation Defensive Shield (section)

== Strategic outcome ==

The effects of Operation Defensive Shield, as recorded by the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, were an initial drop in half (46 percent) in the number of suicide bombings{{spaced ndash}}from 22 in February–March to 12 in April–May{{spaced ndash}}and a 70 percent drop in executed attacks between the first half of 2002 and the second half (43 January–June, 13 July–December). While 2003 had a total of 25 executed suicide bombings in comparison to 56 in 2002, the main difference was the number of attacks which did not come to realization (184) either due to Israeli interception or problems in the execution. 2003 also saw a 35 percent drop in the number of fatalities from 220 deaths in 2002 to 142 deaths resulting from suicide bombings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/html/final/sp/pa_t/det_8feb_05.htm|language=he|script-title=he:סיכום נתונים אודות הטרור הפלסטיני במהלך העימות הנוכחי עם ישראל עד פסגת שארם אלשיח' (28 ספטמבר 2000 - 8 פברואר 2005)|trans-title=Summary of Palestinian Terrorism Data During the Current Conflict with Israel until the Summit of Sharm El-Sheikh (September 28, 2000 - February 8, 2005)|publisher=www.terrorism-info.org.il|access-date=2008-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524111611/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/html/final/sp/pa_t/det_8feb_05.htm |archive-date=2011-05-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beverly Milton-Edwards, Professor of Politics at [[Queen's University Belfast|Queen's University in Belfast]], writes that while aspects of Palestinian terrorism were reduced after the operation, Israel's objective of ending the Al-Aqsa Intifada remained unmet. Israeli destruction of institutions belonging to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the "emasculation" of the PA and its President, [[Yasser Arafat]], opened a vacuum in the social and welfare system that was rapidly filled by the [[Hamas]], whose popularity grew. Milton-Edwards concludes that, "The unequivocal victory [sought by Israel] eventually remained elusive and the Israelis and Palestinians resumed a variety of forms of low intensity warfare with each other."<ref name=Edwardsp159>Milton-Edwards, 2008, [https://books.google.com/books?id=v-32KcEWVo8C&dq=operation+defensive+shield+march&pg=PA156 p. 157-158]</ref>