Ref: 13/2009

Date: 14 January  2009

Time: 13:40 GMT

 

19 ^th Day of Continuous IOF Attacks Across the Gaza Strip:

·     47 Palestinians killed during reporting period, including 40 civilians:

·     Victims include 11 Children and 3 Women:

·     Overall Gaza death toll mounts to 983, including 673 civilians, of whom 225 are children:  

·     IOF continue to fire incinerating bombs across the Gaza Strip:

·     IOF continue to destroy houses and raze agricultural land, forcing families to flee their homes;  

 

As the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue their indiscriminate attacks across the Gaza Strip for the nineteenth consecutive day, the number of Palestinian civilian deaths continues to rise. Civilians constitute approximately 85% (or 673) of the total number of IOF victims during this ongoing IOF military operation, and 35% (or 225) of the civilian victims are estimated to be children. The current civilian death toll also includes at least 69 women, 167 civil police officers (who are classified as civilians), seven medical personnel, and three Palestinian journalists. 

In addition to the horrific scale of civilian deaths and injuries across the Gaza Strip, IOF continue to destroy civilian objects, including homes and community buildings, on a massive scale. IOF have deployed their full military arsenal in order to bombard Palestinian residential areas day and night. In addition, for the fourth consecutive day, IOF have continued to use incinerating bombs against Palestinians in residential areas. During the reporting period more houses were set alight, and civilians continued to sustain serious burns and other injuries. On the night of 13 January, IOF intensified air strikes against the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. Several houses were destroyed, as was the neighborhood cemetery.

PCHR is gravely concerned about the increasing number of civilian deaths and injuries, and the mass destruction of property, including civilian objects, which has caused massive forced internal displacement of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. The Centre reiterates its call for the international community to act immediately to end this IOF war on the people of the Gaza Strip.           

Below is a summary of the crimes committed by IOF in the Gaza Strip during the last 24 hours.

Northern Gaza Strip

·      At approximately 12:00 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, IOF troops shot dead Mustafa Mohammed Tawfiq al-‘Ashi, 17, with a shot to the chest, when he was on the rooftop of his house in ‘Aamer housing project.

·      At approximately 12:45, IOF bombed a 3-storey house belonging to Ameen Mohammed al-Zwaidi, 61, in al-Quds Street in the center of Beit Hanoun town. The house was destroyed, and 10 neighboring houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 13:45, an IOF warplane bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Zwaidi Mohammed Zwaidi, 45, in al-Quds Street in Beit Hanoun town. The house was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 15:10, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian children in al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabaliya refugee camp. Two children were killed:

1.      ‘Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Tawfiq Jaballah, 12;

2.      Mahmoud Mohammed Jaballah, 13.

·      At approximately 15:15, an IOF warplane fired a missile that landed in an open area behind the building of the Palestinian Telecommunication Company in al-Falouja area west of Jabaliya. Two Palestinian civilians who were on a donkey cart in the area were killed:

1.      Mohammed ‘Aadel Matar al-Ashqar, 20;

2.      ‘Izziddin ‘Ali Matar al-Ashqar, 35.

A number of houses in the area were also damaged.

·      At approximately 15:30, an IOF warplane fired two missiles at a number of Palestinians near Tal al-Za’tar Secondary School in Beit Lahia. Five Palestinians were killed:

1.      Ahmed Mohammed Ayoub Khilla, 21;

2.      Rami Mahmoud Rajab al-Qedra, 30;

3.      Amjad Fadel ‘Abdullah Abu Rayan, 27;

4.      Hani Mohammed ‘Abdullah Abu Rayan, 24;

5.      Murad Rezeq Jameel al-Banna, 27.

Ten Palestinians were also wounded.

·      At approximately 16:20, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians who were walking near the Force 17 site in al-Twam area, west of Jabaliya. Two civilians were wounded.

