1991 Iraqi missile attacks against Israel

Part of the Gulf War yes May 2021 May 2021 Iraqi missile attacks against Israel the Gulf War and the Arab–Israeli conflict Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Patriot missiles being launched to intercept an Iraqi Scud missile.jpg American surface-to-air missiles (MIM-104 Patriot) launching to intercept incoming Iraqi ballistic missiles (al-Husayn) over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, 12 February 1991 Israel yes 1991 01 17 – yes 1991 02 23(01 17 1991 02 23 1991) Iraq fails to provoke Israeli retaliation 2 civilians killed directly 11–74 civilians killed from incorrect use of gas masks, heart attacks, and incorrect use of atropine (for Iraqi chemical weapons)The day Israel's wars changed forever https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/the-day-israels-wars-changed-forever-655785 2022-03-01 The Jerusalem Post Keinon Herb 17 January 2021 230 civilians injuredFetter Steve Lewis George N. Gronlund Lisbeth Why were Casualties so low? Nature 361 293–296 London 28 January 1993 http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/4282/1/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf 10.1038/361293a0 6410 1903/4282 4343235 free On 17 January 1991, Iraq initiated a missile campaign against Israel. Over the next month, approximately 42 Scud missiles were fired into Israeli territory, primarily at the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The missile attacks began on the same day as the Gulf War aerial bombardment campaign, which was targeting military infrastructure within Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. As many Muslim-majority countries were actively contributing to the American-led military coalition, the Iraqi government had expected them to rescind their support if Israel responded to the missile campaign by attacking Iraq. Shlaim Avi Avi Shlaim Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace 2009 Vintage Books 978-1400078288 https://books.google.com/books?id=JtrCoUf7wCsC 507-510 Israel was convinced by Jordan and the United States to not retaliate. Jordanian king Hussein bin Talal persuaded Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir to consider Jordan's stability and not violate Jordanian airspace during a bilateral meeting two weeks earlier, and the Bush administration had increased defense aid to Israel for the purpose of actively countering Iraq's barrages and preventing an Israeli counterattack, thereby ensuring that the coalition's Muslim countries did not withdraw. Shlaim Avi Avi Shlaim Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace 2009 Vintage Books 978-1400078288 https://books.google.com/books?id=JtrCoUf7wCsC 507-510 On 23 February 1991, the coalition began a ground offensive into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait and Iraq proper. According to UK Cabinet Office records, the then-Minister of Defense of Israel, Moshe Arens said in a meeting at the White House that the Iraqi attacks had caused "extensive damage" in Israel.https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250816-us-predicted-israel-would-use-nuclear-weapons-against-iraq-during-kuwait-liberation-war-british-documents-reveal/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic%2Fisrael&amp US predicted Israel would use nuclear weapons against Iraq during Kuwait liberation war, British documents reveal Middle East Monitor Background During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, the armies of Iraq and Israel saw action against one another as part of the broader Arab–Israeli conflict.Seale Patrick Israel sends spares for US arms to Iran 2 November 1980 The Observer London 9 At the onset of the Iran-Iraq conflict, approximately 80% of all weaponry imported by Iran originated from Israel. On 7 June 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak Nuclear Reactor with Iranian intelligence support.https://archive.org/details/treacherousallia00pars_0 registration Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States Parsi Trita Yale University Press 2007 978-0-300-12057-8 en Israel's motivations for supporting Iran stemmed from a fear of what would have become if Iraq came out victorious and as an opportunity to create business for the Israeli arms industry.Marshall Jonathan https://archive.org/details/irancontraconnec00mars The Iran–Contra Connection: Secret Teams and Covert Operations in the Reagan Era Scott Peter Dale Hunter Jane 1987 Black Rose Books Ltd. 978-0-921689-15-7 Attacks Throughout the entire Gulf War