PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights LTD (non-profit) http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 01/2009 01- 07 January 2009
IOF offensive  on the Gaza Strip is  still ongoing

 

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Have Continued Their War on the Gaza for the 2^nd Consecutive Week under International Silence

 

 

IOF Offensive on the Gaza Strip

 

• 698 Palestinians have been killed.

• The victims include 433 civilians and 165 civil police officers.

• The civilian victims include 158 children and 40 women.

• Dr. Nizar Rayan, a senior leader of Hamas, was assassinated together with his 4 wives and 11 of his children.

• IOF bombarded a mosque in the northern Gaza Strip, killing 15 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, and wounding dozens of others.

• IOF attacked medical and civil defense crews, killing 6 medical personnel.

• IOF bombarded 2 UNRWA schools, 2 public ones and a private one.  

• 2354 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 622 children and 252 women, have been wounded.

• 1597 houses have been destroyed and hundreds of houses and flats have been damaged.

• 13 mosques have been destroyed.

• 37 workshops and industrial facilities have been destroyed.

• 67 security sites and training sites of resistance groups have been destroyed.

• 34 buildings of public buildings have been destroyed, including those of ministries, governorates, municipalities, the Palestinian Legislative Council, and educational institutions.

• A state of compulsory mass displacement of civilians has prevailed in border areas as a result of continuous air strikes.  

• Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip have been cut off from other areas in the Gaza Strip.

• Access to food and medicines is extremely difficult, and electricity is completely cut off in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip.

 

Daily Violations of Human Rights

 

·          A Palestinian civilian was killed by IOF in Qalqilya.

 

·          25 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children, and a human rights defender, were wounded by IOF in the West Bank.

 

·          IOF conducted 17 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

 

·           IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including 4 children, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, a former minister and 2 mayors.

 

·          IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

 

·           The Gaza Strip is completely isolated from the outside world.

 

·           IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 women.

 

Summary

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued to wage the bloodiest and most brutal war against the Gaza Strip since its occupation in 1967, under an international and Arab conspiracy of silence. IOF have launched a series of surprising air strikes against security and governmental many civilian facilities, including workshops, houses, medical warehouses and even mosques in a grave precedent. IOF warplanes have so far continued to fly over the Gaza Strip terrifying the Palestinian civilian population. Many Palestinian families have received phone calls from the Israeli intelligence, which ordered them to vacate their houses as they would be bombarded. Such phone calls confused Palestinian civilians. PCHR believes that this declared war target Palestinian civilians and their property, and statements of Israeli political and military officials herald a humanitarian catastrophe and a persistent war at all levels. The international community is required more than ever before to immediately act to stop this gravest offensive since the Gaza Strip was first occupied by IOF. According to what PCHR field workers have been able to document so far, the number of civilian victims in the first ten minutes of the offensive on the Gaza Strip is the highest since the beginning of this offensive. PCHR reiterates its condemnation in the strongest terms for this bloody war, and calls upon the international community, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, and international organizations to immediately act to stop such grave and unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (1 – 7 January 2009):

 

IOF Offensive on the Gaza Strip

IOF have continued their offensive on the Gaza Strip. They have increasingly bombarded civilian facilities, mosques and houses, without paying attention to the lives and safety of Palestinian civilians. Israel claims that such civilian facilities, mosques and houses were related to Hamas, but investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that IOF have used excessive lethal force and that the majority of the facilities that have been targeted are public and private property located in densely populated areas, making Palestinian civilians pay a heavy price from their lives and property. All of the victims of recent attacks are civilians, and dozens of houses have been heavily damaged. Due to the current siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction or reparation of the houses that have been destroyed or damaged is extremely difficult. IOF warplanes have destroyed most buildings of the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip, including those of ministries and security services. The first wave of air strike was surprising and left many deaths and casualties.

For the 2^nd consecutive day, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continue its open offensive on the Gaza Strip. Using their most powerful destructive arsenal, IOF have continued to target civilian facilities, mosques, schools and houses, with disregard to the lives of the Palestinian civilians. During the reporting, the most brutal crime committed by IOF in the Gaza Strip was the extra-judicial execution of Dr. Nizar Rayan, a senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), together with his 4 wives and 11 of his children. This heinous crime reminds of the extra-judicial execution of Sheikh Salah Shehada at al-Daraj Neighborhood in Gaza City on 23 July 2002, that resulted in the killing of Shehada, his wife, his child and more than 15 civilians, mostly children. In both crimes, IOF were aware of the presence of large numbers of civilians in the targeted populated houses. Such attacks constitute war crimes, whose perpetrators and their military and political leaders must be prosecuted. Another horrible crime was the bombardment of an UNRWA  school in Jabalya refugee camp, as a result of which 37 Palestinian civilians were killed and 40 others were wounded. The victims include 10 members of one same family, including 5 children and a woman. Another horrible crime was also the bombardment of a mosque in the northern Gaza Strip, as a result of which 15 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were killed and 27 others were wounded. several houses were also bombarded and families were trapped under the debris. 

According to PCHR's documentation, IOF have launched at least hundreds of air and sea strikes against the Gaza Strip. These strikes have targeted, security and training sites, workshops, public and private institutions, mosques, educational institutions and many other civilian facilities..

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at least 90% of the Palestinian who have been killed during the reporting period are civilians, many of whom are children. IOF have employed their full-fledged arsenal to attack Palestinian populated areas.

Thousands of civilians, mainly those who reside in areas close to the Palestinian- Egyptian border, have fled from their houses in the wake of several raids launched by IOF on the southern Gaza Strip. A state of compulsory mass displacement of civilians has prevailed in the area. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was forced to open its schools to shelter the civilians and provide their basic needs, amidst a climate of fear and bitter cold. In addition, thousands of Palestinian civilians throughout the Gaza Strip have been forced to flee of their homes and look for safe shelters because their homes were completely or partially destroyed by IOF air strikes, amidst the lack of minimum components of human life.

According to what PCHR field workers have been able to document the IOF offensive has resulted in the following deaths and casualties:

698 Palestinians, including 433 civilians, have been killed throughout the Gaza Strip. The victims include 158 children and 40 women. Additionally, 996 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 218 children and 113 women, have been wounded. The number of civilian deaths does not include at least 165 civil police officers who were killed on the first day of the IOF offensive, when they were not engaged in any hostilities. The victims are distributed as follows:

Northern Gaza Strip: 222 Palestinians, including 198 civilians, have been killed. The victims include 37 children and 14 women. Additionally, 1,096 Palestinians, including 380 children and at least 1,000 women, have been wounded. 

Gaza City: 288 Palestinians, including 148 civilians, have been killed. The victims include 56 children and 23 women. Additionally, 550 Palestinians, including 56 children and 23 women, have been wounded.

Central Gaza Strip: 116 Palestinians, including 38 civilians, have been killed. The victims include  children and an old man. Additionally, 236 Palestinians, including 41 children and 21 women, have been wounded.

Khan Yunis: 42 Palestinians, including 26 civilians, have been killed. The victims include 9 children. Additionally, 150 Palestinians, including 37 children and 17 women, have been wounded.

Rafah: 30 Palestinians, including 23 civilians, have been killed. The victims include 12 children and a woman. Additionally, 312 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 61 children and 58 women, have been wounded.

 

Other Daily Violations of Human Rights

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 26 others, including 10 children, and an Israeli human rights defender in the West Bank.

In the West Bank, IOF used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was killed and 13 others, including 6 children, were wounded.

During the reporting period, 12 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, and an Israeli human rights defender, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall west of Ramallah.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 17 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, a former minister and 2 mayors.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

 

Gaza Strip

IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The IOF siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.

·      1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

Under the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip, the Gaza civilian population are suffering serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The resulting acute humanitarian crisis is increasingly and seriously impacting living conditions of Palestinian civilians, which have been already deteriorating due to the tightened siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip from the land, air and sea for more than 18 months. Due to this siege, Palestinian civilians have been denied their economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.

The deterioration taking place in health conditions in the Gaza Strip exacerbated due to the high number of the dead and the wounded who fell due to IOF raids. This exacerbating deterioration comes along with the tightened total siege that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip, including the closure of Gaza border crossings for more than 18 months. The siege has impacted all medical institutions in the Gaza Strip, including hospitals and primary healthcare centers that have become unable to meet the needs of the civilian population and, as a result, have been unable to ensure physical and mental healthcare. This situation has impacted the capacity of Gaza medical institutions to provide medical services to the Gaza civilian population. The state of fear and horror caused by IOF barbarian raids affected the standard of civilians' enjoyment of their right to health, including inability to access medical institutions due the gravity of the security conditions, or due to medical institutions' incapacity to respond to the needs of hundreds of wounded persons and thousands of patients. Medical sources in the MOH in Gaza and at Shifa Hospital, the main treatment provider in the Gaza strip, stated the following:

·      Gaza hospitals suffer severe shortage in beds that are required to receive hundreds of victims of IOF raids. There are approximately 1,200 beds in all Gaza hospitals. At Shifa Hospital, there are 530 beds, including 135 beds used for primary healthcare provision. Medical crews at Gaza hospitals and clinics have been unable to provide beds to treat and hospitalize the wounded persons, due to the high numbers of the wounded who arrived at hospitals and clinics in the wake of IOF air raids. Approximately 319 dead persons and more than 1,000 wounded persons have been admitted into Gaza hospitals within the past four days. The wounded who have been admitted into hospitals are being treated and hospitalized under severe shortages in medicines and medical supplies. Medical crews are also bearing utmost suffering due to continued electricity cutoffs.

·      The different units at Shifa Hospital and other hospitals in the Gaza Strip are still suffering incapacity to provide treatment and medical services to approximately 390 persons who have been wounded in IOF ongoing military operation, due to unavailability of material capacities and medical apparatuses that are required for their treatment. These 390 wounded persons need to be urgently and promptly referred to treatment abroad for their serious injuries. The MOH has managed to refer approximately 60 of them to Egyptian hospitals during the past two days.

·      The continued air striking has created a state of confusion, fear and horror amongst medical crews at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The gravity of the security conditions at the Hospital exacerbated following the heavy damages that had been caused to the Hospital when IOF warplanes bombarded al-Burno Mosque that is adjacent to the Hospital. Due to bombardment of the mosque, the windows and doors of the burns and surgery unit and the administration offices were crashed. Also the water network at the surgery unit in building no. 8 was destroyed. This created extreme difficulty that impeded the work of the medical crews at the Hospital.

·      Eng. Bassam al-Hamarin, director of Engineering and Maintenance Department in the MOH, stated that the continued electric cutoffs and the shortage of spare parts required for the maintenance of many medical apparatuses and tools have impacted the efficiency and work of these apparatuses and tools. He added that this resulted in:

-         Disruption and poor efficiency of 17 central oxygen stations in Gaza hospitals, including 3 stations at Shifa Hospital that provide oxygen to internal diseases unit, chest diseases unit and the artificial kidney unit.

-         The pumps of water wells at Shifa Hospital were disrupted after sustaining heavy damages.

-         The members of the medical crews at Gaza hospitals are suffering shortages in wireless communication devices. This coincides with defectiveness in the Palestinian mobile communication network (Jawwal), increasing the gravity that faced the work of the Palestinian ambulances crews. 

-         Many medicines, vaccinations and foods at Gaza hospitals are subject to decay due to continued electric cutoffs while the power generated by power generators is not sufficient to face the power shortage.

-         Shifa Hospital is suffering the continued disruption of its only cardiac catheterization apparatus. The Hospital is also suffering the disruption of the sterilization apparatuses and milk pasteurization and decontamination apparatuses that are necessary for immature neonates.

-         All hospitals in the Gaza strip are suffering shortages in spare parts required for power generators, on which Gaza hospitals mainly depend in view of continued electric cutoffs. The MOH Engineering and Maintenance Department lacks many spare parts required for the maintenance of power generators, including air filters, oil filter and filters required to separate kerosene and oil.

-         The MOH is suffering a shortage of spare parts required for its vehicles and ambulances. Due to the emergency situation in the Gaza Strip, 50% of the MOH ambulances are exceptionally operating although they lack maintenance.

