Operation Defensive Shield

Operation Defensive Shield
Part of the Second Intifada

Israeli soldiers taking cover behind an M113 APC in Qalqilya, April 2002
DateMarch 29 – May 10, 2002
Location
Israeli-occupied West Bank (Palestinian territories)
Result

Inconclusive

  • IDF withdraws from the Palestinian enclaves in the West Bank
  • Temporary drop in Palestinian attacks
  • Second Intifada continues until 2005
Belligerents
 Israel

 Palestinian Authority

Commanders and leaders
Ariel Sharon
Shaul Mofaz
Yitzhak Eitan		 Yasser Arafat
Mahmoud Tawalbe †
Units involved

 Israel Defense Forces

Palestinian National Security Forces
Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Fatah Tanzim
 al-Qassam Brigades

 Al-Quds Brigades
Strength
20,000 10,000
Casualties and losses
30 killed
127 wounded[1]		 497 killed (per UN reports)[2]
1,447 wounded[3][4]
7,000 detained[2]
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Cities in the West Bank that saw major combat during Operation Defensive Shield

Operation Defensive Shield (Hebrew: מִבְצָע חוֹמַת מָגֵן Mīvtzāh Ḥōmat Māgēn) was a 2002 Israeli military operation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the Second Intifada. Lasting for just over a month, it was the largest combat operation in the West Bank since the start of Israel's occupation in 1967.

The operation began with an Israeli incursion into Ramallah, where Yasser Arafat was placed under siege at his compound. This was followed by successive incursions into the six largest cities in the West Bank and their surrounding localities.[5] Israel's military moved into Tulkarm and Qalqilya on April 1, into Bethlehem on April 2, and into Jenin and Nablus on April 3. From April 3–21, Israeli forces enforced strict curfews on the civilian Palestinian populations in the West Bank, and restricted movements of international personnel, including, prohibition of entry to humanitarian and medical personnel as well as human rights monitors and journalists.[6]

In May 2002, Israeli troops withdrew from Palestinian cities in the West Bank while maintaining cordons of troops around certain towns and villages, and also continued carrying out raids on Palestinian-populated areas.[7]

The United Nations' report on the subject states: "Combatants on both sides conducted themselves in ways that, at times, placed civilians in harm's way. Much of the fighting during Operation Defensive Shield occurred in areas heavily populated by civilians and in many cases heavy weaponry was used."[6]

  1. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs See Soldiers who fell in action in Operation Defensive Shield
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference jenin_report_press was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Operation Defensive Shield (2002)".
  4. ^ "Operation Defensive Shield". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  5. ^ Taylor & Francis Group (2004). Europa World Year Book 2: Kazakhstan-Zimbabwe. ISBN 1-85743-255-X p. 3314.
  6. ^ a b Report of the Secretary-General prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution ES-10/10 (Report on Jenin). United Nations, 30 July 2002.
  7. ^ "Arafat asks Tenet to pressure Israel, aide says". 4 June 2002. CNN.