Ref: 132/2014
Date: 24 August 2014
Time: 07:00 GMT

Apartment Tower Building Destroyed and Hundreds of People Rendered Homeless;
Israeli Forces Drop Flyer and Send SMS Civilians Threatening to Attack Everything to Combat “Terrorism”

Since the Beginning of the Israeli Offensive, 2,122 Palestinians, 1,633 of Whom Are Civilians, Including 507 Children and 292 Women, Killed, and 10,621 Others, Mostly Civilians, Including 3,224 Children and 2,056 Women, Wounded;
895 Houses Targeted and Destroyed by Israeli Warplanes;
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 47th consecutive 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. On Saturday evening, 23 August 2014, Israeli warplanes bombarded and destroyed a 13-storey apartment building in Gaza City after ordering its residents to evacuated it. It should be noted that this has been the largest apartment building destroyed by Israeli warplanes since the beginning of the current offensive, which raise concerns that Israeli forces might have started a new stage of escalation under which other apartment buildings may be targeted and destroyed by Israeli warplanes. In the meantime, Israeli forces attacked more houses, apartment buildings, commercial facilities and civilian gatherings. These attacks followed Israeli threats to escalate attacks and launch a new ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces dropped flyers and sent SMS messages to the civilian population threatening to attack everything to combat “terrorism.” As a result of these attacks, 7 Palestinians, 4 of whom are civilians, including a woman and her child, were killed, and 92 Palestinians, including 34 children and 19women, were wounded. Additionally, 15 houses, an apartment tower building, a mosque and a shopping center were destroyed. 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 Saturday, 23 August 2014, to 10:00 on Sunday, 24August 2014, have been as follows:

The Northern Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes launched a number of airstrikes targeting houses, a playground, agricultural plots and open areas. As a result of these attacks, 22Palestinians, including 4 children and 7 women, were wounded. Additionally, 2housesweretargeted and destroyed, and a number of otherswere damaged.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 10:40 on Saturday, 23 August 2014, Israeli warplanes launched 13 missiles at a site of a Palestinian armed group in Beit Lahia. The site was destroyed.
• At approximately 11:15, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot belonging to the Hamad family in Beit Hanoun. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 women, were wounded.
• At approximately 11:30, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a 4-storey house belonging to Mahmoud Naji in al-Fakhoura area in Jabalya refugee camp. The house was damaged.
• At approximately 13:25, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a flat belonging to Mohammed Nadi Zain al-Din in Sheikh Zayed apartment buildings in Beit Lahia. The flat was damaged.
• At approximately 15:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 2-storey house belonging to ‘Abdul Rahim Raiha in Jabalya refugee camp. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.
• At approximately 16:35, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot belonging to the Wirsh Agha in al-Manshiya Street in Beit Lahia. As a result, a woman and a child were wounded.
• At approximately 21:20, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural room in Beit Hanoun. As a result, the room and a nearby house were damaged.
• At approximately 16:50 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot belonging to the al-Kilani family in Beit Lahia. As a result, a woman was wounded.
• At approximately 05:00, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at Beit Lahia playground damaging it. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded.
• At the same time, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a site of a Palestinian group, which was bombarded on the previous day, in Beit Lahia.

Gaza City:

