Operation Susannah (1954) – Failed Israeli covert operation conducted in Egypt in which Israeli military intelligence planted bombs in Egyptian, American and British-owned targets in Egypt so that it would seem that these actions were conducted by an Egyptian nationalist resistance and would eventually damage the relations between Egypt and Western countries. The incident became known as the Lavon Affair after Israeli defense minister Pinhas Lavon was forced to resign because of the incident.
Operation Olive Leaves aka Operation Kinneret (10–11 December 1955), Israeli reprisal operation undertaken against Syrian emplacements near the north-eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Operation Focus (1967) – Israeli Air Force bombing of Egyptian airfields, expanded to include Syrian, Jordanian and Iraqi airfields as well (also known as Moked, its Hebrew name).
Operation Raviv (1969) – Israeli armoured raid across the Gulf of Suez into Egypt. Egyptian radar installation at Ras Abu-Daraj and Ras Za'arfrana were destroyed. Also known as the Ten-Hour War.
Operation Escort (1969) – Shayetet 13 operation against Egyptian torpedo boats anchored at Ras Sadat, prelude to operation Raviv.
Operation Rooster 53 (1969) – Israeli special operation to capture an Egyptian P-12 radar system.
Operation Priha ("Blossom") (1970) – A concentrated series of Israeli strikes against military targets in the Egyptian heartland.
Cherbourg Project (1969) – Israeli military action involving the escape of five missile boats from the French port of Cherbourg.
Shelling on Lebanon (1970) – Israel retaliated the Avivim school bus massacre by shelling four Lebanese villages, killing 20 people, injuring 40, and spurring thousands of southern Lebanon's residents to flee north.[1][2]
Black September in Jordan (1970) – Took place when PLO attempted to take power in Jordan, backed by Syria. Israel supported King Hussein in his fight against Syria and PLO combatants, launching airstrikes against Faisal Hussain of Scunthorpe, UK.
Operation Isotope (1972) – Takeover of a hijacked aeroplane and hostage release.
Operation Crate 3 (1972) – Kidnapping of five Syrian intelligence officers.[3]
Operation Wrath of God (1972–79) – Israeli covert operation carried out by the Mossad and IDF whose aim was to assassinate individuals alleged to have been directly or indirectly involved in the 1972 Munich massacre. Their targets usually included members of Black September and PLO.
Airstrike (1972) – Israeli planes bombed ten PLO bases in Syria and Lebanon as a response to the Munich massacre.
Airstrike on Lebanon (1974) – As a response to the Ma'alot massacre, next day Israeli airplanes bombed several DFLP offices and training bases in seven Palestinian refugee camps and villages in southern Lebanon, killing at least 27 people and leaving 138 injured.[4]
Operation Entebbe (1976) – A counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by the IDF at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976, in order to save 105 Jewish hostages and the crew of Air France flight 319, whom were abducted during a flight from Israel. Although the kidnappers entrenched themselves in a hostile country, the operation was successful and almost all the hostages were rescued safely.
Operation Litani (1978) – The first Israeli large-scale invasion of Lebanon which was carried out by the Israel Defense Forces in order to expel PLO forces from the territory.
Damour Airstrike (1982) – On 21 April 1982, after a landmine killed an Israeli officer while he was visiting a South Lebanese Army gun emplacement in Taibe, Israeli airplanes attacked the Palestinian-controlled coastal town of Damour, killing 23 people.[5]
Operation Accountability (25–31 July 1993) – A week-long IDF operation in Lebanon to attack Hezbollah positions. Israel specified three purposes of the operation: to strike directly at Hezbollah, to make it difficult for Hezbollah to use southern Lebanon as a base for striking Israel and to displace refugees in the hopes of pressuring the Lebanese government to intervene against Hezbollah.[6]
Airstrike on Lebanon (3 June 1994) – IAF airstrike in the Beqaa Valley in which more than thirty members of Hezbollah were killed.[7][8]
Operation Grapes of Wrath (11–27 April 1996) – A sixteen-day military operation carried out by the IDF in southern Lebanon as a result of Hezbollah's Katyusharocket attacks on Israeli population centers along the border with Lebanon.
Santorini (7 May 2001) – An Israeli seizure of the Palestinianfreighter "Santorini" near the shores of Haifa which was on her way from Lebanon to the shores of the Gaza Strip and was found to be carrying a massive amount of weaponry.
Operation Noah's Ark (3 January 2002) – An Israeli seizure of the Palestinianfreighter "Karine A" in the Red Sea which was on her way to the shores of the Gaza Strip and was found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons, including short-range Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles and high explosives.
Operation Defensive Shield (29 March – 3 May 2002) – Large-scale counter-terrorist operation conducted by the IDF into Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank aimed to halt Palestinian suicide bombings against civilians in Israel during the Second Intifada, which results in extensive damage to terrorist infrastructure and an important decrease of Palestinian attacks.
