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Ref: 112/2005

Date: 25 September 2005

Time: 12:00 GMT

2 Palestinians Killed, 24 Injured and a Number of Civilian Facilities Destroyed in 9 Israeli Aerial Attacks on the Gaza Strip

Two weeks following their redeployment in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched 9 aerial attacks in 22 hours on a number of targets throughout the Gaza Strip.  In these attacks IOF extra-judicially killed 2 Palestinians, injured 24 civilians, including 7 children, while they were inside their houses, and destroyed a number of civilian facilities.  This escalation has come in retaliation for home-made rockets fired by Palestinian gunmen on Israeli towns.  The rocket attacks on Israel followed the claim by Hamas that Israel was responsible for a heavy explosion that occurred in Jabalya refugee camp on 23 September 2005, which killed 16 Palestinians and injured dozens of others.[1]

According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 05:00 on Saturday, 24 September 2005, an Israeli helicopter gunship launched a missile at a house belonging to the Abu al-Laban family in the densely populated Jabalya refugee camp.  The missile hit a room on the first floor of the 4-storey house, where 50 individuals (7 families) live.  A woman in her fifties was moderately injured by shrapnel from the missile.  IOF apparently attacked the house because a number of relatives of the family are allegedly wanted. 

Approximately 20 minutes later, Israeli military aircrafts launched a missile at a blacksmith’s workshop belonging to Nahed Ghazi Abu ‘Aassi in the densely populated al-Zaitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.  The workshop was damaged, but no casualties were reported.  At the same time, Israeli military aircrafts launched a missile at Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, but it went astray and fell near a mosque in the area.

At approximately 15:35 on the same day, IOF extra-judicially killed two members of Hamas, when Israeli military aircrafts launched at least two missiles at two civilian cars that were traveling near al-Rahma Mosque in the densely populated al-Zaitoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City.  The two cars were destroyed.  The two members of Hamas were identified as:

1.      Rawad Fathi Farahat, 17; and

2.      Nafez Mohammed Abu Hassanain, 31. 

At approximately 23:50 on the same day, IOF launched two aerial attacks in 10 minutes on Khan Yunis.  In the first attack, Israeli aircrafts launched two missiles at a small building belonging to Maher Mahmoud al-Farra, a member of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (the military wing of Fatah movement), in the Sheikh Nasser area in the east of Khan Yunis.  The building was completely destroyed.  The building was attacked shortly after a number of members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade had left it.  In the second attack, Israeli military aircrafts launched a missile at a building standing on agricultural land in Banil Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis.  The room was destroyed and two neighboring houses were damaged.  IOF claimed that they attacked two stores of weapons and explosives belonging to the Fatah movement. 

At approximately 01:10 on Sunday, 25 September 2005, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet launched two missiles at Dar al-Arqam Islamic School (where 1208 students receive education) in the densely populated al-Tuffah neighborhood in the northeast of Gaza City.  The 3-storey administration building was destroyed and a number of classrooms and other facilities were damaged as a result.  A number of neighbouring houses and civilian facilities were also severely damaged.  In addition, 23 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children and a number of women, were injured by shrapnel while they were inside their houses. 

At approximately 03:00 on the same day, IOF launched two aerial attacks in 10 minutes on the northern Gaza Strip.  Israeli military aircrafts first attacked a two-storey building in Beit Hanoun, which serves as a cultural center for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.  The building and a number of neighboring buildings, including UNRWA Women’s Union offices and a police station, were damaged.  Israeli military aircrafts then launched a missile at a two-storey house in Jabalaya refugee camp belonging to ‘Aamer ‘Abdul Rahman Qarmout, 38, a member of the Popular Resistance Committee, where 8 individuals live.  The missile hit a room on the second floor of the house and another room in a neighboring house.  The two houses were severely damaged, but no casualties were reported. 

PCHR strongly condemns this serious escalation in attacks by IOF, which proves that IOF continue to substantially occupy the Gaza Strip, despite the recent evacuation of Israeli settlements.  PCHR is gravely concerned that a green light given to IOF by the Israeli government, allowing them to launch wide scale attacks, including extra-judicial killings and incursions, in the Gaza Strip, will result in more casualties among Palestinian civilians.  Consequently, PCHR calls upon the international community and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to immediately intervene to stop further deterioration and to protect Palestinian civilians from military operations conducted by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.            

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