Israeli warplanes launched 10 airstrikes targetingan apartment tower building, 2 houses, a motorcycle and agricultural plots. As a result of these attacks, 3 members of Palestinian armed groups were killed, and 35 Palestinians, including 12 children and 4 women, were wounded. An apartment tower building and 2 houses were also destroyed. Additionally, a Palestinian civilian died of a previous wound.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 12:00 on Saturday, 23 August 2014, medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that Mohammed Nasser al-‘Ejla, 64, died of a wound he had sustained in the morning, when Israeli forces fired at him when he was in Juhor al-Dik area where he worked as a guard of a farm. He was hit by a bullet to the abdomen.
• At approximately 19:20, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at al-Zafer 4 apartment tower building near the campus of the Islamic University. The 13-storey building, which includes 46 flats, where 40 families counting 240 individuals live, was completely destroyed. Additionally, 18 civilians were wounded. The attack terrified Palestinian civilians in the area, and residents of 2 nearby apartment buildings were forced to evacuate their flats.
• At approximately 21:00, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at civilian car that was traveling near al-‘Oyoun intersection in the north of Gaza City. As a result, a member of a Palestinian armed group who was traveling in the car was killed.
• At approximately 04:30 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a motorcycle that was traveling near al-Fayrouz apartment buildings in the north of Gaza City. Two members of a Palestinian group who were traveling on the motorcycle were killed.
• At approximately 06:00, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at a 3-storey house belonging to the heirs of Ibrahim ‘Aaref al-Ghalayini, in which 35 people, including 20 children, live in the west of al-Nasser neighborhood in the north of Gaza City.
• At the same time, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at a 6-storey house belonging to Nasser Hussein al-Bawab, in which 65 people, including 30 children, live in al-Nasser neighborhood in the north of Gaza City.
• Israeli warplane also launched a number of airstrikes on a number of sites of Palestinian armed groups, agricultural plots and open areas.

The Central Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes launched 25airstrikes targetinghouses, agricultural plots and a cemetery. As a result of these attacks, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and her child, were killed, and 17 others, including 9 children and 4 women, were wounded. Five houses were also attacked and 3 of them were destroyed.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 23 August 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missiles at a 3-storey house belonging to ‘Omar Mohammed ‘Ali, in which 30 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. Two neighboring houses were damaged.
• At approximately 14:05, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 4-storey house belonging to ‘Ali ‘Abdul JawadMuhaisen, in which 10 families counting 70 individuals, live in Deir al-Balah. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it and a neighboring one. Three Palestinian civilians, including a woman and her child, were killed: NisrinIbrahim Ahmed, 38; her child Hussein Khaled Ahmed, 8; and ‘Abdul Karim Hamad Abu Meddain, 43. A man and his child were also wounded.
• At approximately 14:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Mahmoud Ramadan Abu ‘Armana, in which 19 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.
• At approximately 18:00, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Mahmoud Mohammed Khalaf, in which 18 people live, in al-Boreij refugee camp. The house was damaged.
• At approximately 03:15 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to the heirs of Khamis ‘Ali Noufal, in which 13 people live, in Deir al-Balah. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.

Khan Yunis:

Israeli warplanes launched 16 airstrikes targeting houses andagricultural plots. As a result of these attacks, a Palestinian civilian was wounded. Another civilian also died of a previous wound. Israeli warplanes also targeted and destroyed 2 houses. A number of nearby houses and PCHR’s office in Khan Yuniswere damaged.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 10:35 on Saturday, 23 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a tract of land in al-Zanna area in the northeast of BaniSuhaila, east of Kahn Yunis.
• At approximately 11:50, Israeli warplanes launched 2 airstrikes on an agricultural plot in ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 12:50, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 3-storey house belonging to Ibrahim Mahfouz al-Farra and his brothers, in which 15 people live, in al-Farra neighborhood in Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched 3 missiles at the house, 2 of which did not explode while the third one destroyed the house. A number of houses, shops and PCHR’s office in Khan Yuniswere damaged.
• Also at approximately 12:50, Israeli warplane launched 3 airstrikes on agricultural areas in Ma’aan area.
• At approximately 15:00, medical sources at an Egyptian hospital declared that Salah Jum’a ‘AyashSaleem, 26, died of a wound he had sustained on 02 August 2014 when Israeli warplane bombarded a house belonging to the Saleem family in al-Qarara village. The attack killed 2 members of the family and wounded 5 others, including Salah.
• At approximately 119:05, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at an agricultural plot in Abu Draz in ‘Abassan village.
• At approximately 19:35, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, fired smoke bombs and live bullets at Abu Raida area in the east of Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis.
• From approximately 01:00 to 01:30 on Sunday, 24 August 22014, Israeli warplanes launched 3 airstrikes on a site of a Palestinian armed group and open areas in the northwest of Khan Yunis.
• At approximately 04:45, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a house belonging to Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Ma’rouf in al-Manara neighborhood. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it.
• At approximately 06:30, Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired shelled the east of Khuza’a village.
• At approximately 07:30, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in Ma’an area.
• At approximately 09:25, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 4-storey house belonging to Hani Jalal al-Farra, in which 13 people live, in al-Mahatta area in Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles, one of which exploded and destroyed the house.