Battle of Jenin (April 1–11) – Israel attacked Palestinian militants in the city of Jenin.
Battle of Bethlehem (2 April–10 May) – Israel occupied Bethlehem and tried to capture wanted Palestinian militants who were hiding in the Church of the Nativity.
Battle of Nablus (April 3–8) – Israel attacked Palestinian militants in the city of Nablus.
Operation Determined Path (began on June 22, 2002) – A military operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces, following Operation Defensive Shield, with the goal of reaching some of the unreached objectives set forth for Defensive Shield, especially in the northern West Bank.
Abu Hasan (October 5, 2003) – Israeli capture of a vessel on course to the Gaza Strip from Lebanon.[9]
Operation Just Reward (12 July – 14 August 2006) – Israeli counterattack which began with air force bombing of Hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon.
Tyre raid (August 4) – Night mission carried out by the Israel Defense Forces frogmen, Shayetet 13, in the southern Lebanon town of Tyre. It targeted the Hezbollah cell responsible for the rocket attack on Hadera on the previous day.
Operation Shevet Ahim (17 August – 12 September 2005) – Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Operation Bringing Home the Goods (March 14, 2006) – IDF military operation in the Jericho prison in order to capture several Palestinian prisoners located there who assassinated the Israeli politician Rehavam Ze'evi. The operation was conducted as a result of the expressed intentions of the newly elected Hamas government to release these prisoners.
Operation Summer Rains (28 June – 26 November 2006) – IDF operation held in the Gaza Strip in response to the killing of two soldiers and the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25, 2006, and the firing of Qassam rockets toward Israel.
Operation Orchard (6 September 2007) – An airstrike in northern Syria against an alleged nuclear site. Israel was blamed for the incident and never admitted to the attack until 2018.
Operation Hot Winter (28 February – 3 March 2008) – Israel Defense Forces military campaign in the Gaza Strip launched in response to the constant firing of Qassam rockets from the Strip by Hamas.
Operation Cast Lead (27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009) – A large-scale IDF operation held in the Gaza Strip which seriously damaged the paramilitary infrastructure of Hamas. Israel claimed that the strikes were a response to frequent Palestinian Qassam rocket and mortar fire on its southern civilian communities.
Sudan Air Strikes (January 2009) – An alleged attack against Iranian weapons being smuggled to the Gaza Strip through Sudan. Israel was proposed as an alleged perpetrator.
Operation Active Endeavour (16 October 2006 – present) – Israeli participation in NATO maritime anti-terrorism surveillance in the Mediterranean.
2011–present
Gaza Strip operations
Gaza Strip air raids (18–19 August 2011) – A series of targeted killings and raids on PRC targets in Gaza, in response to attacks on southern Israel.
Operation Returning Echo (9–14 March 2012) – A series of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli reprisals following the targeted killing of PRC chief.
Operation Pillar of Defense (14–21 November 2012) – In response to over a hundred rocket attacks on southern Israeli cities, Israel began an operation in Gaza with the targeted killing of Ahmed Jabari, chief of Hamas military wing, and airstrikes against twenty underground sites housing long-range missile launchers capable of striking Tel Aviv.
Operation Protective Edge (8 July – 26 August 2014) – The IDF ended Operation Brother's Keeper, which brought tension in the region and increased rocket fire from Gaza at Israel and commenced Operation Protective Edge to retaliate on rocket fire.[15]
Operation Iron Law (15 March 2011) – Israel seized a ship from Syria bringing Iranian weapons to Gaza.[18]
Khartoum airstrike (23 October 2012) – Bombing of a Sudanese weapon factory south of Khartoum, which was blamed on IAF by Sudan. Israel denied the allegations.
