Ref: 114/2003 

Dr.
Mahmoud al-Zahhar, a prominent leader of the Hamas movement, survived an
Israeli assassination attempt carried out this morning in Gaza City by Israeli
occupying forces. Al-Zahhar’s son and one of his bodyguards were killed in the
aerial attack that targeted al-Zahhar’s house in central Gaza City. 20
Palestinian civilians, including al-Zahhar’s wife and daughter were
wounded.  Today’s attack is the latest in
a series of extra-judicial assassinations perpetrated by Israeli occupying
forces against Palestinian civilians. 
PCHR strongly condemns this crime and calls upon the international
community to immediately intervene to stop the continuous deterioration in the
human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).   

According
to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 10:15 on Wednesday, 10 September 2003,
Israeli warplanes launched missiles at Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahhar’s house in the
densely populated al-Sabra neighborhood in central Gaza City.  The 2-storey house was totally demolished in
the attack. Ambulance and rescue personnel arrived at the scene shortly after
the strike and removed 2 bodies from the rubble of the building. The 2 victims
were later identified as al-Zahhar’s son, Khaled, 25, and his bodyguard, Shehda
Yousef al-Deeri, 32, from Gaza City. Al-Zahhar was moderately wounded in the
attack and more than 20 other Palestinian civilians, including al-Zahhar’s wife
and daughter, were also wounded. Medical sources described the conditions of
several of the wounded, including al-Zahhar’s wife, as serious. At the time of
writing, rescue personnel are still in the process of searching for possible
victims.  

PCHR
field workers reported that the Israeli attack also damaged several neighboring
houses, as well as the nearby al-Rahma mosque. PCHR field workers reported that
the destruction sustained to al-Zahhar’s house indicates that it was probably
attacked by fighter jets, in an assault reminiscent of an attack that occurred
on 22 July 2002, when Israeli forces used F-16 fighter jets to target a house
in the densely populated al-Daraj neighborhood in the center of Gaza City. This
attack resulted in the deaths of 16 Palestinians, including Sheikh Salah
Shehada, a leader of the military wing of the Hamas movement, along with his
wife, daughter and bodyguard.  The other
victims, mostly children, were residents of neighboring houses.   

PCHR
strongly condemns this crime, which further proves Israel’s disregard for the
lives of Palestinian civilians. PCHR is concerned that Israeli occupying forces
may continue to escalate their aggression against Palestinian civilians and
increasingly employ excessive force against Palestinian civilian targets,
including the use of warplanes. PCHR reiterates its call for the High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to immediately
intervene to stop war crimes perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces against
Palestinian civilians in the OPT.       

alishwyX area and also called on
residents of neighboring houses to leave the area.  At time of writing, Israeli occupying forces
remain surrounding the building. 

PCHR
remains deeply concerned at the ongoing perpetration of violations of
international human rights and humanitarian law, including war crimes, by the
Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians in the OPTs.  PCHR calls upon the international community,
in particular the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to
take immediate and concrete measures to ensure the protection of the
Palestinian civilian population.