·      Central medical laboratories at Shifa Hospital are suffering a severe shortage in medical apparatuses, including 30 apparatuses used in blood analysis. This shortage of blood analysis apparatuses has impeded the blood transformation for the wounded. The lives of the wounded persons would be threatened in case of blood transformation without making the necessary tests.

·      Gaza hospitals are suffering a shortage in medical disposables in surgery rooms, including surgical operation torches, surgical operations tables, laboratorial apparatuses, ray apparatuses and extensive care apparatuses.

·      Gaza hospitals and healthcare centers are still suffering a shortage in medicines. 105 items of main medical tools and 255 of medical disposables have run out or are in short quantities. These medical supplies include the majority of medicines required for cancer patients and medicines required for sick children who are suffering from cystic fibrosis, and the health conditions of these children are seriously threatened .

·      More than half a million of Palestinian students at primary, preparatory and secondary schools have been denied access to their schools. On the first day of IOF indiscriminate air raids, more than 5,000 students were subject to trauma or were injured, while attending their classes or while on their way to afternoon schools. These children are still denied access to necessary physical treatment services, due to the severe shortage in that service. 

·      Dr. Samir Qouta, a psychology professor at the Islamic University in Gaza City, says that there has been an increasing number of parents who visit mental health centers in the Gaza Strip to inquire how to treat the symptoms of the psychological deterioration in their children, that resulted from the terrible explosions that trembled the entire Gaza Strip. Dr. Qouta says that the symptoms of the psychological disorders caused by fear and horror of IOF incessant bombardments include bedwetting, nail-biting, fear of night, frightening nightmares, physical pains of unknown causes, crying and introversion. Dr. Qouta expects that the symptoms of the psychological deterioration in the Palestinian children would develop to include a form of violence in dealing with their peers, inability to concentrate and deterioration of educational levels. He also indicated that Palestinian children, who are subject to traumatic experience caused by IOF bombardments, become less obedient to their parents and lose the  ability to deal openly with them. Dr. Qouta expects that the psychological deterioration in the Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip would aggravate due to IOF ongoing raids.

 

West Bank

IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

·      IOF have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

·      There are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60-80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

 

·      When complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall has already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

 

·      At least 65% of the main roads that leads to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).

 

·      There are around 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

 

·      IOF continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

 

·      Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

 

·      During the reporting period, IOF arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 women, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.

 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (1 – 7 January 2009):

 

1.      IOF Offensive on the Gaza Strip

IOF have continued their war on the Gaza Strip for the 2^nd consecutive week. This aggression continues in the marked absence of any significant moral or legal action on the part of the international community to stop it or at least to force Israel to abstain from targeting and using excessive force against Palestinian civilians and their property. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) believes that the United Nations Security Council acts in violation of the United National Charter through failing to take any immediately action to the stop the war on the Gaza Strip, which gives IOF more time to continue their war and kill more Palestinian civilians, including complete families. IOF have employed their full-fledged arsenal to attack densely populated areas, which resulted in deaths and casualties among Palestinian families. These attacks occur in the context of the ongoing siege of Gaza: civilians are suffering from acute shortages of even the most basic of foodstuffs, including baby milk, bread and water. Essential medications are in increasingly short supply, if available at all. Electricity blackouts are widespread, water is increasingly unavailable. The Gaza Strip is the scene of a humanitarian disaster.

 

Northern Gaza Strip

 

Thursday, 1 January 2009

·      At approximately 05:00, IOF warplanes bombarded stores of foodstuffs located under a 3-storey house belonging to Fat'hi Diab 'Abed Rabbu  in al-Quds Street in Jabalya. The stores were destroyed and the house was damaged. A number of nearby houses and shops were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 05:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Fatema Salah Isma'il Salah, 42, near Jabalya police station. She was killed and her niece and nephew were seriously wounded: Amal Isma'il Salahm, 18; and Maysara Ahmed Salah, 8. Ten minutes later, IOF warplanes bombarded the houses again, completely destroying it. A number of neighboring houses were damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 05:55, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Hassan Yassin u Habel, in which 3 families counting 18 people live, in Tal al-Za'tar area.the house and a workshop and stores under it were destroyed. The house had been already evacuated as the family received a phone call from IOF informing about their intention to bombard the house.

 

·      At approximately 09:50, IOF bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Fu'ad Ahmed Baroud, in which 4 families counting 26 people live, in al-'Alami area in Jabalya. The house and 2 neighboring houses were destroyed and a number of other houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 12:40, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Mohammed 'Ali 'Abed Rabbu, in which 3 families counting 18 people live, in 'Izbat 'Abed Rabbu area in the east of Jabalya. The house was completely destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged. 'Abed Rabbu is physically disabled and his wife is blind. Their son has been detained in Israeli jails for 18 months. 'Abed Rabbu had received a phone call from IOF, in which he was ordered to evacuate the house as it would be bombarded.

 

·      At approximately 14:30 on Thursday, 1 January 2009, IOF warplanes fired several missiles towards the house of Dr. Nizar 'Abdul Qader Mohammed Rayan, 49, near al-Khulafaa' al-Rashedin Mosque in Jabalya Refugee Camp in Northern the Gaza Strip. The missiles destroyed the 5-storey house, and Dr. Rayan was killed together with his 4 wives who are: Hiam 'Abdul Rahman Rayan, 46; Iman Khalil Rayan, 46; Nawal Isma'il Rayan, 40; and Sherine Sa'id Rayan, 25. In addition, 11 of Dr. Rayan's children were killed in the same attack: As'ad, 2; Usama Ibn Zaid, 3; 'Aisha, 3; Reem, 4; Miriam, 5; Halima, 5; 'Abdul Rahman, 6; Abdul Qader, 12; Aaya, 12; Zainab, 15; and Ghassan, 16.

 

·      At approximately 15:10, IOF warplanes attacked a crowd of Palestinian civilians in al-Amal neighborhood in the east of Jabalya. As a result, 17 civilians, including 9 children and a woman, were wounded. One of the wounded, 24-year-old Fadi Shabat, died of his wound on the following day afternoon.

 

·      At approximately 15:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a water reservoir near al-Nada towers in Beit Hanoun town. As a result, al-Mu'ez Le Din Allah Jihad al-Nasla, 2, and his sister 'Oyoun, 16, were killed while they were on their way to shop. Additionally, 40 civilians, including 27 children, were wounded.  

 

·      At approximately 21:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a smith workshop belonging to Khaled al-Zeer near the civil defense station in Jabalya. The workshop was destroyed and a neighboring 2-storey house belonging to Nazmi Rabee' Rihan was heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 21:15, IOF warplanes bombarded offices of country citizens charity, which are located under a house belonging to Nayef al-Masri, in Beit Hanoun town. The offices were destroyed and the house and a number of neighboring houses were heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 23:15, IOF warplanes bombarded a smith workshop belonging to Taha Dalloul in Jabalya. The workshop was destroyed and a number of nearby workshops and houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Khulafaa' Mosque in Jabalya. The mosque was destroyed and dozens of nearby houses were heavily damaged.

 

Friday, 2 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a 2-storey house belonging to Ziad Abu Foul in Zimmu Street in the east of Jabalya. The house, which had been already evacuated, was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 04:30, IOF warplanes bombarded an open area in al-Nazzaz area in the east of Beit Hanoun. As a result, 2 neighboring houses belonging to Ibrahim Subhi Tarkhan and 'Alaa' Sa'di al-Biss were heavily damaged, and 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and 2 women, were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 04:15, IOF warplanes bombarded and destroyed al-Salam Mosque in the east of Jabalya.

 

·      At approximately 08:15, IOF warplanes attacked a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in al-Shaimaa' area in the north of Beit Lahia. An activist was seriously wounded and his right arm and leg were cut.

 

·      At approximately 09:50 also on Friday, IOF bombarded a 2-storey house of Nafez Mohammed al-Mutawar, 51, in Gaza Street in Jabalya. Al-Mtawar was killed and 50 civilians were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, medical sources in an Egyptian hospital declared that Bilal Suhail Ghabayen, 19, died from a wound he had sustained on 29 December 2008, when IOF warplanes attacked a crowd of Palestinian civilians near a workshop belonging to the Ghabayen family. Two civilians were killed in the attack while they were trying to vacate the workshop.

 

·      At approximately 19:25, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Sami Ibrahim Lubbad, a member of the Palestinian resistance, near Sheikh Zayed housing project in Beit Lahia town. He was instantly killed.

 

·      At approximately 23:15, and IOF drone fired a missile at a number of activists of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas near Zimmu Square in the east of Jabalya. Two activists were killed: Na'el Hassan Ramdan, 22; and Mohammed 'Essam Nasser, 20.

 

Saturday, 3 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:25, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 03:45, an IOF warplane fired a missile at the American School to the west of Beit Lahia town. The school was destroyed and one of its guards, 25-year-old Salem Hamad Abu Qulaiq, was killed.

 

·      At approximately 04:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a 2-storey house belonging to Rezeq Abu Ghubait in Tal al-Za'tar neighborhood in the north of Jabalya. The house, which had been already evacuated, was destroyed and a number of neighboring house were heavily damaged. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 09:15, IOF warplanes bombarded agricultural areas in the east of Beit Hanoun town. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded while inside their houses.

 

·      At approximately 13:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a house in Abu Rahma farm in the northeast of Beit Hanoun. The house was destroyed and Maha 'Aaref 'Edwan, 17, was wounded by shrapnel to the left foot.

 

·      At approximately 17:20, while dozens of Palestinian civilians were praying the Sunset Prayer, an IOF drone fired a missile at Martyr Ibrahim al-Maqadma Mosque near Kamal 'Edwan Hospital in Jabalya town in the northern Gaza Strip. As a result, 12 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a man and his son, were killed and 30 others were wounded. Later, 3 of the wounded died of their wounds, so the number of deaths mounted to 15. The victims who were instantly killed are:

 

1.      Mohammed al-Tanani, 18;

2.      Sa'id Salah Battah, 22;

3.      Ahmed Isma'il al-Buhdri, 23;

4.      Ahmed Tubail, 16;

5.      'Omar 'Abdul Hafez al-Seelawi, 35;

6.      Hani Mohammed al-Seelawi, 10;

7.      'Abdul Rahman al-Masamha, 47;

8.      Ra'ed 'Abdul Rahman al-Masmha, 21;

9.      Rajeh Ziada, 18;

10.  Mohammed Mousa al-Seelawi, 10;

11.  Bahaa' al-Ashqar, 20; and

12.  Hassan Hijju, 14.

 

·      At approximately 17:15, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Salem al-Ghoul in al-Sayafa area in the northwest of Beit Lahia. The house was destroyed, 2 members of the family were killed and 2 others were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 17:25, an IOF drone fired a missile that landed near al-Tawba Mosque in Beit Lahia. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including  child, were wounded and a number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 21:00 on the same day, IOF military vehicles started to move into the northern Gaza Strip from various directions. They seized control over the area under cover of artillery shelling and aerial bombardment.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF attacked a crowd of Palestinian civilians in Martyr Bassel Na'im in Beit Hanoun town. As a result, 9 civilians, including 4 chidlren, were wounded. On the following day evening, two of the wounded civilians died of their wounds: Ahmed Sameeh al-Kafarna, 18; and Mohammed Akram Abu Harbeed 19.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009

·      At approximately 08:00, IOF resumed air strikes and artillery shelling against Palestinian area. An artillery shell landed near Palestinian houses in al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed: Ahmed Hussein al-Mabhoh, 28; and Mahmoud Sami 'Assaliya, 2.

 

·      At approximately 08:10, IOF fired an artillery shell that hit a house belonging to Rezeq Tantish in al-Nuzha Street in Beit Lahia town. Two of Tantish's grandchildren who were on the roof of the house were killed: Hamza Zuhair Rezeq Tantish, 12; and Mahmoud Zaher Rezeq Tantish, 17.

 

·      At approximately 08:30, Suhail Ahmed al-'Assali, 22, was killed by IOF shelling near Zimmu Square in the east of Jabaly. A number of others were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 09:30, an artillery shell hit a house belonging to Wadee' Ayman 'Omar, 40, in al-Nuzha Street in Beit Lahia town. 'Omar was instantly killed.

