A coordinated militant assault on southern Israel killed eight Israelis and triggered an Egyptian-Israeli diplomatic crisis over the deaths of five Egyptian soldiers.
Key Facts
- Date of attack
- August 18, 2011
- Israelis killed
- 8 (6 civilians, 1 police, 1 soldier)
- Attackers killed
- 10 (8 by IDF, 2 by Egyptian forces)
- Egyptian soldiers killed
- 5
- Rockets fired from Gaza
- More than 100
- Attack location
- Highway 12, Negev, near Egyptian border
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Israel's Shin Bet had warned of an impending militant attack along the Egyptian border, and Israeli troops were pre-positioned in the area. Despite these precautions, a squad of approximately twelve militants organized into four groups crossed from Egyptian territory and launched a coordinated, multi-stage assault on Israeli civilian and military targets along Highway 12 in the Negev.
On August 18, 2011, militants attacked an Egged bus on Highway 12, detonated a bomb near an Israeli army patrol, and fired an anti-tank missile at a private vehicle. Eight Israelis were killed in the assault. Ten attackers were killed—eight by Israeli forces and two by Egyptian security forces. Five Egyptian soldiers also died during the Israeli pursuit of fleeing militants across the border.
The deaths of five Egyptian soldiers sparked a diplomatic crisis between Egypt and Israel, prompting mass protests outside Israel's Cairo embassy. Israel expressed regret and agreed to a joint investigation with Egypt. In parallel, Israel struck Gaza targets, killing PRC members including the group's leader, triggering days of rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes before an informal ceasefire was reached on August 21, 2011.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent