In an escalating military action that is being waged by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Gaza, the IOF have killed 44 Palestinians, injured 176, and destroyed numerous homes and properties in the Gaza Strip between 1 November 2006 and 4 November. Thirty-nine of the killed are from the town of Beit Hanoun alone. The IOF has expanded its incursion in the north-Gaza towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahia, carried out four extra-judicial assassinations, and killed three medics in an attack near their ambulance. In addition, the IOF killed and wounded numerous women as they protested the siege onto their neighborhood in Beit Hanoun. Read more about Death toll hits 44, medical crew targeted, in escalating Gaza operations 

On October 30, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly told the Knesset Security and Foreign Affairs Committee that in the past three months, the Israeli military has killed 300 “terrorists” in the Gaza Strip in its war against terror groups. According to B’Tselem’s investigation, the IDF did indeed kill 294 Palestinians in Gaza since the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit on June 26 and until October 27. However, over half of those killed - 155 people, including 61 children - did not participate in the fighting when they were killed. This in addition to the 137 who were killed while taking part in hostilities, and another two who were the targets of a targeted killing. Read more about Who does the Israeli Prime Minister consider to be a terrorist? 

For the fourth consecutive day, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue their land incursion on the town of Beit Hanoun in the north of the Gaza Strip. This attack comes as part of an IOF operation codenamed “Autumn Clouds.” The number of victims has increased to 34 killed, including 21 civilians that include seven children, two women, and two paramedics. The injured number 150, most of them unarmed civilians, including approximately 40 women, 40 children, one paramedic, and one journalist. Read more about Death toll hits 34 in Beit Hanoun; 5 killed in assassinations elsewhere in Gaza 

Voicing deep concern at the rising death toll from Israeli operations in northern Gaza, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged Israel to refrain from “further escalating an already grave situation” and called on Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets at Israeli civilian targets. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said between 30 and 40 women today were collected inside two of its elementary schools, where their mobile phones were taken from them by Israeli soldiers. It confirmed that two of the women subsequently suffered gunshot wounds. Read more about Annan 'deeply concerned' at escalating violence in Gaza 

In the ongoing Israeli ‘Operation Autumn Clouds’, Israeli forces opened fire on women who were trying to assist the escape of a group of Palestinian fighters besieged in An-Nasser mosque in Beit Hanoun. One Palestinian woman was killed and another is currently in a state of clinical death. At least another 16 women were injured, of whom three are in a critical condition. The women were staging a demonstration demanding an end to the siege of the An-Nasser mosque, in which dozens of Palestinian men have been holed up since Thursday evening. Read more about One woman killed, 16 injured in Israeli siege on Gaza mosque 

Israeli troops invaded the Saf area of the West Bank city of Bethlehem early on Friday morning. Over a dozen military jeeps surrounded a building near the girls’ school in the area. Armed Palestinians exchanged fire with the Israeli soldiers on and off throughout the morning, resulting in at least six serious Palestinian injuries. A teenage boy was shot dead by the Israeli forces. One of the injured, an 80-year-old woman, is currently undergoing surgery. Around mid-day, after partly bulldozing the house of Saher Hassan, an active member of Islamic Jihad whom the Israeli army appear to be targeting, the Israeli soldiers began forcing their way in using a ‘human shield’. Read more about Palestinian man used as human shield during Israeli siege of Bethlehem 

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued killings and destruction in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. IOF moved into the town on Wednesday morning, 1 November 2006, and completely seized control over it. They sealed off the town from the rest of the Gaza Strip. IOF have so far killed 12 Palestinians, including four civilians, and have wounded at least 50 others, mostly civilians, including 15 children and three women. Investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that IOF have used excessive force against Palestinian civilians, and have not respected the principles of proportionality and discrimination in pursuing members of the Palestinian resistance. Read more about Beit Hanoun death toll reaches 12 in second day of offensive 

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) carried out new attacks on Gaza today, killing two in a ground incursion and destroying one house and one tire store in air strikes. According to the Al Mezan’s investigations, at approximately 11pm Monday 30 October 2006, IOF fighter jets fired a missile at a house in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. IOF had called Muhammad Abu Hayeh, who leased the house and lived with his family in it, fifteen minutes prior to the strike and told him to evacuate the house. The house was completely destroyed and several neighboring homes were also damaged. Read more about Two Palestinians killed in Khan Younis incursion 

At dawn today the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) started a large incursion in the north Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. So far, six Palestinians have been killed and 20 wounded. The incursion is still underway and Al Mezan has detected serious violations by IOF. According to Al Mezan’s investigations, at approximately 1am Wednesday 1 November 2006, IOF special forces sneaked into the town and took positions on the roofs of several houses in As Sikka neighborhood. Other troops took positions in other neighborhoods under the cover of helicopters. Read more about Six killed in large-scale military operations in north Gaza