Key Facts
- Duration
- Just over one month (March–May 2002)
- Cities entered
- 6 largest West Bank cities
- Curfew period
- April 3–21, 2002
- Scale
- Largest IDF operation in West Bank since 1967
Strategic Narrative Overview
Israeli forces first entered Ramallah, placing Yasser Arafat under siege at his compound. Successive incursions followed into Tulkarm and Qalqilya on April 1, Bethlehem on April 2, and Jenin and Nablus on April 3. From April 3 to 21, Israel imposed strict curfews across the West Bank and barred entry to humanitarian workers, medical personnel, human rights monitors, and journalists, drawing international criticism.
01 / The Origins
Operation Defensive Shield arose from escalating Palestinian suicide bombings during the Second Intifada, which had reached a peak in early 2002. Israel launched the operation in late March 2002 as a large-scale military response aimed at dismantling Palestinian militant infrastructure in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, citing the need to counter armed groups operating from Palestinian cities and refugee camps.
03 / The Outcome
Israel withdrew from most Palestinian cities in May 2002 but maintained military cordons around certain towns and continued conducting raids on Palestinian-populated areas. The UN reported that both sides at times placed civilians in harm's way and that heavy weaponry was used in densely populated areas. The operation did not produce a formal agreement, and Israeli military activity in the West Bank continued.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.