Palestinian Rocket Attacks on Israel in 2021

Palestinian terrorist rocket fire from Gaza against Israeli communities had been a recurring feature of the conflict for years before 2021, but the scale of attacks that year was shaped by escalating tensions in Jerusalem. In the spring of 2021, disputes over eviction proceedings in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem and charged clashes at and around the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount contributed to a volatile atmosphere.[7][2] Hamas presented Israel with an ultimatum linked to those tensions and, when its demands were not met, launched rockets toward Jerusalem on May 10, triggering the largest Gaza–Israel confrontation since 2014.[8]

The U.S. State Department's 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices described terrorists in Gaza as firing from civilian locations toward civilian targets, including dense population centers.[2] Analytical accounts also connected Hamas's decision to escalate with the cancellation of Palestinian Authority elections and its political competition with Fatah, although interpretations of its motives remain contested.[9]

The year opened with two launches in January. Before dawn on January 18, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired two rockets toward Ashdod; both fell into the sea off the city, without triggering warning sirens or causing reported injuries or damage.[10] The Israel Defense Forces said it responded with airstrikes on sites in southern Gaza where Hamas was digging tunnels, holding Hamas responsible as Gaza's de facto ruler even though the firing group was not immediately identified.[10]

Hamas subsequently claimed that the January 18 launch had been triggered by "lightning"—a claim met with skepticism, with Arab media reporting that Israel had warned Hamas through Egypt not to use the weather as an excuse.[11] On January 19, a rocket launched from northern Gaza landed in an open area in the western Negev, causing no casualties or damage.[11] The Jewish Virtual Library's dated table records the January 18 event as two rockets landing near Ashdod and lists a single additional rocket on January 20.[3]

April saw a notable escalation ahead of the main May conflict. Over three consecutive nights, terrorists in Gaza fired approximately 45 rockets at southern Israel, damaging several communities near the border.[12] The IDF conducted a limited number of airstrikes on Hamas-controlled sites in response and barred Palestinian fishing off Gaza's coast; Israeli officials warned of a broader military response if the fire continued.[12]

The Jewish Virtual Library's dated table records one rocket fired on April 15, followed by a larger barrage of 36 rockets on April 23, of which six were intercepted by Iron Dome.[3] A Times of Israel report published April 24 described a 36-rocket barrage during the preceding overnight period, with Iron Dome intercepting six rockets and others falling in Israeli communities or open areas.[13] CAMERA, by contrast, placed the 36-rocket and mortar-shell episode on April 24.[14] The differing dates assigned to the episode are not reconciled in the available reporting.

On April 22, two rockets were fired from Gaza: one landed near a residential building in northern Gaza itself, while the other reached Israeli territory without causing damage.[15] Israel subsequently closed the Erez Crossing on April 24 to pressure Hamas to rein in terrorists.[15] On April 24, the IDF spokesperson confirmed that a rocket launched from Gaza toward Israel had been intercepted by air-defense systems.[16] On April 25, the IDF spokesperson reported one additional launch, with an alert activated for an open area.[17] A JNS report described sirens toward Sderot and Kibbutz Nirim, with Iron Dome intercepting one rocket, another landing in an open field near the security fence, and a third detonating inside Gaza.[18]

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades claimed responsibility for the 36-rocket barrage, saying the fire responded to unrest in Jerusalem.[13] Hamas did not claim responsibility. A JNS analysis characterized Hamas as enabling smaller factions to fire, while Israeli officials held Hamas responsible for attacks originating from Gaza.[19] By April 26, smaller armed groups had reportedly fired 41 projectiles at southern Israel since April 23, with Iron Dome intercepting 10 and 31 falling in open areas.[19] A Foundation for Defense of Democracies brief separately relayed a Palestinian official's account that 36 rockets had been fired overnight amid escalating clashes in Jerusalem.[20]

On May 9, the day before the main escalation, six rockets were fired from Gaza: two were intercepted by Iron Dome, two fell in open areas, and two landed inside Gaza.[3] At 6 p.m. on May 10, during Jerusalem Day events, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing rockets toward Jerusalem after its military-wing leader issued an ultimatum demanding that Israel remove security forces from the Temple Mount and the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.[8][21] Sources differ slightly on the opening salvo: the Jewish Virtual Library gives a figure of six rockets, while a United Nations Watch statement and other accounts report seven.[22][23]

