Israeli Military Operations

A compilation of documented Israeli military operations, wars, and flotilla attacks.

Major Wars and Conflicts

A chronological overview of major armed conflicts involving Israel.

Year Conflict Context
1948 Arab-Israeli War Following Israel's declaration of independence; Arab states invaded
1956 Suez Crisis Israel, UK, France attacked Egypt
1967 Six-Day War Israel launched preemptive strikes on Egypt, Syria, Jordan
1967-70 War of Attrition Prolonged conflict with Egypt
1973 Yom Kippur War Egypt and Syria attacked Israel
1978 Operation Litani Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon
1982 Lebanon War Israeli invasion of Lebanon
1987-93 First Intifada Palestinian uprising in occupied territories
2000-05 Second Intifada Palestinian uprising
2006 Lebanon War Conflict with Hezbollah
2008-09 Gaza War (Cast Lead) Israeli operation in Gaza
2012 Operation Pillar of Defense Gaza conflict
2014 Gaza War (Protective Edge) Gaza conflict
2021 Gaza conflict 11-day war
2023-present Gaza War Following October 7 Hamas attack

Military Operations

Lavon Affair (1954) – Egypt

USS Liberty Incident (1967) – International Waters

Operation Spring of Youth (1973) – Beirut, Lebanon

Operation Opera (1981) – Iraq

Tunis Raid / Operation Wooden Leg (1985) – Tunisia

1982 Lebanon Invasion

Sabra and Shatila Massacre (September 16-18, 1982)

Qana Massacres – Lebanon

Two separate massacres occurred in the village of Qana in southern Lebanon, both involving Israeli strikes on civilians sheltering from conflict.

First Qana Massacre (April 18, 1996)

Context: – Occurred during “Operation Grapes of Wrath” – Israeli military operation against Hezbollah – Civilians fleeing Israeli bombardment sought shelter at UN compound

The attack: – Israeli artillery shelled the UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) compound at Qana – Compound was sheltering approximately 800 Lebanese civilians – Multiple artillery shells struck the compound directly – Attack lasted approximately 15 minutes

Casualties: – 106 civilians killed – Approximately 116 wounded – Victims were predominantly women, children, and elderly – Four UN peacekeepers (Fijian) also wounded

Victims included: – Entire families wiped out – Many children – Elderly people unable to flee – Bodies torn apart by artillery

UN Investigation: – UN military experts investigated the shelling – Found it “unlikely” that the shelling was accidental – Israeli drone was filming the compound before and during attack – Israel had precise coordinates of UN position

Israeli response: – Initially claimed Hezbollah was firing from near the compound – UN investigation found no evidence of Hezbollah fire from the area – Israel expressed “regret” but did not apologize – No one held accountable

Amnesty International findings: – Called for war crimes investigation – Found Israeli claims “not credible” – Evidence suggested deliberate targeting

International response: – Worldwide condemnation – Led to ceasefire agreement – Remains deeply controversial

Second Qana Massacre (July 30, 2006)

Context: – Occurred during the 2006 Lebanon War (July-August 2006) – Israeli military campaign following Hezbollah cross-border raid – Civilians in southern Lebanon sheltering from intense bombardment

The attack: – Israeli airstrike hit a three-story building in Qana – Building collapsed on civilians sheltering in basement – Strike occurred at approximately 1:00 AM – Victims were sleeping when bomb hit

Casualties: – 28 confirmed killed (initial reports said up to 54) – At least 16 were children – Victims from two extended families (Shalhoub and Hashem families) – Many bodies remained under rubble for days

Child victims: – Multiple children under 10 years old – Images of dead children removed from rubble caused international outrage – Youngest victims were infants

Israeli justification: – Claimed Hezbollah rockets were fired from the area – Said leaflets warning civilians to leave had been dropped – Many civilians had no means to flee due to destroyed roads and ongoing bombing

UN response: – UN Humanitarian Coordinator called for immediate ceasefire – Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed “shock”

Investigations: – Human Rights Watch investigation found no evidence of Hezbollah military presence at the site – Called for war crimes investigation – Found Israeli military failed to take precautions to minimize civilian casualties

Impact: – Massive international protests – Condoleezza Rice's planned visit to Lebanon cancelled – Increased pressure for ceasefire – UN Security Council Resolution 1701 followed shortly after

