A/HRC/12/48 page 86 A. The parties relevant to the conduct of military activities in Gaza between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009 1. The Israeli armed forces 328. The information available shows that Israel deployed its navy, air force and army in the operation it codenamed “Operation Cast Lead”. 329. The navy was used in part to shell the Gaza coast during the military operations. 330. The air force was also used throughout the military operations in a way that appears in its own view to have been innovative. Having been responsible for the vast majority of operational activities in the first week, it continued to play an important role in assisting and covering the ground forces from 3 January to 18 January 2009.196 331. The army was responsible for the ground invasion, which began on 3 January 2009. The available information indicates that the Golani, Givati and Paratrooper Brigades and five Armoured Corps Brigades were involved. Assaults on three fronts with combined armour and infantry brigades were also augmented by specialist Arabic-language, intelligence and, in particular, combat engineer troops. The engineer troops equipped with armoured D-9 bulldozers were also trained in operations to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Forward elements of these attack formations could rely on direct support from the air force to call air strikes or to direct them, to call in helicopter missile attacks and to direct their own attached missile-mounted UAVs.197 2. Palestinian armed groups 332. The Palestinian armed factions operating in the Gaza Strip, and claiming responsibility for the majority of the rocket and mortar launchings, are the Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,198 the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the Islamic Jihad, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades,199 which are the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and alNaser Salah ad-Din Brigades, which are the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).200 PRC is a coalition of different armed factions that oppose what they perceive as the Palestinian Authority’s and Fatah’s conciliatory approach towards Israel. See Anthony H. Cordesman, “The ‘Gaza war’: A strategic analysis”, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (2009), p. 41. 196 Alon Ben-David, "Israeli offensive seeks 'new security reality' in Gaza", Jane's Defence Weekly, 8 January 2009; Jane’s 'Sentinel' Services, “Country Risk Assessments – Israel”, 4 February 2009. 197 Named after a Syrian who worked with displaced Palestinians in what is now northern Israel, and died in a clash with British troops in 1935, sparking the 1936–39 Palestinian revolt. 198 The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades claimed responsibility for launching 177 rockets and 115 mortars on several towns and villages inside Israel during the period of the military operations in Gaza. 199 See http://www.kataebabuali.ps/inf2/articles-action-show-id-223.htm. During the period of the military operations in Gaza, al-Naser Salah ad-Din Brigades claimed responsibility for the launching of 132 rockets and 88 mortars. See http://www.moqawmh.com/moqa/view.php?view=1&id=300. 200