Ref: 133/2014
Date: 25 August 2014
Time: 07:00 GMT

Since the Beginning of the Israeli Offensive, 2,139 Palestinians, 1,645 of Whom Are Civilians, Including 514 Children and 296 Women, Killed, and 10,741 Others, Mostly Civilians, Including 3,262 Children and 2,087 Women, Wounded;
922 Houses Targeted and Destroyed by Israeli Warplanes;
164 Families Attacked in Their Homes and 830 Members of Them Killed;
Thousands of Houses Destroyed Completely or Partially by Israeli Shelling;
Thousands of Palestinian Families Resort to Humanitarian Shelters

Israeli occupation forces have continued their brutal and immoral offensive on the Gaza Strip for the 50thconsecutive day in violation of the international law. They have employed their full-fledged arsenal to attack the Gaza Strip from the air, sea and land, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians, mostly civilians, including children and women. Many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes that attacked their homes without prior warnings. Israeli forces have attacked homes and civilian facilities and property.

In the past 24 hours, Israeli forces have escalated their airstrikes targeting more houses in densely populated areas in disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. Last night, they attacked civil and service organizations clearly targeting the infrastructure of the civil society. Israeli forces have continued their threats to launch a new ground operation. As a result of these attacks, 14 Palestinians, 10 of whom are civilians, including 6 children and 2 women, have been killed, and 120 others, including 31 women and 38 children, have been wounded. Additionally, 27 houses, a charity, 2 mosques, a workshop and a poultry farm have been destroyed. Moreover, a member of a Palestinian armed group died of a previous wound.

Humanitarian shelters throughout the Gaza Strip are over-crowded as thousands of Palestinian civilians have resorted to them. According to UNRWA’s statistics, the number of displaced civilians has amounted to at least 240,000. Most areas in the Gaza Strip lack water and electricity services due to the ongoing offensive.
The latest developments from 10:00 (07:00 GMT) on Sunday, 24 August 2014, to 10:00 on Monday, 25 August 2014, have been as follows:

The Northern Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes launched a number of airstrikes and Israeli tanks and gunboats fired a number of shells targeting houses, a blacksmith workshop, a mosque, agricultural plots and open areas. As a result of these attacks, 7 Palestinians, 6 of whom are civilians, including 2 women and 4 children, have been killed; one of the women was killed together with her 4 children. Additionally, 62 Palestinians, including 30 children and 18 women, have been wounded, and 9 houses, a mosque and blacksmith workshop have been destroyed. A number of houses have been also damaged.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 11:10 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Joudi Ábdul Rahman Khader in Old Gaza Street in Jabalya. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.
• At approximately 11:25, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 4-storey house belonging to Áwadh Ahmed Nabhan in Jabalya. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 12:00, Israeli warplanes launched 3 missiles at Abu Óuda blacksmith workshop in al-Sikka Street in Jabalya. The workshop was destroyed and a number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 12:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 5-storey house belonging to Mohammed Ábdul Fattah Shihada in Mallin area in Jabalya. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• Also at approximately 12:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Radwan Ali Radwan in Jabalya. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. As a result, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 women and a child, were wounded, and a number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 13:35, an Israeli drone fired a missile at 2 members of a Palestinian armed group who were traveling on a motorbike near al-Átatra Square in Beit Lahia. As a result, one of them was killed and the other one was seriously wounded.
• At approximately 16:15, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a number of members of the family of Éssam Mustafa Jouda where were in the garden of their house in Tal al-Za’tar area in Jabalya. As a result, Jouda’s wife, Rawia Ibrahim Mohammed, 43; and her 4 children: Tasneem,14; Raghad, 12; Ussama, 6; and Mohammed, 8, were killed. Their child, 13-year-old Thaer, was seriously wounded.
• At approximately 19:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Ibrahim Mohammed al-Louqa in al-Salatin neighborhood in Beit Lahia. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 19:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Ramadan Mousa Shabat in al-Quds Street in Beit Hanoun. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 00:05 on Monday, 25 August 2014, Israeli warplanes bombarded Omar Bin Abdul Aziz Mosque in Khalil al-Wazir in Beit Hanoun. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded. It is worth noting that the mosque was destroyed by Israeli forces during “Operation Cast Lead” in 2008.
• At approximately 00:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Mousa Hamada in al-Falouja area in Jablaya refugee camp. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of nearby houses were extensively damaged, and 17 Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 4 women and 2 children and a journalist, Rami Tayseer al-Mabhouh, 26, a reporter of the al-Aqsa Channel.
• At approximately 04:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Omar Ahmed al-Bursh in Old Gaza Street in Jabalya. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 04:45, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Saeed Ábdullah al-Kronz in Jabalya. A few minutes later, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed the house. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 07:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at Farhana Ibrahim al-Áttar, 48, from al-Átatra area in Beit Lahia, killing her. She was feeding birds in the garden of her house. According to her family, she had resorted to UNRWA humanitarian shelters, but she used to go to their house daily to feed her birds.

