Gaza Rocket Statistics

This morning from IDF Spokesperson - - -

• Today, over 950,000 Israelis live within range of rocket and mortar attacks.

• There have been approximately 7,200 rockets (Grads, Qassams) and mortars launched at Israel since 2005.

• During 2008, there have been 1755 mortars shells, 1720 Qassams rockets, and 75 Grad missiles launched at Israel.

• Since Hamas’ election there has been a steady increase of these rocket attacks against Israel’s citizens:

• Between Israel’s evacuation of Gaza and the election of Hamas (Aug. 15, 2005 – Jan. 25, 2006), there was an average of over 15 rocket and mortar attacks a month.

• Between Hamas’ election and Hamas’ forceful takeover of the Strip (Jan. 25, 2006 – June 14, 2007), there was an average of over 102 attacks per month—an over 650% increase.

• Between Hamas’ takeover and the start of the Tahadiya (State of Calm), (June 14, 2007 – June 16, 2008), there was an average of over 361 attacks per month—an increase of an additional 350%.

• On Nov. 4 – 5, Israel launched Operation “Double Challenge”, targeting a tunnel Hamas was building as part of a plan to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

• From the end of Operation “Double Challenge” until the end of the Tahadiya, (Nov. 4 - Dec. 19, 2008) a period of only a month and a half, there were 170 mortars, 255 Qassams, and 5 Grads fired upon Israel’s civilian population centers.

• Since the end of the Tahadiya (Dec. 19, 2009) until the beginning of Operation “Cast Lead,” (Dec. 27, 2008) a period of little more than a week, there were approximately 300 mortars and rockets fired onto Israel.

• Since the begining of Operation ”Cast Lead”, there have been an additional 500 launches, 284 of which have been verified as rockets (both Qassams and Grads), and 113 as mortars.

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Comments:

I’ll be interested to see statistics on the number of Hamas leaders who’ve in recent days chosen to hide out surrounded by women and children in the hope Israel won’t target them lest it injure or kill the woman and children.

Hamas leaders strike me as the kind of “freedom fighters” only some liberals and leftists would support.

Hat tip: The Other McCain via Instapundit