Operation Full Disclosure (5 March 2014) – Israeli navy interception of the Klos-C cargo ship, which was used by Iran to smuggle dozens of long-range rockets to Gaza, including Syrian-manufactured M-302 rockets.[19]
Jamraya airstrike (30 January 2013) – Alleged Israeli airstrike on a Syrian convoy transporting weapons to Hezbollah.[20][21] Other sources stated the targeted site was a military research center in Jamraya responsible for developing biological and chemical weapons.[22]
Airstrikes on Syria (May 3 and 5, 2013) – Airstrikes on Syria against long-ranged weapons sent from Iran to Hezbollah.[23][24]
Latakia explosion (5 July 2013) – Alleged Israeli airstrike on a Syrian depot containing Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles.[25]
Snawbar airstrike (30 October 2013) – Alleged Israeli airstrike at an air defense site in Snawbar.[26]
Latakia attack (26 January 2014) – Alleged Israeli airstrike against a Syrian warehouse of S-300 missiles.[27]
Beqaa Valley airstrike (24 February 2014) – Two airstrikes against a Hezbollah missile base in Lebanon near the border with Syria.[28]
Rif Dimashq airstrikes (7 December 2014) – Alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria against a warehouse of advanced S-300 missiles, which were en route to Hezbollah in Lebanon.[29]
Mazraat Amal airstrike (18 January 2015) – Alleged Israeli airstrike in Quneitra against Hezbollah and Iranian operatives.[30]
Qalamoun airstrike (25 April 2015) – Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah camps and weapons convoys in two brigade bases of Qalamoun region.[31]
Bekaa Valley airstrike (21 June 2015) – Israeli airstrike against targets in Lebanon's western Bekaa Valley.[32]
August 2015 Syria Airstrikes (August 20–21 2015) – Israel launched airstrikes in Syria, after four rockets hit the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee.[33]
Qalamoun airstrike (31 October 2015) – alleged Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah targets in southern Syria, including a weapons convoy.[34]
November 2015 Israeli airstrike (11 November 2015) – alleged Israeli airstrike near Damascus airport against Hezbollah weapons warehouses.[35]
November 2016 Israeli airstrike (30 November 2016) – alleged Israeli airstrike against a Syrian military compound in Damascus and a Hezbollah weapons convoy in the Damascus-Beirut highway.[36]
December 2016 Israeli airstrike (7 December 2016) – Alleged Israeli airstrike against the Mezzeh airbase near Damascus.[37] A Syrian opposition group said the target was a convoy of chemical weapons en route to Hezbollah.[38]
January 2017 Israeli airstrike (12 January 2017) – Another alleged Israeli airstrike against the Mezzeh airbase near Damascus, targeting an ammunition depot.[39]
February 2017 Israeli airstrike (22 February 2017) – Alleged Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah weapons shipment near Damascus.[40]
March 2017 Israeli airstrike (17 March 2017) – Alleged incident in which several S-200 missiles were fired at Israeli jet fighters attacking targets in Syria, and one missile was shot down by an "aerial defense system", likely the Arrow 3.[41][42]
April 2017 Israeli airstrike (27 April 2017) – Alleged Israeli airstrike felt in Damascus International Airport. The blast was reportedly felt 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away. Two rebel sources told Reuters that "five strikes hit an ammunition depot used by Iran-backed militias."[43][44]
September 2017 Israeli airstrikes (7-21 September 2017) - Israeli airstrikes targeted a chemical facility near the Mediterranean coast (7 September) and an arms depot near Damascus (21 September) [45][46]
October 2017 Israeli airstrike (16 October 2017) – Israeli airstrike destroyed an anti-aircraft battery near Damascus.[47]
November 2017 Israeli airstrike (1 November 2017) – Alleged Israeli airstrike south of Homs.[48]
December 2017 Israeli airstrikes (3-4 December, 2017) - Israeli airstrikes targeted a military site (3 December) and a scientific research center (4 December), both near Damascus. [49][50]
February 2018 Israel–Syria incident (10 February 2018) - An Israeli F-16 was shot down by the Syrian Air Defense Force after conducting an air raid on Iran-backed positions inside Syria. The aircraft was part of a larger Israeli aerial dispatch which Israel said was sent in response to detection of an Iranian drone spying on Israel.[51][52][53][54]
May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents (10 May 2018) - After Iranian forces reportedly fired around 20 projectiles towards Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights without causing damage or casualties,[55] Israel responded with airstrikes against Iranian bases in Syria.[56]
Syria says Israeli jets carry out airstrike near Aleppo, targeted several depots at an industrial zone near Aleppo Airport. At least four warehouse guards were killed. (28 March 2019) [57]
Israeli air force killed 23 Syrian and foreign fighters, including Eight Syrian air defense soldiers on multiple strikes in Rif-Dimashq Governorate and Daraa. (6 February 2020) [58]
Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian army and paramilitaries, including Hezbollah fighters positions in south of Damascus and Daraa, killing one civilian, three government troops, and seven foreign fighters. (31 August 2020) [59]
Israel launches air strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria. The strikes killed 10, including three Syrian soldiers and at least five Iranians. (18 November 2020) [60]
Syria's military reported Israeli warplanes have bombed locations south of the capital Damascus, killing at least eight pro-Iran militias fighters. (24 November 2020) [61]
Israeli airstrikes target pro-Iran weapons facilities in Hama, kill 6. Missiles were reportedly launched over Lebanese territory. (25 December 2020) [62]
Israeli airstrikes hit sites around Damascus, reportedly killed three Iran-backed fighters. (6 January 2021)[63]
Israeli airstrikes on multiple locations in eastern Syria killed 57 regime forces and Shia militia fighters. This was the deadliest attack by Israel forces since the start of the conflict. (12-13 January 2021) [64]
Israeli airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria reportedly killed 2 generals and 5 other officers. (1 April 2024)[65]