·      At approximately 17:00, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian children who were near the rubble of a house that belongs to the Saleh family, in the al-Falouja area west of Jabaliya refugee camp. The IOF missile killed three civilians, including two children.

1.      Saddam Jameel Saleem ‘Abdul Nabi, 18;

2.      Bassem Tal’at Jameel ‘Abdul Nabi, 11;

3.      Qassem Tal’at Jameel ‘Abdul Nabi, 4.

·      At approximately 17:50, an IOF warplane fired a missile within the vicinity of ‘Omar Ben ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Mosque in Tal al-Za’tar area north of Jabaliya. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded and a number of neighboring houses were heavily damaged.

·      At approximately 21:50, the IOF artillery fired incinerating bombs at houses in the west of Beit Lahia town. Fire broke out in a number of houses, and agricultural land in the area was also set alight. No casualties were reported.

·      At approximately 04:00 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009, the IOF shelled ‘Aamer housing project and al-Karama apartment buildings, southwest of Jabaliya town. Three Palestinians were killed:

1.      Haitham Abu al-Qumsan, 19;

2.      Hamdi Fareed Abu Hamada, 27;

3.      Eyad al-Maqqousi, 27.

·      At approximately 06:00, IOF fired incinerating bombs at houses in Block 2 in Jabaliya refugee camp.

·      At approximately 07:30 on Wednesday, IOF fired incinerating bombs at Be’r al-Na’ja area west of Beit Lahia. Fire broke out into a number of houses and a number of Palestinian civilians suffered serious breathing difficulties.

·      At approximately 10:30, an IOF warplane bombarded a 2-storey house belonging to Fayez al-Masri in the west of Beit Lahia town. The house was destroyed.

·      At approximately 11:10, the IOF shelled houses in Gaza Old Street in the south of Jabaliya. An artillery shell landed near a house belonging to ‘Emad Khader. As a result, Ahmed Sameer Khader, 14, was seriously wounded and a number of houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 11:25, the IOF shelled houses near al-Sultan apartment building in Martyr Saleh Dardouna Street in Jabaliya town. As a result two Palestinian women were killed:

1.      Kifa Mohammed al-Mutawaq, 35;

2.      Hanan Sha’ban al-Najjar, 40.

In addition, al-Najjar’s one and a half year old infant, and another 6 civilians, including two children, were all wounded.

Gaza City

·      At approximately 13:30 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians who were near their houses in Wadi al-‘Arayes area in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Four civilians, including 3 children, were killed:

1.      Yousef Mohammed Farahat, 15;

2.      Ahmed Mohammed Farahat, 13;

3.      Jihad Fadel Sa’ad, 25;

4.      Majed Nahidh Saleem, 15.

·      At approximately 16:00 on Tuesday, an IOF warplane fired a missile at two Palestinian children who were near Mos’ab Ben ‘Omair Mosque in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The two children were killed:

1.      Nabeel Kamal Abu Samra, 17;

2.      Firas Fayez Abu Samra, 17.

·      At approximately 19:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a Palestinian resistance activist in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, killing him. He was identified as Ibrahim Rafeeq Abu al-Khair, 25.

·      At approximately 20:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a Palestinian resistance activist in al-Sabra neighborhood, killing him. He was identified as Ra’ed Ahmed al-Safadi, 20.

·      At approximately 20:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Khader Mohammed Abu al-Qare’, in which 30 people live, in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. The house was destroyed and a number of neighboring homes were damaged.

·      Also at approximately 20:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to Sa’id Shihada ‘Amroun, in which 22 people live, in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. The house was heavily damaged.

·      At approximately 23:30, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to Ahmed Mohammed al-Sa’ati, in which 30 people live, in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. The house was destroyed.

·      On Tuesday evening, medical sources confirmed that Mohammed Mo’in al-Katanani, 25, and Mohammed Na’im ‘Ata, 25, had died of wounds sustained on 27 December 2008, when IOF warplanes bombarded the Araft (al-Jawazat) police compound.

·      At approximately 01:00 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to the al-Nashar family in al-Sabra neighborhood. The house was destroyed.

·      At approximately 02:00, an IOF warplane bombarded a 3-storey house belonging to the ‘Olayan family, in which 3 families counting 20 people live, in al-Shifa Street. The house was destroyed.

·      At approximately 03:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at two Palestinian resistance activists in al-Sabra neighborhood, killing them:

1.      Tawfiq Saleh al-Dairi, 27;

2.      Mahmoud Bakr al-Za’mout, 20.

·      At approximately 03:30, an IOF warplane bombarded a 4-storey house belonging to the family of Mahmoud ‘Abdul Rahman al-Kurdi, in which 50 people live. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were killed: Ussama Kayed Abu Jayab, 45, and Ahmed Mustafa Miqdad, 81. The house was also destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 07:00, IOF warplanes bombarded the Sheikh Radwan cemetery in the north of Gaza City. A number of graves were damaged.

·      On Wednesday morning, medical sources confirmed that Hassan Na’im Abu Hassira, 34, had died of wounded sustained by IOF shelling. He had been receiving medical treatment at an Egyptian hospital.

 

Central Gaza Strip

·      At approximately 13:30 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, IOF gunboats bombarded the al-Swarha area in the southwest of al-Nusseirat refugee camp. Half an hour later, an IOF warplane bombarded agricultural land in the same area. As a result, a number of water pumps were destroyed and a number of greenhouses damaged.

·      At approximately 14:00, IOF fired two Flechette shells in the vicinity of al-Da’wa Mosque in the north of al-Nusseirat refugee camp. As a result, 18 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were wounded.

·      At approximately 17:30, IOF bombarded areas of agricultural land belonging to the families of Abu Nasser and ‘Aashour in Deir al-Balah town. The bombardment continued until 21:00, during which time a number of houses and greenhouses were destroyed.

·      At approximately 11:00 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian resistance activists in the vicinity of the Gaza Power Plant to the north of al-Nusseirat refugee camp. Two resistance activists were seriously wounded.     

Khan Yunis:

·      At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, Mahmoud Suleiman Mahmoud al-Najjar, 55, was killed by shrapnel, when IOF troops that had moved into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, shelled the area indiscriminately.

·      At approximately 14:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to Khaled al-Najjar in Khuza’a village. The house was destroyed.

·      Also at approximately 14:30, IOF troops that had moved into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, shelled houses in neighboring ‘Abassan village. An artillery shell landed on a house belonging to the Qabalan family. A number of Palestinian civilians rushed to the house to rescue the family and extinguish a fire that broke out. IOF immediately shelled the area again. As a result, Ahmed Zaki Abu Tair, 25, was killed and another 10 civilians were wounded.

·      Between 14:00 and 17:00 on 13 January, IOF warplanes fired at least 15 missiles into Khuza’a village, while IOF tanks also shelled the village. As a result, 6 Palestinians, including a child and a resistance activist, were killed:

1.      Mamdouh Mossa’ed Mohammed al-Najjar, 17;

2.      ‘Alaa’ Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahman Abu Raida, 25;

3.      Suleiman Jom’a Ibrahim ‘Amish, 19;

4.      Ahmed Jom’a Mahmoud al-Najjar, 18;

5.      Ghassan Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Zir, 25;

6.      Nidal Mohammed Abu Raida, 18, a resistance activist.

·      At approximately 18:00, medical sources confirmed that Alaa’ Khaled Khalil al-Najjar, 15, died of wounded sustained when IOF shelled her family home in Khuza’a village earlier that morning.  

