2006 Gaza cross-border raid

2006 Gaza cross-border raid
Part of Gaza–Israel conflict
The attack site
Location	Israeli army post near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, on the Israeli side of the fence
Coordinates	31°14′00″N 34°17′08″E / 31.23333°N 34.28556°E / 31.23333; 34.28556
Date	25 June 2006 Around 5:30 am (GMT+2)
Attack type	Shooting attack, kidnapping
Deaths	2 Israeli soldiers and 2 attackers
Non-fatal injuries	4 Israeli soldiers (one of them was Gilad Shalit)
Perpetrators	Presumably 7 to 8 militants. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Popular Resistance Committees organization and the Army of Islam group claimed joint responsibility.

The 2006 Gaza cross-border raid was a cross-border raid which was carried out on 25 June 2006 in which a Palestinian militant squad thought to consist of 7 to 8 militants managed to cross the border through an underground attack tunnel near the Kerem Shalom Crossing and attack Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military positions. In the attack, two IDF soldiers and two Palestinian militants were killed, four IDF soldiers were wounded, and one wounded soldier Gilad Shalit was captured and taken to the Gaza Strip.

Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility, together with the Popular Resistance Committees (which includes members of Fatah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas), and a previously unknown group calling itself the Army of Islam.

This event led to the eruption of the Operation Summer Rains. Shalit was held as a hostage in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas, and was only released as part of a prisoner swap on 18 October 2011.

The capture of Gilad Shalit was the first incident of a capture of an IDF soldier by the Palestinians since the Kidnapping of Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.

In February 2005, the PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced a ceasefire which effectively ended the Second Intifada. Hamas unilaterally agreed to abide by the ceasefire. Under the direction of Sharon, Israel completed withdrawal from Gaza in September 2005.

To international surprise, Hamas won the Palestinian elections in January 2006, which were declared democratic by observers. The 'Quartet' demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel, and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements, which Hamas refused to do, resulting in aid being withheld. Israel imposed a blockade and sanctions on Gaza, and withheld customs revenue. Hamas had announced a ceasefire in 2005 and until 10 June 2006, Hamas did not take responsibility itself for the firing of ordnance into Israel, but the group's leader had said in February that it did not intend to impede other groups from carrying out "armed resistance" against Israel. However, Hamas was implicated in rocket and terror attacks carried out by other groups, as well as engaging in its own attacks, despite the ceasefire.