The IDF said one of the rockets was intercepted; one landed near a home outside Jerusalem, causing light damage but no injuries, and others started fires in forests near the capital.[21] Sirens sounded across Jerusalem and nearby towns, and both the Knesset plenum and the Western Wall complex were evacuated.[21] Within hours, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Gaza terrorist groups launched rockets and mortar shells at communities near Gaza, including Ashkelon and Sderot, marking the start of what Israel designated Operation Guardian of the Walls.[7][21]

Between 6 p.m. on May 10 and 6 a.m. on May 11, the IDF counted more than 200 rockets and mortar shells fired toward Israel from Gaza.[21] Hamas claimed that it fired 137 rockets in approximately five minutes at Ashdod and Ashkelon, with direct hits damaging buildings in both cities.[21] Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other Gaza groups also participated, with the IDF stating that they acted with Hamas's approval and direction.[21] An N12 report recorded approximately 480 rockets launched toward Israel since the escalation began, about 150 falling inside Gaza, and around 200 launches intercepted at that point; it also documented direct impacts and injuries, including a fatal strike in Rishon LeZion and a direct hit on a bus in Holon.[24]

The 11 days of Operation Guardian of the Walls, from May 10 through May 21, produced one of the most intensive rocket campaigns in the history of Israel–Gaza confrontations. Several major sources report approximately 4,360 rockets and mortar shells fired during the operation.[25][1] Other accounts range from about 4,300 to more than 4,400, depending on the date range and projectile categories used.[7][26] The U.S. State Department cited both 4,360, attributed to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, and 4,400, attributed to the Israeli government, NGOs, and media, without reconciling the figures.[2]

Of the projectiles launched, roughly 3,400 to 3,580 crossed the Israel–Gaza border or entered Israeli airspace, while an estimated 680 fell short or misfired inside Gaza.[25][1] Approximately 280 more landed in the sea.[25] Attacks were concentrated on communities in the Gaza envelope—including Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Netivot, Ofakim, and Beersheba—while longer-range rockets were directed at central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.[1][27] Ashkelon endured the heaviest single-city fire: 704 rockets were directed toward it in the operation's first five days, striking 61 homes.[6] INSS data identified 111 separate barrages aimed at Ashkelon, containing 960 rockets in total, with two women killed and 295 residents injured there.[1]

Hamas demonstrated an ability to strike deep into Israel. About 120 rockets were fired toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv.[1] During the May 15 reporting period, the IDF said approximately 2,300 rockets and mortar shells had been fired toward Israel since May 10, with at least 380 failing to cross the border.[28] A barrage that day included about 55 rockets aimed at Tel Aviv and central Israel.[28] A Jerusalem Center account described an Ayyash rocket, reportedly with a range of 250 kilometers and named after Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash, being fired toward Ramon Airport near Eilat after air traffic had been diverted there from Ben-Gurion Airport. It exploded harmlessly nearby.[29]

By the time an ITIC mid-operation report was updated on May 18, about 3,350 rockets had been launched at Israel since the operation began, with approximately 500 landing inside Gaza; the report said rocket fire had killed 11 people by then.[27] In the 24 hours from 07:00 on May 19 to 07:00 on May 20, 270 rockets were fired at Israel, with most targeting Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ofakim, Sderot, Netivot, and communities near the Gaza border; longer-range rockets were again fired at Beersheba.[30] Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for most of that fire.[30]

In the final two hours before the ceasefire, approximately 40 rockets were fired toward Israel. Barrages were directed at Netivot, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and communities near Gaza, and a direct hit on an industrial building lightly injured one man.[31]

Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system was tested on an unprecedented scale during Operation Guardian of the Walls. INSS and the ITIC reported that Iron Dome intercepted approximately 90 percent of rockets headed for populated areas.[25][1] The ADL similarly reported that the Israeli military estimated an interception rate as high as 90 percent.[7] INSS reported approximately 1,100 interceptions over the course of the operation.[1]

A Jerusalem Center account described a barrage of 127 rockets fired by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad at Ashdod and Ashkelon in five minutes as an example of saturation tactics intended to challenge Israeli defenses.[29] Hamas also claimed to have fired 137 rockets at Ashdod and Ashkelon within approximately five minutes on May 10–11.[21] Despite the high interception rate, the volume of fire meant that rockets still reached residential areas and caused deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.[7]

The rocket campaign killed Israeli civilians and foreign nationals working in Israel. The American Jewish Committee reported 12 Israeli civilians killed by rocket and mortar fire, while the ADL reported 13 people killed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets.[5][7] The State Department's human-rights report cited both 12 and 13 deaths in different passages and separately noted a soldier killed by an antitank missile.[2] The ITIC distinguished 11 people directly killed by rocket and mortar fire, two Israelis who died while fleeing to shelter, and one soldier killed by an antitank missile.[27]