Qana's Significance

Operation Orchard (2007) – Syria

Ongoing Airstrikes (2013-present)

Syria: – Hundreds of airstrikes documented targeting alleged Iranian and Hezbollah weapons shipments and facilities – Israel generally does not comment on specific strikes

Sudan: – Alleged strikes on weapons convoys destined for Gaza (2009, 2012)

Iraq: – Alleged strikes on Iranian-linked militia facilities (2019-present)

Iran: – Alleged sabotage operations at nuclear and military facilities – Natanz nuclear facility explosions (2020, 2021)

Attacks on Gaza Flotillas (International Waters)

Israeli naval forces have intercepted multiple flotillas attempting to break the Gaza blockade, with operations conducted in international waters.

Mavi Marmara Raid (May 31, 2010)

The deadliest and most controversial flotilla interception.

The flotilla: – Six ships carrying humanitarian aid and ~700 activists from 37 countries – Organized by Free Gaza Movement and Turkish IHH (humanitarian organization) – Attempting to break Israeli naval blockade of Gaza – MV Mavi Marmara was the largest vessel (Turkish-flagged)

The raid: – Israeli naval commandos (Shayetet 13) boarded from helicopters in international waters – Approximately 65 nautical miles from Israeli coast – Occurred at approximately 4:30 AM – Activists resisted boarding with improvised weapons (metal bars, knives) – Commandos opened fire

Casualties: – 10 killed (9 Turkish nationals, 1 Turkish-American) – Tenth victim died in 2014 after four years in coma – Approximately 50 wounded (activists and soldiers) – Youngest killed was 19 years old

Victims: | Name | Age | Nationality | Notes | |———|——–|——————–|———–| | Furkan Doğan | 19 | Turkish-American | US citizen, shot 5 times including in face | | İbrahim Bilgen | 61 | Turkish | | | Ali Haydar Bengi | 39 | Turkish | | | Cevdet Kılıçlar | 38 | Turkish | Journalist | | Çetin Topçuoğlu | 54 | Turkish | | | Necdet Yıldırım | 32 | Turkish | | | Fahri Yaldız | 43 | Turkish | | | Cengiz Songür | 47 | Turkish | | | Cengiz Akyüz | 41 | Turkish | | | Uğur Süleyman Söylemez | 23 | Turkish | Died 2014 from injuries |

Investigations and findings:

UN Human Rights Council (Palmer Report, 2011): – Found Israeli blockade of Gaza to be legal – But found the military response “excessive and unreasonable” – Deaths were “unacceptable”

Turkish investigation: – Found Israel used “unreasonable, unnecessary, and disproportionate” force – Issued arrest warrants for Israeli military commanders

Israeli investigation (Turkel Commission): – Found soldiers acted in self-defense – Found operation was legal

UN Fact-Finding Mission (2010): – Found evidence of “wilful killing” constituting war crimes – Recommended ICC referral

Diplomatic fallout: – Turkey expelled Israeli ambassador – Turkey-Israel relations severed for six years – Massive international condemnation – Israel eventually apologized (2013) and paid $20 million compensation (2016) – Relations normalized in 2016

Other Flotilla Interceptions

Free Gaza Movement Boats (2008)

Spirit of Humanity (June 2009)

MV Rachel Corrie (June 2010)

Dignité – Al Karama (July 2011)

Freedom Flotilla II (2011)

Estelle (October 2012)

Marianne of Gothenburg (June 2015)

Women's Boat to Gaza – Zaytouna-Oliva (October 2016)

Freedom Flotilla (2018)

Pattern of Flotilla Operations

Common elements: – Interceptions occur in international waters (typically 60-100+ nautical miles from coast) – Boats boarded by naval commandos (Shayetet 13) – Communications jammed before boarding – Passengers detained and deported – Cargo confiscated, sometimes delivered to Gaza through official channels later

Legal controversies: – Actions in international waters challenge maritime law – UN investigations found multiple violations of international law – Israel cites San Remo Manual provisions allowing blockade enforcement – Critics argue blockade itself is illegal collective punishment

Intelligence operations: – Several boats sabotaged before departure (Greece 2011) – Pressure on governments to prevent departures – Infiltration of activist organizations alleged