Rafah:

Israeli warplanes launched 37 airstrikes on Rafah targeting a shopping center, an apartment building, houses, a mosque agricultural plots, open areas and the tunnels area. Israeli aircrafts dropped flyers threatening to attack houses and inciting against Palestinian armed groups. As a result of these attacks, 17 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children and 4 women, and a member of an armed group were wounded.

The most significant attacks were as follows:

• At approximately 11:30 on Saturday, 23 August 2014, Israeli aircrafts dropped thousands of flyers demanding the population to evacuate any area from which an attack against Israel is launched, threatening to attacks any house from the vicinity of which an attack is launched and inciting against Palestinian armed group. A box of flyers fell onto a house belonging to Khamis al-Hams in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. The house was damaged.
• At approximately 12:00, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the destroyed Gaza International Airport in the southeast of Rafah.
• At approximately 12:05, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a member of a Palestinian armed group who was walking in Saddam Street in al-Junaina neighborhood. He was seriously wounded.
• At approximately 12:10, an Israeli drone fired a missile at an under-construction house belonging to ‘Omar Ahmed al-Qutati in al-Junaina neighborhood. The house was partially destroyed.
• At approximately 12:55, Israeli forces fired a number of artillery shells at Palestinian houses in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.
• At approximately 14:50, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 4-store building belonging to ‘Ali ‘Abed Nassar, in which 28 people live, in Bashit area in Rafah refugee camp. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A small praying hall on the ground floor of the house was also destroyed. Additionally, at least 14 neighboring houses were destroyed completely or partially.
• At approximately 15:15, Israeli forces fired a number of artillery shells at Palestinian houses in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.
• At approximately 15:20, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at a house belonging to Mousa Mohammed al-‘Arja, in which 8 people live, in al-Tannour neighborhood in the east of Rafah. A few minutes later, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the house and destroyed it. A number of neighboring houses were damaged and 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded.
• At approximately 15:45, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.
• At approximately 15:55, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in TabbetZare’ neighborhood in the northeast of Rafah. As a result, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded.
• At approximately 16:15, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a tunnel at the Egyptian border near al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah.
• At approximately 22:15, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.
• Between 23:00 and 23:30, Israeli warplane launched 7 missiles at the shopping center in Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Street in the center of Rafah. The center was destroyed. A number of nearby houses, shops and 2 schools, which serve as shelters for at least 500 displaced civilians, were extensively damaged. Additionally, 7 Palestinian civilians were wounded. The shopping center included 14 flats used as offices for private companies, legal firms, clinics, 47 shops, a wedding hall and a restaurant. It is a property of Rafah Municipality.
• Also at approximately 23:00, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at the roof of a building belonging to YahiaShihdaZo’rob near the above-mentioned shopping center. The building was damaged.
• At approximately 01:00 on Sunday, 24 August 2014, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area in the northwest of Rafah.
• At approximately 01:15, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an open area in the northwest of Rafah.
• At approximately 02:40, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at an agricultural plot in al-Junaina neighborhood.
• At approximately 07:20, an Israeli warplane launched a missile at the tunnels area at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah.
• At approximately 08:05, Israeli warplane launched 3 missiles at an agricultural plot in al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah.

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.