 

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF shelled a crowd of Palestinian civilians near Abu 'Obaida Mosque in Beit Lahia town. A number of residents of the area and an ambulance of al-'Awda Hospital rushed to the area to evacuate the wounded. At approximately 10:10, IOF shelled the area again. As a result, 9 Palestinian civilians, including a man and two of his sons, were killed and a number of others, including two paramedics, were wounded. The ambulance driver, Khaled Yousef Abu Sa'da, 43, stated to PCHR that at approximately 10:15 on Sunday, he was informed that some people were wounded near the western intersection in the west of Beit Lahia. He moved towards the area accompanied by paramedics 'Arafa Hani 'Abdul Dayem, 33, and 'Alaa' Ussama Sarhan, 26. When they arrived at the area, they carried a person who was seriously wounded. Abu Sa'da moved forward to evacuate another person, but an IOF tank fired a shell at them. The shell hit the ambulance. The ambulance driver and the two paramedic were seriously wounded. Those who were killed are:

 

1.      Ussama Musleh Suleiman, 20;

2.      Mohammed Mo'in Abu Tahoun, 19;

3.      Hammouda Shihada Abu Sultan, 52;

4.      Al-Sayed Hammouda Abu Sultan, 26;

5.      Noah Hammouda Abu Sultan, 20;

6.      Isma'il Mousa, 53;

7.      Na'im 'Abbas, 56;

8.      Ahmed Mahmoud al-Adham, 50; and

9.      Shawqi al-'Attar, 45.

 

·      At approximately 17:30, an IOF drone fired a missile at a crowd of Palestinian civilians near a shop of vegetables near Beit Lahia Sports Club. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians were killed: 'Alaa' Yahia Zaqqout, 28; Mohammed Hassan al-Baba, 32; and Mohammed Khader Hammouda, 19. Additionally, 4 civilians were wounded.

 

·      Also at approximately 17:30, IOF shelled Palestinian areas in the vicinity of al-Nada tower buildings and the east of Jabalya. As a result, Ghassan Abu Al-'Amrain, 21, and Eyad Nabeel Saleh, 19, were killed.

 

·      At approximately 19:30, an IOF drone fired a missile at Sammer 'Abada al-Sherafy, 48, when he was in front of his house in Tal al-Za'tar area. He was instantly killed. 

 

·      Also at approximately 19:30, IOF shelled al-Twam area, the east of Jabalya and al-Sikka Street. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians were killed: Yahia Abu Saif, 20; Riad Mustafa Abu Baker; and Sa'id Jarad al-Siksek, 15.

 

·      At approximately 22:00, IOF military aircraft targeted the consolation house of 'Arafa Hani 'Abdul Dayem, in Beit Hanoun. 'Abdul Dayem, an ambulance driver, was wounded when IOF attacked him together with other paramedics on the preceding day, but he died later of his wound. As a result of the attack on the consolation house, three of 'Abdul Dayem's relatives, including one child, were killed. Other wounds have been reported. The dead are: Arafat Mohammed 'Abdul Dayem, 13, Maher Younis 'Abdul Dayem, 30; and Nafez Jamal 'Abdul Dayem, 26.

 

·      At approximately 23:10, IOF warplanes bombarded 'Omar Ben 'Abdul 'Aziz Mosque in Beit Hanoun town. The mosque was destroyed and a number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      In other attacks, Samir 'Ayadah al-Sharraf, a 48-year-old vegetable vendor, was killed when his house in Tel al-Za’tar area in Beit Lahia was hit a missile fired by an IOF drone, and Bilal 'Abed Rabbu Shihab, 25, was killed in front of his house after receiving a bullet wound to the chest.

 

·      Friction areas, especially in Alatatrah, Salateen, and the al-Nada tower buildings in the north and west of Beith Lahia where IOF military vehicles moved, experienced . These areas have experienced intensive IOF fire from heavy weapons and artillery. UNRWA has opened many of its schools in an effort to accommodate families displaced from their homes.  

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 12:00 on Monday, 5 January 2009, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a house belonging to Mustafa al-Habeel in 'Aamer area, southwest of Jabalya. As a result, al-Habeel's son, 25-year-old Bassem, was killed, and the house was heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 13:35 on Monday, an IOF warplane bombarded a house belonging to Musheer 'Omar al-Habel (al-Masri) in al-Manshiya quarter in Beit Lahia town. The house was completely destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 13:40, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-syorey apartment building belonging to Rezeq Tantish in the center of Beit Lahia town. The building, which includes an educational center, a bookshop and a number of shops, was destroyed. At the same time, IOF warplanes targeted a house belonging to Tantish's brother in al-Nuzha Street.

 

·      At approximately 21:30, IOF artillery shelled a 2-storey house belonging to Ramadan 'Abdul Karim Abu Jarda in Hamad Street in the southwest of Beit Hanouan. As a result, 2 Palestinians were killed:

1.      Akram Mohammed Isma'il Abu Jarad, 21; and

2.      Sa'id Ahmed Mohammed 'Edwan, 20.

 

Additionally, Ma'awia Hashem 'Edwan, 20, was seriously wounded and the house was heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF warplanes launched a series of air strikes against houses in the northern Gaza Strip. The air strike continued until 06:00 on Tuesday, 6 January 2009. A number of houses were destroyed and 4 members of the Saleh family, including a child and a woman; and old woman from the Zumlot family; an old woman and a child from the al-Kurdi family; and another 3 civilians, including a child were killed.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 04:00, IOF warplanes bombarded Jabalya police station. The station was heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 04:30, IOF warplanes bombarded the 3-storey building of the Qur'an and Sunna Society in Jabalya refugee camp. The building was destroyed and a number of nearby houses were heavily damaged. 

 

·      At approximately 13:10, IOF tanks shelled the houses of civilians near the Bedouin village, killing Eshtaiwi Msharraf al-Sheikh Mannaa', 57, and Mousa 'Ali al-Jatli, 32.

 

·      At approximately 13:40, IOF tanks bombed Palestinian houses near the Islamic Bank in Jabalya, killing 'Afaf Mohammed Damieda, 32, whilst she was inside her home.

 

·      At approximately 14:30, IOF tanks shelled the vicinity of a cemetery in Beit Lahia, wounding 9 Palestinian civilians, one of them seriously.

 

·      At approximately 15:35, IOF tanks fired 4 shells at Jabalya refugee camp. On the shells hit a house belonging to Samir Shafeeq Deeb, 43,  Killing him and his mother, Shamma Salem Deeb, 70; three of his children: 'Essam, 12, Mohammad, 23, and Fatima, 20; five of his brother's children: Nour, 2, Mustafa, 12, Mohammad, 17, Aseel, 7, and Alaa', 19; and his brother's wife, Amal Matar Deeb, 34. The other three shells hit al-Fakhoura School which was sheltering approximately dozens of families who fled their homes in Beit Lahia, Killing 27 civilians instantly, including 8 children, 2 brothers ans a man and his son, and wounding at least 50 civilians. IOF claimed that the school was used by Hamas to launch attacks on Israel. UNRWA sources and eyewitnesses completely refuted this claim. However, the justification used by IOF implies they deliberately targeted the civilians inside the school, which constitutes a war crime under international law.

 

·      At approximately 17:40, IOF warplanes bombed a 4-storey house belonging to Isaac Khalil al-'Aloul near al-Taqwa mosque, destroying the house and injuring one civilian.

 

·      At approximately 20:00, medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that Tayseer Mohammed 'Abdul 'Aziz Zumlot, 42, and his son, 10-year-old Mohammed, died of wounds they had sustained when IOF shelled the family's house in Jabalya on 5 January 2009.

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 08:30, IOF tanks shelled a number of civilian houses in al-'Atatra area in the northwest of Beit Lahia town killing 'Abdul Karim Rafeeq Hassan, 21, and Bilal 'Abdul Hadi 'Ali, 19.

 

·      At approximately 09:00, IOF tanks shelled a crowd of Palestinian civilians in al-Salateen area in the northwest of Beit Lahia, killing Hussam Ra'ed Subeh, 12, and Ibrahim Kamal 'Awaja, 9.

 

·      At approximately 09:30, IOF tanks shelled houses in al-'Atatra in the northwest Beit Lahia, killing Mohammed 'Olayan al-Ashqar, 30, ands his brothers Ihsan, 29, and Hazim, 24.

 

·      At 13:30, IOF fired an artillery shell at a house in al-Amal neighborhood in Beit Lahia, killing Wajoud Rajab Abu Wadi, 31. Her corpse was left unattended until the following morning.

 

·      At 14:00 on Wednesday, IOF opened fire at houses in 'Izbat 'Abed Rabbu area, east Jabalia, killing three sisters: Su'ad 'Abed Rabbu, 10; and her sisters Amal, 3; and Samar, 2. At the same time, Mohammed 'Ali Ahmed al-Sultan, 55, was killed when IOF drones bombarded al-Salatin area. His corpse remained unattended until today.

 

·      Thirty minutes later, IOF indiscriminately bombarded al-Sikka Street and areas near Zimmu Square, east of Jabalia, killing two elderly people: Mohammed Abu Rukbah, 87; and Musbah Ayub, 60.

 

·      At 18:00 on Wednesday, an IOF warplane bombed a civilian vehicle in Beit Lahia, killing five members of one family who were inside the car at the time:

1.      Khaled al-Kahlout, 45;

2.      His son Mohammad al-Kahlout, 15;

3.      His younger son Habib, 12;

4.      His youngest son Tawfiq, 10; and

5.      Their cousin Hassan al-Kahlout, 20.   

 

·      Later the same evening, Hassan Ahmad Hijazi, 31, was pronounced dead on arrival at Shifa hospital, after being seriously wounded during intense IOF shelling of the northern Gaza Strip.

 

Gaza City

 

Friday, 2 January 2009

·      At approximately 09:10, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a bird farm belonging to Zaki Mahmoud Ja'rour in al-Yarmouk area in the center of Gaza City. As a result, 16-year-old Christine Wadee' al-Turk, whose house is near the bird farm, died from a heart attack.

 

·      At approximately 13:20, IOF tanks positioned to the east of al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, fired a number of shells at Palestinian houses in the neighborhood. As a result, 10-year-old Hamada Ibrahim Musabbeh was seriously wounded when he was near his house. His feet were amputated. An hour later, he was pronounced dead.

 

·      At approximately 13:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Hamdi Jom'a al-Dardassawi in al-Tawahin Street in al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result, the house was heavily damaged and the owner's daughter, 13-year-old Sojoud, was wounded.

 

·      At approximately 22:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to Ya'qoub Mohammed Dababesh, in which 20 people live, in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. The house was destroyed, a number of neighboring houses were damaged and 8 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including a paramedic, 25-year-old 'Eid Ramadan Ahmed, who was attempting to evacuate an old man from a house in the area.

 

Saturday, 3 January 2009

·      At approximately 03:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Mamdouh 'Omar al-Jammal, 25, a leader of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. He was seriously wounded. He died from his wound later.

 

·      At approximately 03:30, an IOF warplane bombarded a training site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas in SheikhRadwan neighborhood. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 17:45, an IOF helicopter gunship bombarded a press belonging to 'Abdul Nabi Sa'id al-Rantissi in al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City. The press was destroyed and a nearby building was damaged.

 

·      At approximately 18:00, IOF warplanes bombarded offices of al-Resala newspaper on the 5^th floor of al-'Ajrami apartment building in al-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City. The offices were destroyed and a number of nearby buildings were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 20:45, IOF warplanes bombarded a site of the Security and Protection Service near the presidential compound in the west of Gaza City. The site was destroyed and a number of nearby buildings were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 21:00, IOF military vehicles moved into al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah and al-Shoja'eya neighborhoods in the east of Gaza City, under cover of artillery shelling and aerial bombardment of residential areas and agricultural lands located near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. As a result of these attacks, 13 Palestinians, including 9 civilians, were killed. The victims include 3 children and 3 women who were killed while they were inside their houses. Additionally, 60 Palestinians, including 10 children and 3 women, were wounded; most of them were wounded while they were inside their houses. Buildings, houses and the infrastructure were heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 21:15, IOF warplanes bombarded the 3-storey building of al-Karama Association for Children of Martyrs in al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City. The building was destroyed and a number of nearby buildings were damaged.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF warplanes bombarded Arafat police compound, which had been repeatedly bombarded.

 

·      At approximately 04:20, IOF warplanes bombarded fuel tanks on a space area behind the building of al-Aqsa Radio in al-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City. Fire broke out extensively and two nearby houses belonging to Hamdi Talab al-Khudari and Fakhri 'Abdul Qader Jaber were completely burnt. A number of other houses were damaged. 

 

·      At approximately 11:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a crowd of Palestinian civilians near the garage of the Municipality of Gaza in al-Yarmouk area. As a result, 17-year-old Ahmed Khader Diab Subaih was killed and his uncle who was accompanying him was seriously wounded.

 

·      At approximately 12:00, 4 Palestinian, including 3 children, were killed when an IOF tanks shell struck the roof of the al-Nemer family home in al-Zaytoun neighborhood: Akram Ziad al-Nemer, 17; Ayman Ziad al-Nemer, 8; Ayman Mohammed Afana, 25; and Asmaa' Ibrahim Afana, 12.

 

·      Also at approximately 12:00, two children – Israa' Qusay Alhabbash, 13, and Shatha al-'Abed al-Habbash, 10 – were killed, when a missile fired by an IOF warplane landed near their home in al-Tuffah neighborhood.

 

·      At approximately 15:00, 'Omar Sa'dallah Jaru, 63, was killed and 11 people from his family were wounded when their house in Yafa Street in the east of al-Tuffah neighborhood was struck by a missile fired by an IOF warplane. The house was completely destroyed in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 15:30, an IOF warplane targeted paramedics while they were moving wounded civilians to an ambulance in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood. Three paramedics were killed: Yasser Kamal Shubair, 24; Anas Fadel Na'im, 25; and Ra’fat 'Abdul Aal, 24.

 

·      At approximately 17:00, an IOF warplane bombarded a house belonging to the al-'Aamoudi family in al-Shati refugee camp. 'Abdul Hameed Khamees 'Omar, 19, was killed while passing in front of the house which was completely destroyed in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 17:00, Mohammed Shihada al-Nemnem, 62, was killed when his house was hit during an IOF attack. The 4-storey house was completely destroyed, and 5 members of the family were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 17.30, the corpses of Fu'ad Mahmoud al-Hilu, 55, and his grandson, 2-year-old Farah 'Ammar al-Hilu were transmitted to the Shefa’a Hospital.  They died as a result of gunshot wounds received while at their home in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. Relatives stated that they had been hit by IOF troops operating in the area.

 

·      At approximately 23:45, the house of Hassan al-Ghandour in al-Daraj neighborhood was targeted by an IOF warplane. The attack destroyed the two-storey house and heavily damaged two other houses in the vicinity.

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:20, the house of Yasser Yousef Hussein, 40, was targeted by an IOF warplane. The attack caused heavy damages to the two-storey house.

 

·      At approximately 01:00, the building of the Union of Health Care Committees in al-Shati refugee camp was targeted by an IOF warplane. The building and 3 mobile clinics inside it were completely destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 01:30, an IOF warplane destroyed the house of Rezeq Saber Abu 'Eisheh, located in North al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. Numerous fatalities and injuries have been reported. At the time of publishing, 3 corpses had been transferred to Shefa’ Hospital. The dead have been identified as 'Amer Rezeq Abu 'Eisheh, 40; Sabah Rashad Abu 'Eisheh, 40; and Ahmed 'Aamer Abu Eisheh, 5. Four remaining family members remain trapped under the rubble; the civil defense corps are currently attempting to rescue them. Those trapped have been identified as Naheel Abu 'Eisheh,  30; Alsayed Abu Eisheh, 12;  Muhammad Abu Eisheh, 8; and Ghaidaa' Abu 'Eisheh, 6.

 

·      At approximately 07:00, IOF warplanes and tanks struck a house belonging to 'Atiyah Helmi al-Sammouny, in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. Three children were killed in the attack: Ahmad 'Atiyah al-Sammouny, 4, Ameen 'Atiyah al-Sammouny, 5; and Mohammed Helmi al-Sammouny, 8 months. An unknown number of civilians remain trapped under the rubble.

 

·      At approximately 12:00, IOF tanks shelled a house belonging to al-Maleh family in the east of al-Tuffah neighborhood. The house was heavily damaged and 2 members of the family were killed:

1.      Lubna Fu'ad al-Maleh, 29; and

2.      Khadra 'Abed al-Maleh, 80.

 

A number of other members of the family were also wounded.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, medical sources declared that As'ad Sa'di Hammouda, 74, died of wounds he had sustained on the preceding day, when IOF attacked a consolation house of the Hammouda family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

 

·      At approximately 14:15 on Monday, IOF artillery shelled a house belonging to the 'Allaw family in al-Tuffah neighborhood. As a result, 2 children from the family were wounded:

1.      Mo'men Mahmoud Talal 'Allaw, 11; and

2.      Mohammed Mhamoud Talal 'Allaw, 12.

 

Their sister, 8-year-old Iman Mahmoud Talal 'Allaw, was also wounded.

 

·      IOF artillery shelled also a house belonging to al-Sersawi family. As a result, Aaya al-Sersawi, 5, was killed.

 

·      IOF artillery shelled also a house belonging to the Sa'ad family. As a result, Nadia Musbah Sa'ad, 13, was killed and another 4 members of the family were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 15:00, IOF artillery shelled a house belonging to the 'Olaiwa family in al-Judida are in al-Shoja'eya neighborhood. As a result, Amal Zaki 'Olaiwa, 37, her three children, Muntasser, Hazem and Mo'men, were killed. A 4^th child from the family, who had not been identified, was also killed in the attack.

 

·      Also at approximately 15:00, IOF artillery shelled a house belonging to al-Harazin family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. As a result, the house was heavily damaged and 2 members of the family were killed:

1.      'Alaa' Matar al-Harazin, 20; and

2.      Ahmed Fat'hi al-Harazin, 18.

 

·      At approximately 16:00, IOF artillery shelled a house belonging to the Shuhaiber family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. As a result, Mahrous Shuhaiber, 36, was killed and a number of members of the family were wounded. The house was also heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 17:00, an IOF sniper positioned on the rooftop of a house in al-Zaytoun neighborhood shot dead Hanadi Bassem Khalifa, 15, when she was praying inside her house.

 

·      At approximately 22:45, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Saraya security compound in the center of Gaza City. A number of buildings were destroyed, a number of nearby buildings were damaged and 10 Palestinian civilians were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF artillery shelled a house belonging to the Jaddou' family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. As a result 3 members of the family were killed:

1.      Ghazi 'Awni Jaddou', 28;

2.      Hashem 'Awni Jaddou', 22; and

3.      Lutfi 'Awni Jaddou', 19.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:00, an IOF warplane bombarded a flat in al-Sa'ada tower building #4 in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood. As a result, Fayez Hassan was killed, the flat was destroyed and the building was heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 01:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at 3 Palestinian civilians who were inside an UNRWA school in al-Shati refugee camp. These civilians are from the displaced families who resorted to the school. The three civilians were instantly killed:

1.      'Abed Sameer al-Sultan, 17;

2.      Hussein Mahmoud al-Sultan, 24; and

3.      Rawhi Jamal al-Sultan, 26.

 

·      At approximately 05:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at an area behind Ibn 'Omair Mosque in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. As a result, Hussein 'Arafat, 55, was killed.

 

·      At approximately 06:00, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to al-Dayeh family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result, the owner, 2 of his children, one of his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law were killed:

1.      Fayez Musbah al-Dayeh, 59;

2.      Sabreen Fayez al-Dayeh, 24;

3.      Eyad Fayez al-Dayeh, 34;

4.      Rawda al-Dayeh, 26; and

5.      Kawkab al-Dayeh, 4.

 

The house was destroyed and other members of the family are missing. They are believed to be trapped under the debris.

 

·      Also at approximately 06:00, IOF bombarded a house belonging to the Hassanain family near Abu Jibba fuel station in al-Zaytoun neighborhood. As a result, 'Abdul Wahab Ahmed Hassanain, 52, was killed and 12 members of his family were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 12:00, IOF bombed a stationary police vehicle in al-Shati refugee camp, killing 'Abdul Jaleel al-Hallees, 8.

 

·      At approximately 12:30, an IOF warplane bombed the house of Salamah Saba. The 3-storey house was destroyed.

 

·      At 13:10, IOF warplanes targeted a child riding a motorcycle in al-Remal neighborhood, killing the driver, Rafiq 'Abdul Basset al-Khudari, 15, and wounding Amjad Majdi al-Bayed, 14. Al-Bayed was transferred to hospital, where he died.

 

·      Also at approximately 13:10, an IOF sniper shot and killed Alaa' Tawfiq al-Fayyoumi, 32, in his house in Al Tuffah neighborhood.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, an IOF tank fired a shell at a civilian crowd near al-Durrah Hospital east of al-Tuffah neighborhoo, killing Zaher Mohammed 'Aabed, 22, and Mohammad Marwan 'Aabed, 22.

 

·      At approximately 14:15, an IOF tanks fired a shell at the vicinity of the cemetery east of al-Tuffah neighborhood, killing Hiba Jameel Ma'rouf, 27.

 

·      At approximately 15:30, an IOF drone fired a missile at Mohammad Kamal Miqdad, 27, in al-Shati refugee camp. He was instantly killed.

 

·      At approximately 17:30, an IOF tank fired a shell at a house belonging to 'Ouda Abu 'Amsha, killing his daughter, 11-year-old Islam.

 

·      At approximately 21:00, a resistance fighter, Mohammad Ahmed Shwaideh, 20, was killed during an armed clash with IOF.

 

·      Also at approximately 21:00, Mo'een Akram Selmi, 35, and Mahmoud Ahmed Fattouh, 24, were killed in another armed clash with IOF east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood.

 

·      In the evening, Shifa Hospital in Gaza City reported the deaths of Rahaf Ahmed al-Aza'ar, 4, Ahmad Shaher Ekhdeir, 14, and Ahmad Sidqi Kuhail, 25.

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 08:00, IOF tanks bombed the area surrounding Mosa'ab Ben 'Omair Mosque, killing Mohammad Maher Qassim, 19, and 'Abdul al-Rahman Badawi Qassim, 25.

 

·      At approximately 09:30, IOF warplanes fired missile into a crowd near al-Taqwa Mosque in SheikH Radwan neighborhood, killing five civilians:

1.      Mustafa Rashad al-Khaldi, 17;

2.      Mohammad Fareed al-Ma'sawabi, 16;

3.      Naseem  Salama Saba, 17;

4.      Mahmoud Humaid, 17; and

5.      'Abdullah Jihad Jouda, 24.

 

·      At approximately 13:30, medical personnel were finally able to unearth the bodies of two brothers from underneath rubble. Radwan 'Aashour, 12, and his brother 'Abdul Rahman, 11, had been killed earlier the same morning.

 

·      At approximately 16:10, during an armed clash with IOF in east Zaytoun, three resistance fighters were killed: Ahmed Mousa, 20; 'Azmi Zaid, 20; and Ahmed Lubbad, 22.

 

·      At approximately 19:30, during another armed clash with IOF, another resistance fighter, Majid Mushtaha, 21, was killed.

 

·      In the evening, IOF opened fire indiscriminately in al-Zaytoun district, killing Hatem Ghazal, 42, inside his house in Jaffa Street.

 

·      Also in the evening, Medical sources in Shifa Hospital reported the deaths of four civilians, including two children, and one woman:

 

1.      Eihab  al-Harrizin, 22, from al-Shoja'eya;

2.      Ahmed Jaber Hwaij, 7, who had been wounded on 27 December 2008;

3.      Mohammed Sameer Hijjou, 16; and

4.      'Ola Mas'oud 'Arafat, 20.

 

·      At approximately 21:00, IOF aircrafts bombed al-Taqwa mosque in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. Four hours later, IOF bombed the mosque for a second time, damaging it, as well as nearby houses.

 

Central Gaza Strip

 

Thursday, 1 January 2009

·      At approximately 01:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a 5-storey house belonging to Ahmed Ibrahim Abu Nar, in which 4 families counting 22 people live, and a 3-storey house belonging to Tawfiq Mohammed Abu al-Rous, in which 4 families counting 14 people live, to the north of al-Farouq Mosque in Nussairat refugee camp. The first house was destroyed and the other one was heavily damaged. Two civilians, including a child, were wounded, and 6 neighboring houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 11:30, IOF warplanes bombarded Tawfiq's Abu al-Rous house. The house became uninhabitable. 

 

·      At approximately 16:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian resistance activists in al-Sawarha area in the southwest of al-Nussairat refugee camp. As a result, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were wounded. The child, 17-year-old Mohammed Husaam 'Olayan, died of his wounds later.

 

·      At approximately 20:30, an IOF drone fired 2 missiles at a Palestinian resistance activist, 23-year-old Mahmoud Mustafa Darwish 'Aashour, killing him.

 

Friday, 2 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:00, an IOF helicopter gunship fired a missile at a donkey cart in al-Maghazi refugee camp. Three houses were damaged and the donkey was killed.

 

·      At approximately 03:50, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Fu'ad Sa'id al-Halabi, 40, in which 10 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. The house and two neighboring ones belonging to Ibrahim Mohammed Abu Sarhan and Salah Saleem al-Nabahin were destroyed and 15 ones were damaged. A child was also wounded.

 

·      At approximately 09:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a tract of agricultural land belonging to the Abu Mahadi family. As a result, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 09:50, IOF warplanes bombarded two adjacent houses belonging to the Muhanna family at Deir al-Balah beach. The two houses were destroyed and 15 Palestinian civilians were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 12:50, IOF gunboats fired two shells at al-Zahraa' town and al-Sawarha area in the southwest of al-Nussairat refugee camp. No casualties were reported, but Palestinian civilians were extremely terrified.

 

·      At approximately 13:30, an IOF drone fired 2 missiles at a 5-storey house belonging to the heirs of Mohammed 'Abdul Hadi 'Aaqel, in which 62 people lie, in al-Nussairat refugee camp. The house was damaged. At approximately 16:00, IOF warplanes bombarded the house again. The upper thee floors were destroyed and 12 neighboring houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 13:55, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a house belonging to the al-Khaldi family in al-Nussairat refugee camp. The house was damaged. Two hours layer, IOF warplanes bombarded the house again. The house was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 16:30, an IOF warplane fired 2 missiles at a spae area in Juhor al-Dik area, southeast of Gaza City. As a result, Tahani Kamal 'Abdul 'Aziz Abu 'Aayesh, 23, was killed when she was near her house. Another 6 civilians, including a child, were also wounded. Additionally, 3 houses were heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 16:40, an IOF warplane bombarded al-Zahraa' Bridge, which links al-Zahraa' town with al-Nussairat refugee camp. Majed Khalil al-Bardawil, 30, who was traveling in a civilian car in the area, was seriously wounded. He was later pronounced dead.

 

·      At approximately 17:00, an IOF warplane bombarded the building of Public Works Department to the southwest of Gaza City. The building was destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 18:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a civilian car in the west of al-Nussairat refugee camp. The driver and a passing civilian were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 19:50, IOF gunboats bombarded Palestinian houses in al-Sawarha area in the west of al-Nussairat refugee camp. Three greenhouses belonging to the Shallat clan were destroyed. The area has been repeatedly bombarded.

 

·      At approximately 20:00, an IOF warplane bombarded an agricultural store on a tract of land belonging to 'Aabed Abu Mahadi in the west of al-Nussairat refugee camp. The store was destroyed.

 

Saturday, 3 January 2009

·      At approximately 09:00, IOF gunboats bombarded Palestinian houses in al-Sawarha area in the west of al-Nussairat refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian was wounded and 2 houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Zahraa' Bridge. A passing woman was wounded.

 

·      At approximately 19:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at 3 young men who were near a house in the Trans Street in al-Mughraqa village, south of Gaza City. The three young men were moderately wounded.

 

·      At approximately 22:00, IOF tanks fired two shells at a house belonging to Hussein 'Ouda al-'Aaidi in Juhor al-Dik area, south of Gaza City. The house was heavily damaged and two women and 3 children were wounded.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009  

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah town, opened fire at Palestinian houses and agricultural areas. As a result, 7-year-old Anas 'Aaref Baraka was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head. Additionally, 'Eid 'Abada Abu Rabi'a, 65, from al-Mughraqa village, was evacuated to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah as he was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the chest.

 

·      Thousands of civilians were forced to flee their homes in the Juhor al-Dik, al-Mughraqa and al-Zahraa' areas. These areas are located along the route linking al-Mentar (Karni) crossing along the eastern border, and seacoast in the west. IOF troops are now massed in this area, effectively separating the north and south of the Gaza Strip. As a result of the artillery and tank bombardment of residential areas, UNRWA has opened its schools to accommodate displaced families. Since yesterday evening, 3 corpses have been brought to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah town, 11 wounded civilians have also been admitted into the hospital. The dead are: Aa’ed 'Abdul Hadi Abu Nada, 43, killed by a bullet wound to the head; Ahmed Salem Ahmed Abu Middain, 54, killed by a bullet wound to the head; and Mohammad 'Abdul Hameed Abu Kmail, 22, killed in an air strike.

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:10, an IOF warplane bombarded a house belonging to Fareed Mohammed al-Hindi, 52, located in Block 8 in al-Boreij refugee Camp. The house was significantly damaged in the attack. Ten minutes later, the house was targeted again and completely destroyed. The house was a 4-storey building housing 3 families, and a total of 30 people. A number of houses in the vicinity were also damaged.

 

·      At approximately 05:00, an IOF warplane targeted the house of Jamil Saleh Mizher, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in al-Nussairat refugee camp, hitting it with two missiles. The 3-storey house, where 30 people live,  was struck again 15 minutes later and completely destroyed. A neighboring 4-storey  house, where 30 people live, was also completely burnt. The Karmel Cultural Society, and other nearby houses were damaged in the attack. Additionally, two people were wounded by flying debris.

 

·      At approximately 10:00, a two-storey house belonging to Galeb Mustafa 'Othman, to the north of al-Nussairat tower buildings, was targeted in two attacks, each 10 minutes apart. The house was completely destroyed and 7 houses in the vicinity were damaged. Four families, totaling 16 people, live in the house.

 

·      At approximately, 10:50, a house belonging to Fayez Mohammad Suleiman Baroud, was completely destroyed in two separate attacks, each 16 minutes apart. Additionally, two neighboring houses were heavily damaged and 10 others sustained partial damage.

 

·      At approximately 21:50, IOF fired 3 shells at the central market and Block 4 in the center of al-Boreij refugee camp. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were killed:

1.      Jihad 'Ali Abu Jebara, 54;

2.      Bassel Jihad Abu Jebara, 29;

3.      Ussama Jihad Abu Jebara, 21;

4.      Ibrahim Rawhi 'Aqel, 16; and

5.      Naji Nidal al-Hamalawi, 16.

 

Additionally, 16 civilians were wounded and a number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 22:00, an IOF warplane bombarded Deir al-Balah police station and largely destroyed it.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:40, a group of the Palestinian resistance exchanged fire with an IOF special unit, which was supported by warplanes and gunboats, in the southwest of Deir al-Balah refugee camp. As a result, 10 Palestinians were killed and 10 others were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a 2-storey house belonging to Salah 'Ali al-'Aaidi, in which 6 people live, in al-Maghazi refugee camp. The house was destroyed and a Palestinian civilian was wounded.

 

·      At approximately 10:10, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, eats of Gaza Valley, fired 2 artillery shells at Palestinian houses. As a result, Mahmoud 'Abdullah Abu Sha'ar, 25, and his wife, Fidaa' Fareed Abu Sha'ar, 20, were killed. Their child, 6-month-old Tamer, was wounded. IOF also bombed some open areas. A number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 11:00, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to Jaber 'Abdul 'Aziz Musleh, in which 4 families counting 25 people live, in Block 4 in al-Boreij refugee camp. The house was destroyed and 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded. A number of neighboring houses were also heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 12:30, IOF tanks shelled the area of Juhor al-Dik and east of al-Maghazi injuring three civilians.

 

·      At approximately 13:50, an IOF warplane shelled the house of Abu Ahmad Kurdyeh, 50, in north  al-Nussairat  refugee camp, destroying the house and killing Zakariya al-Taweel, 5, and injuring another child.

 

·      At approximately 20:00, medical sources reported the death of Nisreen Abu Swaireh, 24, after she was severely injured when IOF attacked greenhouses belonging to the Sharaf family.

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:30, the IOF shelled a center belonging to the civil defense east of Deir al-Balah.

 

·       At approximately 10:30, IOF tanks bombed al-Musasdar sports club, damaging it.

 

·      At approximately 17:30, IOF warplanes bombarded uninhabited land near the Ahly Club in al-Nussairat refugee camp, damaging surrounding houses.

 

·      Half an hour later, IOF warplanes bombed a metal-workshop belonging to Ibrahim al-Taweel in al-Borej refugee camp, destroying the workshop and a number of neighboring houses.

 

·      At approximately 19:00 on Wednesday, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at the police station in Abu Meddain area. This was the second time the police station had been bombed.

 

·      At approximately 20:10, an IOF aircraft bombed the house of Walid 'Abdul Hamid Fadel in al-Boreij refugee camp, killing two civilians: Ahmed Hussein, 21; and Mohammed 'Abed 'Eissa, 28. The explosion also destroyed the house, and four other nearby houses, and damaged a nearby mosque.

 

·      At the same time, an IOF aircraft bombed the house of Samir 'Abdul Raziq al-Nadi, 41, in al-Nussairat refugee camp, destroying the house and damaging nearby homes.

 

·      At approximately 22:00, another IOF aircraft fired three missiles at a police station in al-Maghazi refugee camp, wounding three civilians, including one woman, and destroying two nearby houses as well as the nearby town hall. The local mosque was also damaged.

 

Khan Yunis

 

Thursday, 1 January 2009

·      At approximately 03:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Husni Ahmed Abu 'Ouda, in which 5 families counting 24 people live. The house was destroyed and 2 neighboring houses were damaged. No casualties had been reported as the house had been already evacuated.

 

·      At approximately 06:15, IOF warplanes bombarded the fishing harbor west of Khan Yunis. The facility was heavily damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 06:30, IOF warplanes bombarded an open area in al-Satar al-Gharbi area. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 08:30, IOF warplanes bombarded an open area in al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. A house belonging to Anwar Musbah 'Abdul Ghafour was damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 12:40, IOF warplanes bombarded an open area in the east of 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 13:50, an IOF warplane fired a missile at 3 Palestinian children (2 brothers and their cousin), who were playing on a branch road in al-Qarara village, east of Khan Yunis. The three children were killed:

1.      Mohammed Eyad 'Abed Rabbu al-Astal, 12;

2.      'Abed Rabbu Eyad 'Abed Rabbu al-Astal, 8; and

3.      'Abdul Sattar Waleed al-Astal, 10.

 

According to a relative of the children, no gunmen were present in the area, which is nearly 4 kilometers away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, when the IOF warplane attacked the children.

 

·      At approximately 14:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to he Abu Mousa family in Khan Yunis refugee camp. The house was damaged and 5 of its residents, including 2 women, were wounded.

 

·      In the evening, medical sources at an Egyptian hospital declared that Hammad 'Ouda Abu al-Fita, 34, a member of the civil defense, died from a previous wound. Abu al-Fita, his brother and a relative of him were wounded when they attempted to rescue 14-year-old Sami Tarraf al-Astal, as IOF warplanes bombarded a space area near their houses. Al-Astal and another civilian were killed, and the three civilians who attempted to rescue the child were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 23:40, IOF warplanes bombarded a police station at Bani Suhila intersection in the east of Khan Yunis. A passing Palestinian civilian was wounded and a secondary school in the area was damaged.

 

Saturday, 3 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:10, IOF warplanes attacked a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in the east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 07:00, IOF warplanes dropped a box of leaflets ordering Palestinian civilians to evacuate their houses.

 

·      At approximately 12:40, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a civilian car, in which two Palestinians were traveling, in al-Sikka Street in al-Satar al-Ghabri area in Khan Yunis. As a result, one of the passengers was killed, while the other one was able to jump out of the car and flee. However, the warplane fired another missile at him when he was nearly 100 meters away from the car. He was also killed. The two victims were identified as members of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas: Shadi 'Aayesh al-Shourbaji, 28; and Mahmoud Ma'rouf, 25.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a space area near Sofa road, southeast of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 14:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a space area in Abu Tu'aima quarter and a greenhouse in Khuza'a village, east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 15:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a civil defense station in the east of Khan Yunis.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009

·      At approximately 07:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at two members of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas who were walking in al-Amal neighborhood in the west of Khan Yunis. One of them was killed and the other one was wounded.

 

·      At approximately 08:15, IOF warplanes bombarded a space area in the east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 16:00, Israeli naval vessels fired 3 shells into security, west of Khan Yunis, which had been bombed previously.

 

·      At approximately 17:40, an IOF drone fired a missile at Salah Amer Abu Amer, 50, while he was working as a security guard in Khan Yunis Preparatory School "C" in Khan Yunis refugee camp. He was moderately wounded in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 17:50, IOF warplanes bombarded and completely destroyed a house belonging to Isma'il 'Abed Jarghoun, near the Soufa border crossing, southeast of Khan Yunis.

 

·      At approximately the same time, an IOF drone bombed a house belonging to Marzouq Abu Jame’ in New 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. Two people were wounded, and the house was partially destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 21:00, IOF naval vessels bombarded an open area in the west of Khan Yunis.

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:30, an IOF drone bombarded a house belonging to Hamas member, Yasser Nazmi Hamdan, in al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis. Twelve families, consisting of 78 people, live in the 3-storey house. The house was not destroyed in the initial attack, consequently its eviction was ordered, and the house was destroyed by IOF warplanes 30 minutes later.

 

·      At approximately 03:20 on Monday, IOF warplanes bombraded a house belonging to Muthanna 'Aamer Killab in al-Amal neighborhood. Three families, and 15 people live in the house. The house was damaged in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 04:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Khalil Ahmed Khalil Abu Moussa in Khan Yunis refugee camp. The house, which is tiled with asbestos, was heavily damaged. It had previously been targeted by a drone.

 

·      At approximately 10:10, IOF warplanes bombarded the building of al-Nour Charity Society located near Bahloul fuel station in Bani Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis. The building, which contains a center of specialized medicine and a physiotherapy unit, was completely destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 14:10, IOF warplanes bombarded an open are in 'Abassn village, east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 20:00 on Monday, IOF warplanes bombarded the vicinity of al-Nour Mosque in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. A number of nearby houses were heavily damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      In the evening, medical sources declared that Ahmed Mohammed Abu Hatab, 24, from Khan Yunis refugee camp, died of his wound at an Egyptian hospital. Abu Hatab was wounded on Tuesday, 30 December 2009, when IOF warplanes bombarded al-Qarara police station, north of Khan Yunis.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:15, an IOF warplane bombarded the west of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported. At the same time, IOF gunboats fired dozens of shells at al-Mawasi area in the west of Khan Yunis and al-Matahen area to the north of the town. IOF tanks positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel shelled areas in Khuza'a and 'Abassan villages, east of Khan Yunis. As a result of these attacks, 7 Palestinian civilians, including 6 women, were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 05:00, IOF heavy military vehicles started to move into the east of al-Qarara and 'Abassan village under cover of intense artillery shelling. A house belonging to Ahmed Sarhan in al-Qarara village, and a house belonging to Ghassan al-Jurof in 'Abassan village were destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 07:30, an IOF drone fired a missile at a crowd of Palestinian civilians in al-Zanna area in the east of Khan Yunis. As a result, 'Alaa' Abu 'Aassi, 22, was seriously wounded and his limbs were cut.

 

·      At approximately 09:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a 2-storey house belonging to the Radwan family in 'Abassan village. The house and a number of neighboring houses were heavily damaged.

 

·      At approximately 09:10, an IOF drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Ussama Tabash, a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. Ten minutes later, IOF warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of neighboring houses were damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 09:20, an IOF drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to the Abu 'Ouda family in al-Amal neighborhood in the west of Khan Yunis. Ten minutes later, IOF warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. Two neighboring houses were also destroyed and another of other houses were damaged. Additionally, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children a woman and a cameraman of al-Aqsa Television – 'Alaa' al-Hindi, were wounded. 

 

·      At approximately 12:10, medical sources in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis declared that Marwan Hassan Qudaih, 5, died of his wound. The child and his sister, 11-year-old Lama, were wounded less than an hour earlier when an IOF artillery shell landed near their house in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. 

 

·      At approximately 14:10, IOF warplanes bombed a police vehicle in Ma'an area east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

 

·      In the evening, medical sources at a hospital in Egypt reported the death of Tha'er Jihad al-Najjar, 17, from Khuza'a village east of Khan Yunis, of previous wound. Al-Najjar was wounded by a gunshot to the head on 31 December 2008. Medical sources also reported the death of Ibrahim Suleiman Baraka, 12, from Bani Suhaila village east of Khan Yunis, of previous wounds he had sustained on 29 December 2008, when IOF warplanes bombarded his family's house.

 

·      During the incursion into al-Zanna area and 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Ibrahim Abu Sa'ada, in which 7 people live, in al-Zanna area. The house was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged. They also bombarded a bird farm belonging to the Abu Daqqa family in the same area. At approximately 17:00, IOF tanks and drones attacked a crowd of Palestinian civilians in 'Abassan village. As a result, Hamada Mousa 'Arafat, 25, was killed and a number of civilians were wounded. 

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:45, IOF warplanes bombarded the building of Security and Protection Service in the west of Khan Yunis, which had been bombarded several times.

 

·      At approximately 08:00, IOF troops positioned in a military post east of Khan Yunis opened fire indiscriminately at al-Qarara village. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 12:30, IOF warplanes bombed an open area in al-Fukhari area. No causalities were reported.

 

·      At approximately 14:20, IOF bombed another open area in east Khuza'a village. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 18:25, IOF aircrafts bombed the house of the Inshasi family in the Schools Street in Al Amal neighborhood. The 3-storey house was slightly damaged, and the residents were evacuated.

 

·      At approximately 23:05, IOF warplanes fired missiles at the street connecting al-Amal neighborhood and Khan Yunis refugee camp, killing two resistance fighters: Salem Ahmed Abu Mousa, 24; and Hassan Rateb Sama'an, 23.

 

·      At approximately 23:50, IOF aircrafts bombed the police station in Ma'an village, east Khan Yunis. The building was heavily damaged.

 

·      During the day, UNRWA opened two schools in al-Qarara and Abassan villages as shelters for local families evacuated from the eastern Gaza Strip.

 

Rafah

 

Thursday, 1 January 2009

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces near the Swedish village, southwest of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 04:35, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 04:40, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 06:15, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 07:30, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 08:10, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 08:20, IOF warplanes bombarded open area near Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 09:20, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of nearby houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 19:35, IOF warplanes bombarded agricultural land in 'Oraiba area in the northwest of Rafah. A number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 20:45, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas near Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah.

 

Friday, 2 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Hamed Humaid Qeshta near Salah al-Din Gate in the south of Rafah. The house, which had been already evacuated, was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 03:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Ahmed al-Maleh in al-Junaina neighborhood. The house was destroyed and 2 children were wounded. A number of nearby houses, an UNRWA warehouse and a car maintenance workshop were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 08:40, an IOF drone fired a missile at the house of Nidal Saleh al-Hams, a member of the al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad. Immediately, the family evacuated the house. Ten minutes later, IOF warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house and another one belonging to al-Hams' father. A number of neighboring houses were damaged and 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded.

 

·      At approximately 13:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 13:40, IOF warplanes bombarded a civil defense station at the beach. The station was destroyed, but no casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 14:20, IOF warplanes dropped leaflets throughout Rafah, demanding the population to cooperate with them to get rid of Hamas.

 

·      At approximately 16:20, IOF warplanes started to bombard the remainders of Gaza International Airport in the east of Rafah. The bombardment continued sporadically until 00:45 on Saturday, 3 January 2009.

 

·      At approximately 18:40, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnel along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 04:00, IOF helicopter gunships fired 2 missiles at the house of Ahmed 'Abdul Karim Abu Naja near the building of Municipality of Rafah. The house, which had been already evacuated, was destroyed, and a number of neighboring houses and a kindergarten were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 09:05, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas to the west of Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 09:35, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas to the west of Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 09:45, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas to the west of Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 10:20, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnels along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 10:30, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnels along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. A number of houses were damaged.

 

·      At approximately 10:45, IOF warplanes bombarded agricultural land in the east of Rafah. Nocaulties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, IOF warplanes bombarded agricultural areas near Salah al-Din Street, east of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 15:25, IOF warplanes bombarded agricultural areas in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 15:55, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnels along the Egyptian-Palestinian border near Rafah International Crossing Point. The bombardment continued until 18:50. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 20:00, IOF military vehicles moved into the east of Rafah under cover of intensive artillery shelling that targeted houses and agricultural lands in the area. As a result, 17-year-old Shareef 'Abdul Mo'ti Ermailat was killed and another 7 civilians were wounded while they were inside their houses. According to Palestinian medical sources, the victims were hit by Flechette shells. As a result of the IOF shelling that continued over night and on Sunday morning, another 18 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a woman, were wounded.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009

·      At approximately 08:00, an IOF drone fired 2 missiles at a house belonging to Khaled Ahmed al-Sheikh 'Eid, 26, a member of the al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad, in Musabbeh neighborhood in the north of Rafah. Al-Sheikh 'Eid and his wife, Yasmeen Mahmoud al-Sheikh 'Eid, 21, were wounded and the house was partially destroyed. A number of neighboring houses were also damaged.

 

·      At approximately 09:30, IOF warplanes fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians who were in front of their houses in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. As a result, 5 civilians, including a man and 3 of his sons, were killed:

1.     'Abed Hassab Barbakh, 43;

2.     Mahdi 'Abed Hassan Barbakh, 22;

3.     Mohammed 'Abed Hassan Brbakh, 16;

4.     Yousef 'Abed Hassan Barbakh, 10; and

5.     Mousa Yousef Barbakh, 18.

 

·      Between 13:00 and 13:53, IOF warplanes struck al-Nasser Street near the al-Nasser Municipality, north of Rafah. This area links 'Omar Ben al-Khatab street in the west, and Salah al-Din Street in the east. Two people, including one child, were killed in the bombardment. They are: Ziad Mohammed Abu Sunaima, 10; and Salman Hamad Abu Khammash, 40. The street was also destroyed in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 15:50, IOF planes targeted a motorcycle in Taha Hussein street in the Khirbet al-'Adas neighborhood of the north of Rafah. The attack killed Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Sha’ar, the driver of the motorcycle, who is a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, and a member of the police.

 

·      At approximately, 16:00, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas in the al-Salam neighborhood in the southeast of Rafah. No damage was reported.

 

·      At approximately 17:00, IOF tanks targeted houses and land in al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. Isma'il 'Abdullah Abu Sunima, 12, was killed in the attack.

 

·      At approximately 17:05, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Muhammad Fahajan, a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, in al-Junaina neighborhood. The house was completely destroyed, and a number of houses in the were damaged. The family received a phone call from IOF 10 minutes prior to the attack, warning of the impending bombing.

 

·      At approximately 18:00, IOF warplanes bombarded open space in al-Shouka village, east Rafah. No damage was reported. This attack was followed by another air strike 10 minutes later. No damage was reported.

 

·      At approximately 18:45, IOF warplanes struck al-Nasser Street near the al-Nasser Municipality, north of Rafah. This area links 'Omar Ben al-Khatab street in the west, and Salah al-Din Street in the east.

 

·      At approximately 21:50, IO warplanes bombarded a car maintenance workshop belonging to Ahmed Khalil Baroud in al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas in the west of Rafah.

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:37, IOF warplanes bombed an open space near al-Nasser road, north Rafah. The area was struck again 15 minutes later.

 

·      At approximately 01:04, IOF warplanes bombed the border strip near the Salah al-Din Gate in the south of Rafah. The bombing was repeated at 01:20, and again at 01:35.

 

·      At approximately 01:50, IOF warplanes bombarded an open space near al-Brazil neighborhood in the south of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF warplanes bombed an area of land adjacent to the Egyptian border in the south of Rafah. The bombing was repeated at 03:00, and again at 06:00. Nine people were wounded in the bombing, including 3 children.

 

·      At approximately 11:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Mohammed Abu Shammalah, a leader of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas. The house is located in Yebna refugee camp. The house was struck again 10 minutes later, and completely destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 11:55, IOF warplanes bombed a house of Ra'ed al-'Attar, a leader of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam brigades, in Yebna refugee camp. The house was completely destroyed in a repeat attack 10 minutes later. Houses in the vicinity were also damaged. IOF warplanes had bombarded and destroyed another house belonging to al-'Attar a few days ago.

 

·      At approximately 12:15, IOF warplanes bombed a house belonging to Ibrhaim Abu Naja, a leader of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, in al-Shaboura refugee camp. The house was destroyed in a repeat attack 10 minutes later. Houses in the vicinity were also damaged.

 

·      At approximately 13:45, 5 January 2009, the body of 4-month-old Fat'hiya Ayman al-Debari, was brought to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital. She was killed as a result of IOF artillery shelling of houses in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 18:00, IOF tanks fired dozens of shells at the vicinity of Gaza International Airport and Rafah International Crossing Point. At the same time, IOF gunboats bombarded al-Mawasi and the Swedish Village in the west of Rafah. IOF bombarded these areas again at 02:00 on the following day.  

 

·      At approximately 18:30, IOF warplanes bombarded Taha Hussein Street in the north of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 18:45, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Nasser Street, north of Rafah, which links 'Omar Ben al-Khattab Street in the west with Salah al-Din Street in the east, for the second time.

 

·      At approximately 21:50, IOF warplanes bombarded a car maintenance workshop belonging to Ahmed Khalil Baroud in al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF warplanes bombarded open areas in the west of Rafah.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 05:30, IOF warplanes bombarded the building of civil defense in the center of Rafah. The building was bombarded again an hour later.

 

·      At the same time, IOF warplanes bombarded the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, south of Rafah. The bombardment continued sporadically until 07:00.

 

·       At approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Anwar Isma'il Abu Hilal near Salah al-Din Gate in the south of Rafah.

 

·      At approximately 07:55 on Tuesday, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Na'el 'Atiya Abu 'Obaid, a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, in Yebna refugee camp.

 

·      At approximately 23:45, IOF warplanes bombarded the borderline between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, south of Rafah. As a result of the bombardment that continued until 09:00 on the following day, a number of tunnels and houses were destroyed.

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Salem Harb al-Binj, 60, in al-Salam neighborhood near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Al-Binj was killed and the house was destroyed.

 

·      At approximately 16:30, IOF aircrafts dropped a container of leaflets across al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, informing civilians they should leave the area before 08:00 on Thursday, 8 January 2009. The container injured eight local people. Thousands of local people immediately left the area.

 

·      At approximately 17:30, IOF bombed the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for three hours, wounding three people.

 

·      At approximately 21:40, IOF warplanes fired four missiles at a house belonging to Ahmed Mohsin Foujou in al-Junaina neighborhood in northern Rafah. The 3-storey house was destroyed, and two women were wounded. A nearby house was also destroyed, and several other houses damaged.

                                                                                                                                                                  

2.      Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

 

Thursday, 1 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Sammou' village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Bassem 'Abdul Rahman al-Za'arir, 38, and arrested him. Half an hour later, IOF raided and searched the houses of Jamal Mohammed Abu al-Jadayel, 44, Mayor of al-Sammou', and Mohammed Hisham al-Za'ari, 33, and arrested both of them.

 

·      Also at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Mohammed Hashem al-Horoub, 27; and

2.      'Abdul Majeed Shadeed, 24.

 

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Namera neighborhood in the northeast of Hebron. They raided and searched the house of 'Eissa Khairi al-Ja'bari, 43, a former minister, and arrested him.

 

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tarqoumia village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Shihda al-Fatafta, 23;

2.      Rami Hassan al-Badawi, 22; and

3.      'Abdul Hamid Eghtas, 25.

 

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Ayman Imsa'il Sabarna, 35; and

2.      Hassan Mahmoud Sabarna, 27.

 

·      At approximately 12:00, IOF troops positioned at Ne'lin checkpoint, west of Ramallah, intercepted the participants in the funeral of Arafat al-Khawaja, who was killed by IOF. The participants were carrying al-Khawaja's body from Ramallah to be buried in his village. IOF attempted to prevent the mourners from crossing the checkpoint while raising the Palestinian flag, but they insisted to pass through the checkpoints. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound and smoke bombs and tear gas canisters at them.  A number of smoke bombs landed on a house belonging to Ahmed Yousef al-Khawaja, and as a result, fire broke out in the first floor and burned its contents. Two Palestinian civilians were also wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters:

 

1.      Mohammed Fahmi Sorour, 22, wounded to the foot; and

2.      Yousef Sadaqa, 21, wounded to the face. 

 

·      At approximately 2:30, IOF moved into Yassid village, north of Nablus. During this incursion, IOF troops violently beat 16-year-old 'Odai Husni Samara. He sustained bruises. IOF troops raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Farhan 'Abdul Karim Zaher, 30.

 

Friday, 2 January 2009  

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Northern 'Assira village, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ethna village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

·      Following the Friday Prayer, Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the IOF war on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops positioned at a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of village chased the demonstrators and fired bullets and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, Salah Saleh 'Allami, 22, was wounded by shrapnel from a gunshot to the left foot. A number of other demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

·       At approximately 12:30, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in Wad al-Jouz area in Jerusalem in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters and violently beat a number of them. IOF undercover unit also attempted to arrest demonstrators, and when they failed they fired at the demonstrators. No casualties were reported.

 

·      At approximately 13:00, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in Bab al-'Aamoud area in East Jerusalem in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops chased and beat the demonstrators and fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

·      At approximately 13:00, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in al-'Eissawiya village, east of Jerusalem, in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops chased and beat the demonstrators and fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF then closed the western and eastern entrances of the village.

 

·      At approximately 13:30, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in Shu'fat refugee camp, north of Jerusalem, in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the demonstrators wounding 4 of them. Medical sources refused to reveal their names to avoid measures that could be taken against them by IOF.  

 

·      In the evening, Bani Na'im village, east of Hebron, witnessed clashes between Palestinian civilians and IOF troops when the latter intervened to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the seizure of agricultural areas by Israeli settlers from "Bni Hever" settlement, southwest of he village. IOF trooped fired at Palestinian civilians wounding 5 of them, including 3 children:

 

1.      Mohammed 'Abed Rabbu Manasra, 16, wounded by shrapnel from an explosive gunshot to the abdomen;

2.      Mustafa Mohammed Manasra, 17, wounded by a gunshot to the right foot;

3.      Mohammed Talal Manasra, 16, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot;

4.      Syman Diab al-Hajjouj, 28, wounded by 2 explosive gunshots to the feet; and

5.      Ibrahim Muhannad Manasra, 25, wounded by a gunshot to the right foot.

 

Sunday, 4 January 2009

·      At noon, IOF shot dead Mofeed Saleh Walweel, 20, from Kfar Saba neighborhood in the southeast of Qalqilya, when they used force to disperse a demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:00, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in al-Tabbal area near the Annexation Wall, south of Qalqilya. The demonstrators used a ladder to cross the Wall towards a bypass road leading to Habla village, south of Qalqilya. Walweel got onto the ladder up to the iron fence atop of the Wall. When he was about to throw stones at IOF troops positioned in the area they fired at him. He was wounded by a gunshot to the head. He died of his wound on the way towards the hospital.

 

·      At approximately 18:30, IOF moved into Be'r Kouza area in the west of Beita village, southeast of Nablus. They fired bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters and imposed a curfew. Several tear gas canisters landed on a house belonging to Labeeb Nasser Ma'alla. Residents of the house suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally, Mustafa Zaher Salama, 16, was wounded by shrapnel from a gunshot to the foot.

 

·      Also at approximately 18:30, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in Zeef area, southeast of Hebron, in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops fired at the demonstrators. As a result, Talal 'Ali al-Hamamda, 20, was wounded by a gunshot to the pelvis.  

 

Monday, 5 January 2009

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Nour al-Din Sa'id Zakarna, 22;

2.      Tayseer Rajeh Zakarna, 25; and

3.      Yousef Rashed Kmayel, 23.

 

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-'Araqa village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Shadi Mahmoud Hammad, 21.

 

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 16 Palestinian civilians

 

1.      Mammed Khalil Ghawanma, 22;

2.      Tariq Khalil Ghawanma, 20;

3.      Shadi 'Othman Tafesh, 22;

4.      Ahmed Zaidan, 21;

5.      Waleed Tafesh, 19;

6.      Anwar Isma'il al-Ra'ei, 23;

7.      Mustafa Nasser Hamad, 24;

8.      Ziad Amjad Jawabra, 21;

9.      Mohammed Khaled Meqbel, 20;

10.  Jihad Ibrahim al-Jawabra, 23;

11.  Ziad Mahmoud Jawabra, 22;

12.  Mohammed Ibrahim Hajajra, 21;

13.  Salah 'Anad al-Hassaniya, 23;

14.  Ramzi Mohammed al-Hassaniya, 22;

15.  'Abdul Fattah Hanayen, 23; and

16.  Nader Khaled al-Jundi, 20.

 

·      At approximately 12:00, dozens of Palestinian children and young men demonstrated in Yatta village, south of Hebron, in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF troops fired ruuber-coated metal bullets and chased the demonstrators. They arrested 2 children:

 

1.      Munthern Nayef al-'Omour, 12; and

2.      'Emad Ahmed Makhamra, 12.

 

Tuesday, 6 January 2009

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Wa'el Khader Salah, 20;

2.      Na'el Khader Salah, 20;

3.      Rami Mohammed Salah, 17; and

4.      Mahmoud 'Abdul Mohsen Salah, 18.

 

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Shawawra village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Khaled Mohammed al-Dar'awi, 31, and arrested him.

 

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Ramallah and al-Bireh towns. They raided and searched a house belonging to Jamal Mohammed al-Taweel, 50, Mayor of al-Bireh, and arrested him.

 

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

·      At approximately 11:00, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders demonstrated in Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. They used a new kind of tear gas canisters, which is heavier and more dangerous than those they used to use against Palestinian demonstrations.

 

3.      Continued Siege on the OPT

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Occupied East Jerusalem.

 

Gaza Strip

IOF have continued to impose a siege on the 1.5 million civilians of the Gaza Strip. The border crossings of the Strip have been closed for more than two years as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods. As a result, the territory is unable to secure its basic needs of food, medicine, and other supplies, pushing the poverty rate above 80%.

The continued Israeli ban on fuel supplies required for civilian life in the Gaza Strip has led to the paralysis of the educational sector. Healthcare facilities have registered a drop in clients due to the transport crisis, and hundreds of healthcare professionals have been unable to reach their work places.

The tightened siege has led to the collapse of the Gaza Strip economic sectors. Most production facilities have ceased to operate due to the siege and restriction on movement of goods and individuals.

With regard to Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the Egyptian authorities started to open it limitedly for some patients.

IOF allow a very limited number of seriously ill patients and staff of international organizations to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. IOF have also prevented families of at least 900 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails from visiting them since 6 June 2007.

The closure of border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Following the attack on IOF on 25 June 2006, IOF prevented fishing. Approximately 35,000 people in and around Gaza’s coastal communities rely on the fishing industry, including 2,500 fishermen, 2,500 support staff and their families. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.

Under the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip, the Gaza civilian population are suffering serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The resulting acute humanitarian crisis is increasingly and seriously impacting living conditions of Palestinian civilians, which have been already deteriorating due to the tightened siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip from the land, air and sea for more than 18 months. Due to this siege, Palestinian civilians have been denied their economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.

