Ref: 06/2009
Date: 07 January 2009
Time: 11:30 GMT
Thirteenth Day of Continuous IOF Attacks across the Gaza Strip;
38 Palestinians Killed, Including 11 Children and 6 Women, and the Total Number of Victims Now Stands at 712, Including 169 Children, 46 women, 6 Medical Personnel and One Palestinian Journalist
As the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continue their indiscriminate attacks in the Gaza Strip for the thirteenth consecutive day, the number of Palestinian civilian deaths continues to rise amidst massive destruction of buildings and property. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) indicate that IOF have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and their property in spite of the extremely high number of civilian deaths. The entire Gaza Strip is now under IOF bombardment, and IOF are targeting schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), as well as mosques, hospitals, medical crews and journalists. PCHR regrets the shameful international silence towards crimes committed by IOF, and its abstention from taking any action to stop the bloodshed of unarmed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
During the last 24 hours, 38 Palestinians, including 32 unarmed civilians, were killed. This number includes 11 children and 6 women. It also includes three sisters who were killed in ‘Izbat ‘Abed Rabbu area in east Jabalya, and a father, his 3 sons and their cousin who were all killed whilst driving in a car in Beit Lahia.
PCHR are investigating, and documenting, Israeli war crimes being committed against the population of the Gaza Strip throughout this military operation. This is a summary of the crimes committed by IOF in the Gaza Strip during the last 24 hours.
Northern Gaza Strip
· At 13:30 on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, IOF fired an artillery shell at a house in al-Amal neighborhood in Beit Lahia, killing Wajoud Rajab Abu Wadi, 31. Her corpse was left unattended until the following morning.
· At 14:00 on Wednesday, IOF opened fire at houses in ‘Izbat ‘Abed Rabbu area, east Jabalia, killing three sisters: Su’ad ‘Abed Rabbu, 10; and her sisters Amal, 3; and Samar, 2. At the same time, Mohammed ‘Ali Ahmed al-Sultan, 55, was killed when IOF drones bombarded al-Salatin area. His corpse remained unattended until today.
· Thirty minutes later, IOF indiscriminately bombarded al-Sikka Street and areas near Zimmu Square, east of Jabalia, killing two elderly people: Mohammed Abu Rukbah, 87; and Musbah Ayub, 60.
· At 18:00 on Wednesday, an IOF warplane bombed a civilian vehicle in Beit Lahia, killing five members of one family who were inside the car at the time.
1. Khaled al-Kahlout, 45;
2. His son Mohammad al-Kahlout, 15;
3. His younger son Habib, 12;
4. His youngest son Tawfiq, 10; and
5. Their cousin Hassan al-Kahlout, 20.
· Later the same evening, Hassan Ahmad Hijazi, 31, was pronounced dead on arrival at Shifa hospital, after being seriously wounded during intense IOF shelling of the northern Gaza Strip.
· On Thursday morning, 8 January 2009, an IOF aircraft attacked a home belonging to Tariq Nimer Abu ‘Amsha, 20, in Beit Hanoun, killing him.
· Also on Thursday morning, medical sources confirmed the deaths of a woman, Wafaa’ Nabil Abu Jarad, 23, and a child, Islam Jaber ‘Abdul Dayem, 16. The child had been injured by IOF bombardment whilst attending a condolence ceremony for other victims in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.
· At approximately 09:40 on Thursday, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at three members of the resistance who were near al-Qassam mosque in Beit Lahia, killing all three:
1- Mohammed Nafiz al-Hindi, 25;
2- Anwar Jaber Abu Salim, 24; and
3- ‘Abdul Nassar ‘Abdul Gaffar ‘Ouda, 23.
Gaza City
· At approximately 13:30 on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, medical personnel were finally able to unearth the bodies of two brothers from underneath rubble. Radwan ‘Aashour, 12, and his brother ‘Abdul Rahman, 11, had been killed earlier the same morning.
· At approximately 16:10 on Wednesday, during an armed clash with IOF in east Zaytoun, three resistance fighters were killed: Ahmed Mousa, 20; ‘Azmi Zaid, 20; and Ahmed Lubbad, 22.
· At approximately 19:30, during another armed clash with IOF, another resistance fighter, Majid Mushtaha, 21, was killed.
· On Wednesday evening, IOF opened fire indiscriminately in al-Zaytoun district, killing Hatem Ghazal, 42, inside his house in Jaffa Street.
· Also on Wednesday evening, Medical sources in Shifa Hospital reported the deaths of four civilians, including two children, and one woman:
– Eihab al-Harrizin, 22, from al-Shoja’eya;
– Ahmed Jaber Hwaij, 7, who had been wounded on 27 December 2008;
– Mohammed Sameer Hijjou, 16; and
– ‘Ola Mas’oud ‘Arafat, 20.
· At approximately 21:00 on Wednesday, IOF aircrafts bombed al-Taqwa mosque in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. Four hours later, IOF bombed the mosque for a second time, damaging it, as well as nearby houses.
· At the same time, IOF aircrafts bombed al-Jawazat police station, which had been bombed several times.
· At 23:50 on Wednesday, IOF aircrafts bombed al-Nour Al- Mohammedi mosque in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, completely destroying the mosque and damaging nearby houses.
· At 00:30 on Thursday, 8 January 2009, IOF warplanes bombed the Security and Defence Station in the Palestinian presidential compound (al-Muntada) in the west Gaza City, which had been bombed several times.
· At 02:00 on Thursday, IOF warplanes bombed the house of Mahmoud al- Hawari, 53, in Gaza city, killing a civilian, ‘Omar Khader Rajab, 22, and destroying the house.
