Operation Cast Lead, the just-ended anti-terror military offensive waged by the IDF in Gaza, began on Dec. 27, 2008, and ended three weeks later with a unilateral Israeli ceasefire that went into effect at 2 AM on Jan. 18, 2009.
13 Soldiers and Civilians Killed
Of the 13 Israelis killed during the three weeks of war, four were felled by Hamas rocket and shelling attacks in the first three days: Babar Vaknin, 55, of Netivot; Bedouin construction worker Hani Al-Mahdi, 27, from Aroer; Israeli-Arab soldier St.-Sgt. Lutfi Nasraldin, 38, of the western Galilee; and Irit Sheetrit, 39, mother of 4.
Nine soldiers were killed in offensive activity, all in the first five days of the ground offensive, which began on Jan. 3: St.-Sgt Dvir Emanuelof, 22, of Giv'at Ze'ev; Maj. Dagan Vertman, 31, of Maaleh Michmas; Capt. Yehonatan Netanel, 26, of Kedumim; St.-Sgt. Nitai Stern, 21, of Jerusalem; Corp. Yusuf Muadi, 19, a Druze soldier from Haifa; St.-Sgt. Alexander Meshbitzki, 21, from Be’er Sheva; Maj. Ro'i Rosner, 27, of Holon; St.-Sgt. Amit Robinson, 19, from Kibbutz Magal; and Captain Omer Rabinovitch, 23, from Arad.
Wounded and Homeless
780 soldiers and civilians received hospital treatment over the course of the war, including many who were treated for shock and trauma. As of Sunday, 64 were still hospitalized - 51 soldiers and 13 civilians. Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva admitted the most patients during the war – 518, including nearly 200 soldiers.
Ten of the wounded are still listed in serious condition.
Thirty-five families were left homeless as a result of direct rocket hits, and 15 of them are still being housed in hotels.
Estimated Costs
War costs take into account ammunition, reserves soldiers’ salaries, direct and indirect damage to towns and property, losses to businesses, and more. Total costs of the war are roughly estimated at 5.5 billion shekels ($1.43 billion), including 250 million shekels ($65 million) in damage to agriculture in the south. Payments to reserves soldiers for missed days of work are estimated at 600 million shekels ($155 million).
Over 1,725 damage claims have been filed with the Finance Ministry’s Property Tax department. These include 424 damaged apartments and cars in Ashkelon, 404 in Ashdod, 388 in the Gaza Belt communities, and 324 in Sderot. A total of 268 cars were reported damaged by rocket shrapnel.
Industry in the south suffered direct losses of 88 million shekels ($23 million), largely because of worker absences. In factories within 10 kilometers of Gaza, worker attendance ranged between 40% and 60% during the three weeks of war.
How Many Rockets?
The IDF Spokesman's office said that a total of 640 Grad/Katyusha and Kassam rockets were fired into Israel by Hamas, as well as 180 mortar shells.
1,300 Arabs were killed in Gaza, including "hundreds" of terrorists, according to the IDF Spokesman's office. Hamas says 200 women and 410 under age 16 were killed, and 5,300 were wounded.