·      During the IOF incursion into Khuza’a village, which continued until 20:00 on 13 Tuesday, Palestinian civilians were trapped in their houses, fearing for their lives as IOF continued to shell the area heavily. IOF demolished and partially destroyed at least 50 houses, and also razed large areas of agricultural land. In addition, IOF also arrested 8 Palestinians. Marwan Abu Raida, an ambulance driver, stated to PCHR that he headed to Khuza’a village to evacuate the body of Rawhiya al-Najjar, and some of the injured civilians. When he stepped down from his ambulance, IOF troops fired at him. He and a local resident of the area, who was accompanying him to guide him to the body, were forced to take shelter in a house belonging to Yousef Ibrahim al-Najjar. The two men were forced to stay in the house until IOF withdrew from the village. Marwan Abu Raida then evacuated the woman’s dead body, which had been lying in the street for more than 10 hours. A PCHR field worker reported that Khuza’a village has witnessed mass displacement of Palestinian civilians due to repeated IOF attacks.

·      At approximately 15:30 on 13 January, the IOF artillery shelled al-Zanna area, east of Khan Yunis. As a result, Rasha Ahmed Khalil Abu Jame, 21, and her brother-in-law Mo’em Ahmed al-Sumairi, 22, were killed, when they were on a donkey cart. Seven civilians were also wounded.

·      At approximately 20:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a civilian car that was traveling in the al-Bayouk area in the south of Khan Yunis. The car was destroyed. Mahmoud Sa’id al-Sha’er, 46, a trader, was killed and his son, 12-year-old ‘Abdul Rahman, was seriously wounded.

·      At approximately 08:00 on Wednesday, 14 January 2009, IOF warplanes bombed a motorcycle being ridden by Mohammed Shareef Abu Daqqa, 50, in Bani Suhaila village. Abu Daqqa was seriously wounded.   

 

Rafah

·      From approximately 12:55 on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, until midnight, IOF warplanes continuously bombarded the border strip between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, in the vicinity of Rafah International Crossing Point and Zo’rob Square to the south of Rafah city. Ten Palestinian civilians were wounded and many houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 19:00 on 13 January, an IOF drone fired a missile at a number of activists of the Salah al-Din Brigades (the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees) in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. Two activists were killed:

1.      Mohammed ‘Abdul Mo’ti Abu Sunaima, 28;

2.      Muneer ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu Sunaima, 23. 

·      As a result of the IOF bombardment of the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, UNRWA was forced to shut down its medical center, which is located to the north of the border, in order to ensure the safety of staff and clients. UNRWA has opened more local centers as shelters for internally displaced civilians in Rafah.

In light of the crimes committed by IOF against the Palestinian civilian population and civilian objects in the Gaza Strip, PCHR:

1. Calls for an immediate end to the IOF offensive in the Gaza Strip.
2. Demands IOF immediately end all collective punishment measures imposed on the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, especially the siege and closure of the Gaza Strip, and also demands immediate free and safe movement for persons and goods into and out of Gaza.
3. Reiterates that crimes committed by IOF are clear evidence not only for the excessive and disproportionate use of force, but also of acts of retaliation against Palestinian civilians. 
4. Holds Israel responsible for the lives of Palestinian civilians in all circumstances. Under international law, the existence of armed resistance does not in any case justify the use of such excessive force disproportionately and indiscriminately.
5. Warns that the lives of Palestinian civilians are in danger in light of threats by Israeli political and military officials to expand military operations against the population of the Gaza Strip.
6. Calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention, Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to fulfill their obligation under article 1 of the Convention to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, as well as their obligation under article 146 to search for and prosecute those who are responsible for perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention, as such breaches constitute war crimes according to article 147 of the Convention and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I). 
7. Calls upon international and Israeli human rights organizations to intensify their role and speak out against war crimes being committed by IOF against the unarmed Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
8. Calls for the establishment of an independent enquiry commission to investigate crimes committed by IOF against Palestinian civilians, including IOF use of internationally prohibited weapons.  
9. Calls for the prosecution of all political and military officials who are found responsible for committing war crimes against Palestinian civilians.