Editing Palestine (section)

=====Operation Pillar of Defense (2012)=====
With the Israeli occupation's end still not in sight, the Palestinian armed and peaceful resistance waged on. Gaza, so densely populated that one may fire a rocket into the Strip at random and hit a person or building, was home to the armed resistance, continued firing rockets and Israel continued striking from above, leading to skirmishes on the ground. This came to a head in Operation Pillar of Defense, November 14th-21st, 2012.

Israel launched a major ground offensive in Gaza after escalating events: On November 14th, the IDF killed Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari, which caused widespread protests. The airstrikes rained down on 20 other targets in civilian neighborhoods, which the IDF claimed were housing weapons. Ten were killed, and the airstrikes continued through the night. Hamas responded with rocket fire, but killed no one. 

A three-hour ceasefire was arranged on November 16th so Egyptian PM Hisham Qandil could visit Gaza to express support for Hamas and the people. Both sides accused the other of firing over the border, and under the cover of night Israel amassed 75,000 reservists on the borders of the Strip. By November 17th Israel destroyed PM Haniyeh's office with an airstrike. That same day the WHO categorically condemned the bombing campaign, stating that Gazan hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and running out of medical supplies and drugs. Haaretz quoted Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai in saying "The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages."

Over the following weekend, Israeli navy fired into the concentration camp, killing a young girl and her uncle. Journalists from Sky News, ITN, Press TV, and Al-Quds TV were injured when two buildings were targeted. Reporters without Borders notably defended Palestinian media in a statement, citing international law. The 19th of November also saw the mass murder of the Dalu family. A handful of Israelis were killed by further retaliatory rocket fire (still mostly crude, hand-made bombs), while Israeli airstrikes left scores dead and more injured. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Israel to speak with Netanyahu, but refused to meet with Hamas leaders citing their "terrorist" designation in the US. Israel, Egypt, and the UN Secretary-General brokered the ceasefire through Clinton, which was easily discarded before it was even announced after Hamas approved of a bus bombing carried out independently in Tel Aviv, injuring 28. When Hamas spokesman Zuhri called this bombing an act of revenge for the rampant death and destruction, including the Dalu family specifically, Israel began another spree of airstrikes. 

All in all, Israeli forces accepted a ceasefire brokered by Egypt. Four Israelis and 174 Palestinians were killed in the week-long operation, including more than a hundred Palestinian civilians and dozens of women and children. Over 1,250 Palestinians were injured, almost 300 homes were destroyed and 1,700 homes were damaged. Despite the ceasefire's terms stating that both combatants were required to "stop all hostilities in the Gaza Strip land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals", Israel continued to regularly violate and re-violate these terms over the years.

The UN report on Operation Pillar of Defense was published on March 6th, 2013. The UN again admonished both sides of the conflict for failing to "respect" international law. Infrared views this equivocation of Israeli and Palestinian crimes as lopsided and ultimately flawed, owing to the nature of international law's application itself. To the UN both actors were equal-- they were not an occupied and occupier, even though Israeli settlements, land-grabs, occupation, war crimes, and massacres were condemned under international law and Palestinian right of return, self-determination, sovereignty, and other rights were nominally upheld-- and thus "both sides" were expected equally to follow international law without distinction or contextualization of events in their world-historical essence. International law was to be applied blindly, not impartially. Not to mention the fact that Israeli wars and crimes have led to far more death and destruction than any acts by the Palestinian armed resistance. In spite of these facts, the UN has admitted Palestinian representation multiple assemblies, which still does not bring about an equal level of representation as Israel is regularly defended by the US, including using its special veto powers to defend Israel at the UNSC.

In August 2012, the UNRWA issued a report stating that Palestine would be unlivable by 2020 for a multitude of factors imposed upon it by the Israeli occupation.

"Land restrictions imposed since late 2008 still remain, preventing Palestinians from accessing land located 500m to 1.5km from the Green Line. This restricted area on land is estimated at 15% of the total land mass of the Gaza Strip and 35% of its agricultural land: a sore restriction on the densely populated territory. Fishermen are prohibited from accessing around 85% of the maritime areas they are entitled to according to the Oslo Accords. These access restrictions are regularly enforced by Israeli military force over land and at sea when controlled areas are entered."

Around 2013 the unemployment rate skyrocketed due to the Israeli blockade imposed upon Gaza in 2007 as collective punishment. At that time about 23% of men were unemployed and 50% of young people.