The deterioration taking place in health conditions in the Gaza Strip exacerbated due to the high number of the dead and the wounded who fell due to IOF raids. This exacerbating deterioration comes along with the tightened total siege that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip, including the closure of Gaza border crossings for more than 18 months. The siege has impacted all medical institutions in the Gaza Strip, including hospitals and primary healthcare centers that have become unable to meet the needs of the civilian population and, as a result, have been unable to ensure physical and mental healthcare. This situation has impacted the capacity of Gaza medical institutions to provide medical services to the Gaza civilian population. The state of fear and horror caused by IOF barbarian raids affected the standard of civilians' enjoyment of their right to health, including inability to access medical institutions due the gravity of the security conditions, or due to medical institutions' incapacity to respond to the needs of hundreds of wounded persons and thousands of patients. Medical sources in the MOH in Gaza and at Shifa Hospital, the main treatment provider in the Gaza strip, stated the following:

·      Gaza hospitals suffer severe shortage in beds that are required to receive hundreds of victims of IOF raids. There are approximately 1,200 beds in all Gaza hospitals. At Shifa Hospital, there are 530 beds, including 135 beds used for primary healthcare provision. Medical crews at Gaza hospitals and clinics have been unable to provide beds to treat and hospitalize the wounded persons, due to the high numbers of the wounded who arrived at hospitals and clinics in the wake of IOF air raids. Approximately 319 dead persons and more than 1,000 wounded persons have been admitted into Gaza hospitals within the past four days. The wounded who have been admitted into hospitals are being treated and hospitalized under severe shortages in medicines and medical supplies. Medical crews are also bearing utmost suffering due to continued electricity cutoffs.

·      The different units at Shifa Hospital and other hospitals in the Gaza Strip are still suffering incapacity to provide treatment and medical services to approximately 390 persons who have been wounded in IOF ongoing military operation, due to unavailability of material capacities and medical apparatuses that are required for their treatment. These 390 wounded persons need to be urgently and promptly referred to treatment abroad for their serious injuries. The MOH has managed to refer approximately 60 of them to Egyptian hospitals during the past two days.

·      The continued air striking has created a state of confusion, fear and horror amongst medical crews at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The gravity of the security conditions at the Hospital exacerbated following the heavy damages that had been caused to the Hospital when IOF warplanes bombarded al-Burno Mosque that is adjacent to the Hospital. Due to bombardment of the mosque, the windows and doors of the burns and surgery unit and the administration offices were crashed. Also the water network at the surgery unit in building no. 8 was destroyed. This created extreme difficulty that impeded the work of the medical crews at the Hospital.

·      Eng. Bassam al-Hamarin, director of Engineering and Maintenance Department in the MOH, stated that the continued electric cutoffs and the shortage of spare parts required for the maintenance of many medical apparatuses and tools have impacted the efficiency and work of these apparatuses and tools. He added that this resulted in:

-         Disruption and poor efficiency of 17 central oxygen stations in Gaza hospitals, including 3 stations at Shifa Hospital that provide oxygen to internal diseases unit, chest diseases unit and the artificial kidney unit.

-         The pumps of water wells at Shifa Hospital were disrupted after sustaining heavy damages.

-         The members of the medical crews at Gaza hospitals are suffering shortages in wireless communication devices. This coincides with defectiveness in the Palestinian mobile communication network (Jawwal), increasing the gravity that faced the work of the Palestinian ambulances crews. 

-         Many medicines, vaccinations and foods at Gaza hospitals are subject to decay due to continued electric cutoffs while the power generated by power generators is not sufficient to face the power shortage.

-         Shifa Hospital is suffering the continued disruption of its only cardiac catheterization apparatus. The Hospital is also suffering the disruption of the sterilization apparatuses and milk pasteurization and decontamination apparatuses that are necessary for immature neonates.

-         All hospitals in the Gaza strip are suffering shortages in spare parts required for power generators, on which Gaza hospitals mainly depend in view of continued electric cutoffs. The MOH Engineering and Maintenance Department lacks many spare parts required for the maintenance of power generators, including air filters, oil filter and filters required to separate kerosene and oil.

-         The MOH is suffering a shortage of spare parts required for its vehicles and ambulances. Due to the emergency situation in the Gaza Strip, 50% of the MOH ambulances are exceptionally operating although they lack maintenance.

·      Central medical laboratories at Shifa Hospital are suffering a severe shortage in medical apparatuses, including 30 apparatuses used in blood analysis. This shortage of blood analysis apparatuses has impeded the blood transformation for the wounded. The lives of the wounded persons would be threatened in case of blood transformation without making the necessary tests.

·      Gaza hospitals are suffering a shortage in medical disposables in surgery rooms, including surgical operation torches, surgical operations tables, laboratorial apparatuses, ray apparatuses and extensive care apparatuses.

·      Gaza hospitals and healthcare centers are still suffering a shortage in medicines. 105 items of main medical tools and 255 of medical disposables have run out or are in short quantities. These medical supplies include the majority of medicines required for cancer patients and medicines required for sick children who are suffering from cystic fibrosis, and the health conditions of these children are seriously threatened .

·      More than half a million of Palestinian students at primary, preparatory and secondary schools have been denied access to their schools. On the first day of IOF indiscriminate air raids, more than 5,000 students were subject to trauma or were injured, while attending their classes or while on their way to afternoon schools. These children are still denied access to necessary physical treatment services, due to the severe shortage in that service. 

·      Dr. Samir Qouta, a psychology professor at the Islamic University in Gaza City, says that there has been an increasing number of parents who visit mental health centers in the Gaza Strip to inquire how to treat the symptoms of the psychological deterioration in their children, that resulted from the terrible explosions that trembled the entire Gaza Strip. Dr. Qouta says that the symptoms of the psychological disorders caused by fear and horror of IOF incessant bombardments include bedwetting, nail-biting, fear of night, frightening nightmares, physical pains of unknown causes, crying and introversion. Dr. Qouta expects that the symptoms of the psychological deterioration in the Palestinian children would develop to include a form of violence in dealing with their peers, inability to concentrate and deterioration of educational levels. He also indicated that Palestinian children, who are subject to traumatic experience caused by IOF bombardments, become less obedient to their parents and lose the  ability to deal openly with them. Dr. Qouta expects that the psychological deterioration in the Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip would aggravate due to IOF ongoing raids.

 

Movement at Rafah International Crossing Point

31 December 2008 – 6 January 2009

Date	Details
31 December 2008	24 Palestinians who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 25 of their relatives, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and a truck of medicines and medical equipment and 10 ambulances were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
1 January 2009	17 Palestinians who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 17 of their relatives, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 6 trucks of food and medical assistance were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
2 January 2009	7 Palestinians who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 7 of their relatives, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 95 Palestinians and 4 trucks of food and medical assistance were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
3 January 2009	9 Palestinians who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 9 of their relatives, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 8 Palestinians, bodies of two Palestinians who died at Egyptian hospitals of wounds they had sustained by IOF during the offensive on the Gaza Strip and 2 trucks of food and medical assistance were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
5 January 2009	19 Palestinian who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 19 of their relatives, and a delegation from Hamas were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 6 Palestinians, bodies of 3 Palestinians who died at Egyptian hospitals of wounds they had sustained by IOF during the offensive on the Gaza Strip and 13 trucks of food and medical assistance were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
6 January 2009	20 Palestinians who were wounded by IOF, accompanied by 20 of their relatives, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 10 Palestinians, bodies of two Palestinians who died at Egyptian hospitals of wounds they had sustained by IOF during the offensive on the Gaza Strip and 2 trucks of food and medical assistance were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

31 December 2008 – 6 January 2009

Date	Details
31 December 2008	83 containers of food aid for international humanitarian organizations and of goods for local traders were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
1 January 2009	61 containers of food aid for international humanitarian organizations and of goods for local traders were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
2 January 2009	60.5 containers of food aid for international humanitarian organizations and of goods for local traders were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
3 January 2009	Closed.
4 January 2009	Closed.
5 January 2009	29.5 containers of food aid for international humanitarian organizations and of goods for local traders were allowed into the Gaza Strip.
6 January 2009	60 containers of food aid for international humanitarian organizations and of goods for local traders were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

 

 

The West Bank

IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

·      Jerusalem: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians on Fridays to restrict their access to the al-Aqsa Mosque. During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday morning, 1 January 2009, IOF erected a number of checkpoints around Jerusalem. They erected a checkpoint at the entrance of al-'Eissawiya village. They stopped and checked Palestinian civilians moving to and from the village. In the evening, IOF imposed a "security closure" on the West Bank for two days, under the pretext of information that Palestinian civilians may organize protests against IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. IOF reinforced their presence in the streets of Jerusalem. They stopped, checked and questioned Palestinian civilians. IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from Jerusalem. On Friday morning, 2 January 2009, IOF prevented Palestinian civilians living outside of the Old Town from entering it. They also prevented Palestinian civilians aged below 50 from reaching the al-Aqsa Mosque for the Friday Prayer. When the Prayer was completed, IOF troops chased and beat Palestinian civilians outside the Mosque.

 

·      Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday morning, 1 January 2009, IOF reinforced their presence on the main roads around Nablus, especially in the south. On Saturday, 3 January 2009, IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints around Nablus imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They re-established their presence at Jeet intersection, southwest of Nablus. On Sunday morning, 4 January 2009, IOF troops positioned at Jeet checkpoint, southwest of Nablus, imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Tuesday morning, 6 January 2009, IOF closed Beit Eiba checkpoint, west of Nablus, for no apparent reason. On Wednesday morning, 7 January 2009, IOF closed Beit Fourik checkpoint, east of Nablus, for no apparent reason.

 

At approximately 15:00 on Saturday, 3 January 2009, IOF troops positioned at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Kifah 'Omar 'Afana, 24, from Til village south of Nablus. They claimed that she attempted to attack and take the gun of an IOF soldier.

 

At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 4 January 2009, IOF troops positioned at Za'tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Taleb Qattawi, 23, and 'Abed Abu Felfel, 38, both from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus. 

 

·      Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday evening, 1 January 2009, IOF erected a checkpoint between al-'Araqa and Kufor Qoud villages, southwest of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Saturday evening, 3 January 2009, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance of al-'Araqa village and another one at 'Arraba intersection, southwest of Jenin. They also erected a checkpoint between Qabatya and Marka villages, southeast of Jenin. IOF troops positioned at these checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

·      Hebron: On Tuesday noon, 6 January 2009, IOF troops positioned in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron arrested a woman and a young man: Randa Ahmed al-Shahatit, 25, from Dura village southwest of Hebron; and Hazem al-Zeer, 18, from Hebron.

 

On Wednesday, 7 January 2009, IOF troops positioned in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque arrested Hilal 'Amru, 19. They violently beat him. He was seriously injured to one of his eyes.

 

4.     Construction of the Annexation Wall

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to the construction of the Wall.

 

·      Following the Friday Prayer on 2 January 2009, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. They moved towards the Wall. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. According to eyewitnesses, IOF troops used a new kind of green bullets, which explode and scatter inside the body. Five Palestinian civilians were wounded:

 

1.      'Abdullah Mohammed Yassin, 15, wounded by a bullet to the abdomen;

2.      Hamza Suleiman Yassin, 15, wounded by a bullet to the leg;

3.      Mohammed Ahmed Hamad, 16, wounded by a bullet to the hand;

4.      'Abdullah 'Eissa Yassin, 17, hit by a tear gas canister to the back; and

5.      Mohammed Fares As'ad, 15, hit by a tear gas canister to the foot.

 

·      Also following the Friday Prayer, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Wall in Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards areas of land which are threatened to be confiscated for the purpose of the construction of the Wall. IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 4 demonstrators were wounded:

 

1.      Johnny Kan, 28, and Israeli human rights defender, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg;

2.      Ahmed Khaled, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the thigh;

3.      Saleh Mustafa 'Amira, 38, suffer from acute pains to the eyes due to tear gas inhalation; and

4.      Sabti Mahmoud al-Khawaja, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the back. 

 

·      Also following the Friday Prayer on 2 January 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall and the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip in Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall. IOF troops fired at the demonstrators wounding 3 of them:

 

1.      Saqer Saleem, 19, wounded by a gunshot to the right leg;

2.      Bassem Lutfi al-Swai, 21, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left leg; and

3.      Mohammed 'Allaya Rafeeq, 20, wounded by 2 rubber-coated metal bullets to the right leg.

 

…………………………………………………………

 

Recommendations to the International Community

1.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

 

2.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

 

3.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

 

4.      PCHR calls for the immediately implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.

 

5.      PCHR recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to bring these people to justice.

 

6.