Among the Israeli victims, Nella Gurevitz was killed in Ashkelon on May 11. On May 12, Leah Yom Tov was killed in Rishon LeZion, Nadin and Khalil Awad were killed near Lod, and five-year-old Ido Abigail was killed in Sderot. Gershon Franko was killed in Ramat Gan on May 15. Orly Liron, Miriam Arie, and Hava Vaknin died after suffering falls while seeking shelter during rocket alerts.[6]

Foreign nationals living and working in Israel were also killed. An Indian caregiver was killed on May 11 when a rocket struck her employer's home in Ashkelon, which lacked a shelter.[2] On May 18, a rocket directly struck a farm where Thai agricultural workers were employed, killing two workers and injuring eight.[2] A rocket also struck an Israeli school during the conflict; the school had been closed specifically because of the rocket threat.[5]

Beyond the fatalities, emergency responders treated more than 350 people across Israel during the operation, including victims of direct strikes, shrapnel, blast injuries, and falls while seeking shelter.[6] Millions of Israelis repeatedly sought protection as the rocket fire reached communities from the Eilot region in the south to the Sharon in the north.[7][6]

An Egypt-mediated ceasefire took effect at 2:00 a.m. on May 21, bringing Operation Guardian of the Walls to a close after 11 days of fighting.[2][31] Rocket fire continued until shortly before the ceasefire came into effect, after which the ITIC described a tense quiet in Gaza.[25]

The six months following the operation were notably quiet by the standards of previous years, although sources differ on the precise number of launches.[4] On August 16, a rocket fired from Gaza triggered sirens in Sderot and other Western Negev communities—the first launch since the operation ended. Iron Dome intercepted it, and no casualties or damage were reported.[32] On September 10, a rocket was fired toward the Eshkol Regional Council and intercepted by Iron Dome; no Palestinian group had claimed responsibility at the time, and the IDF responded with strikes on Hamas positions, a storage site, and a military compound.[33] A further rocket was fired on September 11 and was also intercepted.[3] A Ynet report citing IDF data counted five rockets fired from Gaza in the six months following the May operation.[4]

Aggregate totals for the full calendar year vary depending on source methodology, date ranges, and whether counts include rockets and mortars together or rockets alone. The Jewish Virtual Library's annual table records 4,425 rocket and mortar attacks for 2021.[34] A Globes analysis published in May 2022 gave 3,319 rockets during Operation Guardian of the Walls, plus 261 in May outside the operation, four in April, two in January, one in August, and three in September—a substantially lower operation count than other major sources.[35] The U.S. State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2021 estimated 4,400 rocket attacks against Israel from Gaza across the year and noted sporadic attacks outside the May escalation.[26]

The ITIC annual report gives an overall figure of 3,631 rockets and mortar shells hitting Israel. It pairs that figure with approximately 3,580 projectiles reaching Israeli territory during the operation and reports 51 launches during the rest of the year, mostly before the operation, of which four occurred afterward.[36] These categories—projectiles launched, projectiles reaching Israel, and attacks recorded—are not directly comparable. For the operation itself, the Jewish Virtual Library's dated list records 4,369 rockets for May 10–20 while describing the count as "more than 4,369."[3] Its separate Operation Guardian of the Walls page gives 4,350 rockets and mortars by May 21, while another JVL page states that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired 4,193 rockets between May 10 and the ceasefire.[22][37] The variations reflect real-time counting difficulties and differing definitions of a countable launch.

Several factual discrepancies remain across the available sources. The Jewish Virtual Library's dated table places the 36-rocket April barrage on April 23, while CAMERA's account places 36 rockets and mortar shells on April 24.[3][14] The opening May 10 Jerusalem salvo is reported as six rockets in one JVL account and seven in a United Nations Watch statement.[22][23] Aggregate operation totals range from approximately 4,300 to more than 4,400, with the State Department citing multiple figures without reconciling them.[2]

Fatality totals also vary. The American Jewish Committee reported 12 Israeli civilians killed by rocket and mortar fire, while the ADL reported 13 people killed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets.[5][7] The State Department used both 12- and 13-death formulations in different passages.[2] The differences largely reflect whether sources include foreign nationals, deaths suffered while seeking shelter, and other conflict-related fatalities within their rocket-fire totals. Regardless of methodology, the sources consistently describe a large-scale terrorist rocket assault directed at Israeli civilian centers.[7][26]