· Also on Thursday morning, medical sources at al-Quds Hospital reported the death of civilian Rawia Rajab ‘Awad, 30, as the result of a wound she had sustained during IOF bombardment.
Central Gaza Strip
· At approximately 17:30 on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, IOF warplanes bombarded uninhabited land near the Ahly Club in al-Nussairat refugee camp, damaging surrounding houses.
· Half an hour later, IOF warplanes bombed a metal-workshop belonging to Ibrahim al-Taweel in al-Borej refugee camp, destroying the workshop and a number of neighboring houses.
· At approximately 19:00 on Wednesday, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at the police station in Abu Meddain area. This was the second time the police station had been bombed.
· At 20:10, an IOF aircraft bombed the house of Walid ‘Abdul Hamid Fadel in al-Boreij refugee camp, killing two civilians: Ahmed Hussein, 21; and Mohammed ‘Abed ‘Eissa, 28. The explosion also destroyed the house, and four other nearby houses, and damaged a nearby mosque.
· At the same time, an IOF aircraft bombed the house of Samir ‘Abdul Raziq al-Nadi, 41, in al-Nussairat refugee camp, destroying the house and damaging nearby homes.
· At approximately 22:00, another IOF aircraft fired three missiles at a police station in al-Maghazi refugee camp, wounding three civilians, including one woman, and destroying two nearby houses as well as the nearby town hall. The local mosque was also damaged.
· At approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 8 January 2009, IOF aircrafts fired five missiles at an open area in Western Sawarha area, destroying two houses and wounding fifteen civilians, including five children and two women. Another 20 local houses were damaged.
· At approximately 04:00 on Thursday, an IOF aircraft bombed a police station in Deir Al-Balah for the second time, damaging the eastern portion of the station, as well as neighboring houses.
Khan Yunis:
· At approximately 12:30 on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, IOF warplanes bombed an open area in al-Fukhari area. No causalities were reported.
· At approximately 14:20 on Wednesday, IOF bombed another open area in east Khuza’a village. No casualties were reported.
· At approximately 18:25 on Wednesday, IOF aircrafts bombed the house of the Inshasi family in the Schools Street in Al Amal neighborhood. The 3-storey house was slightly damaged, and the residents were evacuated.
· At approximately 23:05, IOF warplanes fired missiles at the street connecting al-Amal neighborhood and Khan Yunis refugee camp, killing two resistance fighters: Salem Ahmed Abu Mousa, 24; and Hassan Rateb Sama’an, 23.
· At approximately 23:50, IOF aircrafts bombed the police station in Ma’an village, east Khan Yunis. The building was heavily damaged.
· On Thursday, 8 January 2009, UNRWA opened two schools in al-Qarara and Abassan villages as shelters for local families evacuated from the eastern Gaza Strip because of the IOF shelling and ground incursions.
· At approximately 00:30 on Thursday, 8 January 2009, IOF military vessels shelled areas west of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.
· At approximately 01:15 on Thursday, IOF warplanes bombed an open area in west Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.
· At approximately 02:00, IOF aircrafts bombed the police station of Bani Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis, destroying the building and damaging nearby houses and Hamza mosque. No casualties were reported.
· At approximately 04:00, IOF aircrafts bombed the 2-storey house of Mohammad Al Sinwar, a leader of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, located in block G in Khan Yunis refugee camp. The house was destroyed, but no casualties were reported.
· At the same time, IOF launched an incursion into the area of east Al Qarara, and deployed along the Kissufim road and in residential areas located approximately 600 meters from the border with Israel.
· At 11:30 on Thursday, IOF moved into al-Qarara village and fired artillery shells, killing three people: ‘Atwa ‘Awad Abu Mudiaf, 60, and two women. The bodies were all transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The two women have remained unidentified.
Rafah
· At approximately 16:30 on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, IOF aircrafts dropped a container of leaflets across al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, informing civilians they should leave the area before 08:00 on Thursday, 8 January 2009. The container injured eight local people. Thousands of local people immediately left the area.
· At approximately 27:30, IOF bombed the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for three hours, wounding three people.
· At approximately 21:40 on Wednesday, IOF warplanes fired four missiles at a house belonging to Ahmed Mohsin Foujou in al-Junaina neighborhood in northern Rafah. The 3-storey house was destroyed, and two women were wounded. A nearby house was also destroyed, and several other houses damaged.
· At approximately 04:20 on Thursday, 8 January 2009, an IOF warplane bombed a house belonging to Ahmed Khalil al-Mudallal, a leader of Islamic Jihad in al-Ansar neighborhood in southwestern Rafah. The house was destroyed.
· At approximately 06:20 on Thursday, an IOF plane bombed an amphitheatre in a playing field of Rafah Municipality, destroying the amphitheatre and also offices belonging to the Youth and Sports Ministry.
In light of the crimes committed by IOF against the Palestinian civilian population and civilian objects in the Gaza Strip, PCHR:
1) Condemns these crimes, which are part of a series of continuous crimes committed by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) with total disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, considering them a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilian population in violation of article 33 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
2) Holds Israel responsible for the lives of Palestinian civilians in all circumstances. Under the international law, the existence of armed resistance does not in any case justify the use of such excessive force disproportionately and indiscriminately.
3) Warns that the lives of Palestinian civilians are endangered in light of threats vowed by Israeli political and military officials to expand military operations against the population of the Gaza Strip.
4) Calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention, Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to fulfill their obligation under article 1 of the Convention to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, as well as their obligation under article 146 to search for and prosecute those who are responsible for perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention, as such breaches constitute war crimes according to article 147 of the Convention and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).