Gaza City:

Israeli warplanes launched 30 airstrikes targeting houses, a mosque, civilian gatherings, agricultural plots and open area. As a result of these attacks, 5 Palestinians, 4 of whom are civilians, including 2 children, were killed, and 15 others, including 3 children and a woman, were wounded. A mosque and 2 houses were destroyed.
The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 11:50 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area near Esleem Factory in al-Yarmouk Street in Gaza City. As a result, 2 Palestinian children were killed: Zainab Bilal Abu Taqiya, 1; and Mohammed Wael al-Khudari, 16. Five civilians, including 2 children, were wounded.
• At approximately 12:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a civilian car that was traveling near Palestine Stadium in al-Remal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City. As a result, a member of a Palestinian armed group who was traveling in the car was killed, and 5 civilian bystanders, including a woman, were wounded. Another civilian car was also damaged.
• At approximately 13:00, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at a 5-storey house belonging to the heirs of Faisal Mustafa Abdul Hadi, in which 60 people, including 30 children, live, near Darabeh intersection in the northwest of Gaza City. The house was destroyed and a number of nearby houses were extensively damaged.
• At approximately 23:30, Israeli warplanes launched 3 missiles at a 3-storey house rented by Mohammed Talaat al-Ghoul in the northwest of Gaza City.
• Also at approximately 23:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians who were near the Families Bakery in al-Nasser Street in Gaza City. As a result, 2 civilians were killed: Yahia Moeen Anu Daqen, 25; and Yassin Ibrahim al-Beltaji, 23.
• At approximately 02:00 on Monday, 25 August 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 2 missiles at Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. The mosque was destroyed.

The Central Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes launched 15 airstrikes targeting houses, agricultural plots and open areas. as a result, 2 members of a Palestinian armed group were killed, and 11 Palestinians, including 12 women and 13 children, were wounded. Five houses were also attacked and 3 of them were destroyed.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 11:15 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane bombarded an under-construction, 2-storey house belonging to Ussama Mahmoud Abu Samara in Deir al-Balah. The house was destroyed, 2 members of a Palestinian armed group who were near the house were killed and 14 civilians were wounded. Four nearby houses were also damaged.
• At approximately 17:00, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Nabil Ábdullah al-Najdi, in which 10 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. The house was damaged.
• Also at approximately 17:00, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a house belonging to Zaki Dawod Hlayel, in which 6 families counting 60 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. The house was extensively damaged.
• At approximately 01:00 on Monday, 25 August 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Suhail Hamdan Karaja, in which 20 people live, in al-Nussairat refugee camp. The house was damaged.
• At approximately 01:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Salah Saeed Abu Oun, in which 4 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. About 15 minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• At approximately 02:00, Israeli drones fired 4 missiles at a carpentry workshop belonging to Wael Abdul Salam Shahin in al-Boreij refugee camp. The workshop was destroyed.

Khan Yunis:

Israeli warplanes launched 44 airstrikes at agricultural plots, houses and a charity. As a result, 10 Palestinians, including 2 children, were wounded. Eleven houses were targeted and destroyed, and 5 neighboring were consequently destroyed. The offices of a charity and a poultry farm were destroyed, and a number of houses and civilian facilities were damaged.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 10:40 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a poultry farm in al-Fukhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis. The farm was destroyed.
• At approximately 14:10, Israeli drones fired 3 missiles at a number of houses belonging to the Abu Ma’rouf family in Jourat al-Lout area. In the subsequent two hours, Israeli warplanes launched at least 13 missiles at 7 houses belonging to the family destroyed them:

1. A 3-storey house belonging to Zuhair Farraj Abu Ma’rouf, in which 21 people live;
2. An asbestos-roofed house belonging to Farraj Mohammed Abu Ma’rouf, in which 4 people live;
3. A 3-storey house belonging to Mohammed Farraj Abu Ma’rouf, in which 16 people live;
4. A house belonging to Shafiq Faraj Abu Ma’rouf, in which 14 people live;
5. A house belonging to Naji Faraj Abu Ma’rouf, in which 2 people live;
6. A house belonging to Naji Faraj Abu Ma’rouf, in which 8 people live; and
7. An asbestos-roofed house belonging to Fraij Mohammed Abu Ma’rouf, in which 4 people live.

