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hereIn summary;
1. Israel resorted to doing what was right in the circumstances as opposed to what was politically correct. (Israel’s security fence was opposed by the US, EU, UN, Arab states, Human Rights watch and Amnesty international despite many of these countries having security fences of their own).
2. As suicide missions and car bombings became more difficult to execute, Palestinian militants resorted to Qassam rocket attacks from deep within their territory.
3. Increased military forays into Gaza and the West Bank checked Palestinian’s rocket attacks on Israeli settlements in the south. Palestinian fighters lost any temporary sanctuary they formerly enjoyed as Israeli troops pursued them without respite.
4. Relentless employment of targeted killings of Palestinian top militants led to a decline in incidents of suicide bombings and subsequently reduced Israeli fatalities.
5. Hamas leaders made an offer for
a ceasefire contingent on Israel stopping targeted killings of its leadership.
6. Stronger
offensive and defensive counter-terrorism measures led to diminishing effectiveness of Palestinian attacks which led to declining motivation.
7. It is only after these successes that former PM Ehud Olmert ordered the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West bank and Gaza strip.
8. Israel’s counter-terrorism measures have led to a recovery of the Israeli economy from -1% GDP growth at the height of the
intifada to 5.7% in 2010.
9. Since last year Palestinian militant groups
Hamas,
Fatah and
Jihad-al-Islami have remained quiet.
10. So far there have been no fatalities or reported attacks in Israel this year.