Al Mezan Center For Human Rights 26 July 2006
The IOF aggression against Palestinian civilians and their property has once again increased, resulting in 12 civilians killed, 55 injured, scores of houses destroyed and agricultural lands leveled after IOF forces penetrated eastern areas of Al Shaja’ia neighborhood of Gaza City and the borders of Jabalia town. In addition, the IOF have continued shelling houses and residential buildings, in particular Al Awda and Al Nada towers in western Beit Hanoun, and houses in eastern Khan Younis, which has resulted in the killing of a child and the injury of three other civilians.
According to Al Mezan field investigations, on 26 July at approximately 1:00 am, tens of IOF tanks entered the northern Gaza Strip under helicopter cover, and stationed themselves near a petrol situation, subsequently moving to the southern districts and reaching Sha’af Street, where they began shell houses with tank missiles. Eleven Palestinians were killed during this offensive, including:
The three others killed in the attack remain unidentified. Fifty-five Palestinians were wounded, including Ibrahim Al Atla, a photojournalist for Palestine Satellite TV.
Furthermore, IOF helicopters fired several missiles at bases used by the executive forces of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Al Tuffah and Al Shaja’ia neighborhoods, and at members of Palestinian factions at the end of the Al Sha’af street in Al Shaja’ia. Furthermore, IOF bulldozers razed large areas of agricultural lands in Al Shaja’ia. As of yet, no precise information about the number of houses destroyed or lands bulldozed is available.
The IOF then penetrated into Al Faraheen area in eastern Abassan Al Kabira, in eastern Khan Younis. However, no casualties were reported.
Moreover, on 25 July at approximately 9:30 pm, the IOF opened fire on houses in Hamouda area in east Al Qarara town of eastern Khan Younis, killing 12-year-old Ashraf Abdullah Abu Zaher and injuring his father Abdullah Abu Zaher, and his sister Nesma Abdullah Abu Zaher, 8.
In an unprecedented action by the IOF, which evidences prior knowledge of the imminent crime against civilians persons and buildings, the IOF telephoned residents of the Gaza Strip and ordered them to evacuate their houses, which would be destroyed. Today, at approximately 3:20 am, IOF helicopters shelled and severely damaged the two-storey house of Ibrahim Al Nijma, located in front of Abi Bin Ka’ab mosque in Al Twam area of Jabalia town.
Further, at approximately 6:30 am, the IOF fired a missile that landed in an apartment in tower no. 15 in Al Nada neighborhood, injuring Mohammed Hasan Abu Zaida, who suffering shrapnel injuries to the head.
UNRWA has used three of its schools as shelters to accommodate the evacuated persons. Al Nada tower comprises 26 buildings, each one consisting of 18 apartments. The number of Palestinians living in these buildings is 468 families, a total of 2,300 individuals.
Al Mezan gravely condemns the ongoing IOF violations against Palestinian civilians and their property and emphasizes that the silence of the international community, in light of the drastic impacts of the IOF violations on the humanitarian situation in the OPT, encourages Israel to increase the scale of its violations. Al Mezan renews its demands to the international community, most notably the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under the Convention, halt Israeli war crimes and provide international protection to Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
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