• In the meantime, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at a 2-storey house belonging to Ahmed Mohsen Barbakh, in which 10 people live. The house and 4 neighboring houses belonging to Barbakh’s relatives were destroyed. Additionally, 10 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children were wounded.
• At approximately 14:55, Israeli tanks positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israeli fired a number of shells at the east of al-Qarara village and al-Zanna area, east of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 16:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to Hamdi Ábdul Karim al-Shaer, in which 22 people live, in al-Shaer area in Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses were damaged.
• Also at approximately 16:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Hassan Edris Fasfous, in which 22 people live, in al-Shaer area in Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a nearby agricultural plot. The house and the plot were damaged.
• From 16:10 to 19:10, Israeli warplanes launched 6 airstrikes targeting agricultural plots in al-Fukhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 16:20, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 5-storey house belonging to Ameen Ábdul Áal Abdul Ghafour, in which 55 people live, in the center of Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it together with a 2-storey house belonging to Mohammed Áyad al-Lahham, in which 13 people live.
• At approximately 18:40, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in Abu Tuaima area in Ábassan village, east of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 18:50, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in Abassan village.
• At approximately 19:00, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in Gizan Abu Rashwan area in the southwest of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 19:20, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 5-storey building of Mercy Charity in the center of Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the building and destroyed it. A number of nearby houses and civilian facilities were damaged.
• At approximately 20:05, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 20:55, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Barham Abu Daqq, who was killed by an Israeli airstrikes on al-Fukhari village, in which 6 people live. The house was destroyed.
• At approximately 02:00 on Monday, 25 August 2014, Israeli warplane launched 5 airstrikes on agricultural plots in the west and northwest of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 03:25, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area at Saladin Street in Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 05:20, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Zanna area in the east of Khan Yunis.

Rafah:

Israeli warplanes launched 12 airstrikes on various areas in Rafah targeting Rafah International Crossing Point, agricultural plots, open areas and tunnels at the Egyptian border. As a result, 2 staff members of Rafah International Crossing Point were wounded and a number of buildings in the crossing point were partially destroyed. Additionally, a member of a Palestinian armed group died of a previous wound.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 13:10 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, Israeli forces fired a number of artillery shells at the destroyed Gaza International Airport in the southeast of Rafah.
• At approximately 19:45, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area in the northwest of Rafah.
• At approximately 20:25, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at Saladin Street in the east of Rafah.
• From 23:20 to 23:50, Israeli warplanes launched 3 missiles at an agricultural plot in al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah.
• At approximately 00:10 on Monday, 25 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the tunnels area along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah.
• At approximately 00:15, Israeli warplanes launched 4 missiles at Rafah International Crossing Point at the Egyptian border, southeast of Rafah. As a result, the departure hall, the VIP hall, the building of the European mission and transmission stations were partially destroyed, and 2 staff members of the crossing point were wounded. It is worth noting that one of the missiles did not explode.
• At approximately 00:25, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.
• At approximately 01:00, Israeli forces fired a number of artillery shells at al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah.
• At approximately 05:00, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area in the northwest of Rafah.
• At approximately 07:00, medical sources declared that a member of a Palestinian armed group died of a wound he had sustained on Saturday, 23 August 2014.

PCHR reiterates condemnation, expresses utmost concern for these crimes, and:

1) Calls upon the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to promptly visit the Gaza Strip, to fulfill her responsibilities to stop this barbaric offensive and to closely watch the systematic destruction caused and deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians and property protected under the international law;
2) Calls upon the UN Human Rights Council to accelerate the formation of the fact-finding mission as decided by the Council in the resolution taken in its special session that was held on 23 July 2014 to investigate violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territory without any delay related to bureaucratic restrictions and procedures;
3) Calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their contractual obligations not only to respect the Convention, but also ensure respect for the Convention, and to immediately intervene to stop war crimes committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians, and calls upon the Swiss Government, the depository of the Geneva Conventions, to call for a new conference of the High Contracting Parties as soon as possible;
4) Stresses that holding war criminals accountable is an essential condition for any future settlement, and the international community should confirm that no impunity for war criminals, and the achievement of peace is conditioned by respect for human rights and the international law, and prosecution of war criminals;
5) Calls upon the Palestinian leadership to immediately accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which will provide opportunities to prosecute Israeli war criminals before the Court;
6) Stresses that the Gaza Strip is a disaster area and there is an urgent need to treat the disastrous humanitarian situation resulting from deliberate Israeli attacks on the civilian infrastructure, including electricity, water, hospitals, shelters and houses, forcible displacement of more than 500,000 civilians ad systematic and mass destruction of civilian communities;
7) Calls upon the international community to intervene to stop the policies of collective punishment and left the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than seven years, allowing the freedom of movement and goods, away from artificial improvements which have contributed to institutionalizing and prolonging the closure