air campaign, Iraqi forces fired approximately 42 Al Husayn missiles into Israel from 17 January to 23 February 1991.27 years since the Gulf War - why didn't Israel respond? https://www.jpost.com/opinion/27-years-since-the-gulf-war-why-didnt-israel-respond-542437 2021-05-06 The Jerusalem Post opinion Arens Moshe 12 February 20181991-01-18 Iraqi missiles strike Israel http://www.theguardian.com/world/1991/jan/18/iraq.davidfairhall 2021-05-06 The Guardian en The strategic and political goal of the Iraqi campaign was to provoke an Israeli military response and potentially jeopardize the United States-led coalition against Iraq, which had full backing and/or extensive contributions from an overwhelming majority of the states of the Muslim world. The coalition would have suffered immense diplomatic and material losses if Muslim-majority states rescinded their support due to the political situation of the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Despite inflicting casualties on Israeli civilians and damaging Israeli infrastructure, Iraq failed to provoke Israeli retaliation due to pressure exerted by the United States on the latter to not respond to "Iraqi provocations" and avoid any bilateral escalations.Gross Judah Ari 'We're going to attack Iraq,' Israel told the US. 'Move your planes' https://www.timesofisrael.com/were-going-to-attack-iraq-israel-told-the-us-move-your-planes/ 2021-05-06 The Times of IsraelWalker Martin Fairhall David 1991-01-18 Iraqi missiles strike Israel en-GB The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/1991/jan/18/iraq.davidfairhall 2023-09-05 0261-3077 The Iraqi missiles were predominantly aimed at the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.PART III https://www.hrw.org/reports/1991/gulfwar/CHAP6.htm 2023-09-05 www.hrw.org Despite numerous missiles being fired, a number of factors contributed to the minimisation of casualties in Israel.Lews George Fetter Steve Gronlund Lisbeth CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE FROM SCUD ATTACKS IN THE 1991 GULF WAR MIT Defense and Arms Control Studies Program 1993 https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/19691/Casualties_Scud_Attacks.pdf 31 May 2021 Missiles In the late 1980s, Iraq modified their Scud missile arsenal to create an SRBM known as the Al Hussein. The primary reason for the upgrades was to increase the range of such missiles. Missile range increase came at a cost of accuracy and structural stability and on a number of occasions, Iraqi missiles fired at Israel either broke up mid-air or fell short of their target. The missile warheads on a number of occasions failed to detonate, with a reported dud missile rate of over 10%. The missiles fired against Israel were conventional warheads and were not of chemical origin. Had chemical warheads been loaded, casualties would have been far greater. Warning time From the second attack onwards, the Israeli population were given a few minutes warning of an impending missile attack. Due to shared United States' satellite information on missile launches, citizens were given appropriate time to seek shelter from the impending missile attack. Blast-resistant dwellings Modern multi-story apartment buildings erected in Israel at the time of the attacks were constructed using reinforced concrete columns, beams and floors. Such structurally integral housing units helped to prevent buildings from collapsing as a result of a nearby missile impact. Casualties Two Israeli civilians died as a direct result of the missile attacks, while 230 civilians were injured. Between 11 and 74 were killed from incorrect use of gas masks, heart attacks, and incorrect use of the anti-chemical weapons drug atropine. 4,100 buildings were damaged and at least 28 of those buildings destroyed. The area that sustained the most damage was the city of Ramat Gan. See also April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel October 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel June 2025 Iranian strikes against Israel Red Sea crisis 2026 Iran war References External links Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The Gulf War (1991) Category:Gulf War Iraqi missile attacks against Israel Iraqi missile attacks against Israel Category:Military operations of the Arab–Israeli conflict involving Iraq Category:Iraqi war crimes Category:Ramat Gan Iraqi missile attacks against Israel Category:January 1991 in Asia Category:February 1991 in Asia Category:January 1991 in Iraq Category:February 1991 in Iraq Category:Anti-Israeli sentiment in Iraq