Ref: 69/2019 

Hours before the announcement of a mutual ceasefire between Palestinian armed groups and Israel, the Israeli forces intensified their aggression against the Gaza Strip at a high rate for two consecutive days during which the Israeli forces carried out intensive bombardment through their warplanes and artillery shells in land and sea, targeting more multi-story buildings and houses in a clear violation against Palestinian civilians. As a result, hundreds of families became homeless and 2 million Palestinians suffered fear and terror. Moreover, the Israeli forces continued using the extrajudicial executions policy, which has been ongoing in the last years. Focusing on targeting residential buildings and houses on the second day of the offensive, the Israeli forces has begun their aggression with what they ended their aggression in 2014 in which they randomly destroyed dozens of residential buildings on the head of their inhabitants.

Following the press release issued by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) on Saturday, 04 May 2019 and according to fieldworkers’ documentation of the incidents in the second day, the Israeli forces’ bombardment resulted in the killing of 23 Palestinians. Fourteen of them were civilians, including 3 women and 3 children. Some of those, who were from the same family, were killed inside their houses. Moreover, 44 others were injured. Thus, the total number of the Palestinians killed has risen to 23, including 3 women; one of them was pregnant, and 3 children, including a baby girl.

The airstrikes targeted 20 residential houses and buildings, a mosque, 3 workshops, 20 empty lands, cars, motorbikes, resorts, public and private property, training sites and border control points belonging to Palestinian armed groups, in addition to the artillery shelling that targeted various areas of the eastern Gaza Strip.

For the first time since 2014, the Israeli forces committed a new crime of extra-judicial execution, killing Ahmed al-Khudari after targeting his car in the center of Gaza City.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 14:45 on Saturday, 05 May 2019, the Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a car driven by Hamed Ahmed Abdul Khudaria, from Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, and killed him. Hamed was driving his car in the vicinity of al-Sedrah area in al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

At approximately 22:10 on Saturday evening, 04 May 2019, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a group of civilians, who were in the vicinity of the American School former site, west of Beit Lahia. As a result, Khalid Mohammed Selmi Abu Qaliq (24), from the city, was killed after being hit with shrapnel throughout his body. Moreover, another civilian was seriously injured.

At approximately 17:35 on Sunday evening, the Israeli forces fired an artillery shell at a house belonging to Abdul Rahim Mustafa al-Madhoun (60), south of the American School, west of Beit Lahia. As a result, the house was destroyed and 4 civilians were killed, including a woman, and 9 were injured. Those killed civilians were identified as: Abdul Rahim’s son Abdullah Abdul Rahim Mustafa al-Madhooun (21), Fadi Ragheb Yusuf Badran (33), Amani ‘Etfat Sha;ban al-Madhoun (36), who was 9-month pregnant. Furthermore, 9 civilians were injured, including 6 children. Doctors classified the injuries of 2 of them as serious.

At approximately 17:45, the Israeli warplanes launched 2 missiles at the ground and first floors in Zu’rob Building near al-Shuhada’a Square (al-Nejmah), in the center of Rafah. As a result, 3 civilians were killed namely: ‘Ali Ahmed Abdul Jawad (51), who was in al-Awa’el Educational Center, Mousa Husein Lafi Mo’amer (35) and Hani Hamdan Abu Sha’ar (37), who were at al-Fakher Cafe. Moreover, 4 civilians, including a child, sustained various wounds.

At approximately 19:50, the Israeli warplanes launched a missile at the fifth floor in Building No. (12) in Sheikh Zayed Buildings, north of the Gaza Strip. As a result, 6 civilians were killed namely: Ahmed Ramadan Rajab al-Ghazali (30), his wife Eman Abdullah Mousa al-Ghazali (29), their child Rama (5 months), Abdul Rahman Talal Abu al-Jedyan (12), his parents Tala ‘Atiyah Abu al-Jedyan (48) and Raghdah Mohammed Abu al-Jedyan (46), whose dead bodies were recovered on that day morning from under the rubble. Moreover, 9 civilians living in the same building sustained minor and moderate wounds.

The ongoing Israeli offensive disrupted all schools and universities, preventing tens thousands of students from heading to their schools and universities. Moreover, several governmental and non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were disrupted as well, so obstructing civilians’ life and businesses and undermining their basic rights.

Furthermore, Israeli forces issued a decision to close all crossing from and into Israel, stop the entry and exit of goods, prevent the movement of persons, including patients, and ban the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip.