Final Facts
Summary of Operation Cast Lead
Anti-aircraft cannon found in mosque in Zeitun, northern Gaza
Length of operation: 22 days (Operation Began Saturday, December 27 (11:30 am) and ended Sunday January 18 (at 2 am))
Number of rockets fired: 820 (includes mortar shells)
Number of Israelis within rocket range: 970,000 (= almost 1 million. This is 1/7 of Israel’s population)
Number of Israelis killed: 13 (10 IDF, 3 civilian);
Roadside explosive device wired to a mosque, Khan Yunis, southern Gaza
Number of Israelis wounded: 500, of which:
Civilians wounded: 183 – 28 seriously, 37 moderately, 118 lightly + an additional 548 suffered from trauma
IDF wounded: 317 – 11 seriously, 16 moderately, 290 lightly
Number of Hamas members arrested: nearly 200
An aerial map of northern Gaza City, highlighting points where Hamas planted or built bunkers, explosives, tunnels and rocket/mortar launchers. (Click on photo for hi resolution)
Number of Palestinians killed (based on Palestinian sources): approx. 1,322 (according to Palestinian sources) -- Israel estimates that of these two-thirds are Hamas members, and an additional up to 100 are Fatah, others killed by Hamas.
Article in Ha'aretz about about how these numbers may be very inflated: Read
Number of IDF reservists called up: over 10,000
Humanitarian aid: nearly 1,500 truckloads containing 27,000 tons of food, medical supplies; 1.5 million liters of diesel fuel; 240 tons of natural gas.
(For updated data, including days after ceasefire visit: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Paratrooper Brigade forces uncovered this smuggling tunnel 270 meters (yards) from the border with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas dug this tunnel near the border security fence in order to infiltrate Israel and carry out a terror attack
Number of smuggling tunnels: over 300 (approx. 70% targeted by Israel Air Force)
Start of operation: 80 Israeli planes hit more than 100 targets and nearly all of the Hamas military compounds within 3 minutes 40 seconds
Last troops left Gaza: Wednesday morning, Jan 21
A Hamas tunnel designed to kidnap Israeli soldiers, one of dozens discovered by IDF troops. Hamas intended to lure an IDF soldier to the camouflaged tunnel, drag him in and abduct him
Rocket fire before the operation:
Number of rockets since 2001: over 10,000
Number of rockets since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in Aug. 2005: over 6,500
Number of rockets in 2008: over 3,000
Number of rockets during 6 month "cease fire"(June 19 – Dec 19): about 300
Number of rockets after cease fire and before IDF operation (Dec 19- Dec 27): 200
An excellent resource! : The IDF Spokesperson's Newsletter which summarizes the operation can be downloaded: here for presentations and other use.
For more pictures and info: www.idfspokesperson.com
