12PM Gaza Time
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip since Tuesday this week. The IOF launched dozens of air attacks, including on inhabited houses. In many of these attacks the IOF fired excessively heavy ammunition causing widespread destruction and death. This type of attacks represent serious violations of the principle of proportionality, and every one of them that fails to observe this principle amounts to a war crime that must be investigated and prosecuted. Other attacks were directed to civilian targets, such as the attack on the Al Reefi family which killed five civilians including three children and the attack on civilians as they were digging new graves, l=killing four of them. These armed attacks represent serious violations of the basic principle of distinction and also amount to war crimes. International community must end its silence and demand that such attacks stop immediately.
The escalated IOF attacks prompted tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians to return to shelters for internally displaced people; especially in UN schools. The humanitarian conditions for the general population, and especially for displaced people, are still difficult in Gaza under the prolonged blackouts and shortages in water supplies.
Al Mezan and sister human rights NGOs have started to properly document the monitored casualties and other violations during the days of the ceasefire. It has been verified that as of 12 pm today, Thursday 21 August 2014, 2,090 Palestinians have been killed by the IOF since 7 July 2014. Of them 494 are children and 287 women. Al Mezan also knows about seven casualties who were buried without being identified in Rafah. Those are not included in these figures pending further verification. According to Al Mezan's investigations, which increased during the past nine days of ceasefire, 1,606 (i.e. 76.9%) of the victims are civilians. More deaths of combatants were confirmed and more combatants were recovered from under the rubble during these days. At least 963 people; including 310 children and 205 women, were killed inside their houses; and two other disabled women were killed in an attack on a rehabilitation NGO's office. Another 229 people were killed in the vicinity of their houses; including in situations where they were trying to flee from their homes as a result of IOF attacks.
Moreover, at least 10,391 people were injured during the same period according to the Ministry of Health; including 3,152 were children and 2,013 women.[1] At least, 10,149 houses were destroyed or damaged during this period; of which 2,6350 were destroyed completely. The IOF directly and deliberately attacked 971 of the total number of damaged houses. As of today, IOF attacks have destroyed or damaged 92 schools, 149 mosques, 8 hospitals; 6 of which are out of service, 39 NGO offices, 50 fishing boats, and 224 vehicles.
North Gaza district:
Since 12pm on Wednesday 20 August 2014, the IOF fired about 22 missiles on various areas across the North Gaza district, targeting open areas and fields and five houses. The houses belong to Abdel Mo'ti Sa'adeh in Beit Hanoun, Abdallah Al Hajeen in Beit Hanoun, Mohammed Hamdeen in Beit Hanoun, Jalal Hmeed in Jabalia, Mohammed Shehadeh in Beit Hanoun. Twenty other houses and a commercial store were damaged and 11 people were injured, including two children in these attacks.
At approximately 12:16 pm, on Wednesday 20 August 2014, an IOF drone fired at least one missile at two persons who were on their farm in Beit Lahiya town. The attack killed them immediately. They were identified as Sofyan Darweesh Mheesin, 48; and his son Mustafa Sofyan Mheesin, 29. Al Mezan initial investigation indicates that the two men, who are from Jabalia refugee camp, were sitting under a shade in their farm when a drone targeted them.
At approximately 9:15 pm, on Wednesday 20 August 2014, an IOF drone fired at least one missile at two men who were near the Baituna association in Al Twan area in the west of Jabalia. They were both killed on the spot and were identified as Abdallah Mohammed Safi, 24; and Haitham Ramadan Al 'Awour, 30. They are residents of the Al Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City.
At approximately 6:45 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, an IOF drone fired at least one missile at Hosam Abed-Rabbo Abu Jasser, 45, who was in his house garden in the Al Qasaseeb neighborhood in the west of Jabalia refugee camp. He was killed on the spot as he was watering plants in his garden.
At approximately 8 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, an IOF drone fired at least one missile at a man and his child as they were walking near the Al Atatra Center in the town of Beit Lahiya. They were both killed and identified as Srour Mohammed Tamboura, 35, and his son Hassan Srour Tamboura. Al Mezan's initial investigation indicates that the two persons were on their way to purchase fresh cow milk, which they always collect and resell.
Gaza City:
The IOF bombarded several targets in the Gaza City district during the reporting period, destroying two five-story houses in the Al Nasser and Al Sabra neighborhoods. The houses used to host 15 families.
At approximately 9:30 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at an orchard for the AL reefi family, which is located near the Al Nafaq Street in the north of Gaza City. A group of children were with their families in the place. Five of them, including three children, were killed and four were injured, including two children, in the attack. Those who were killed were identified as:
Mohammed Ziyad Al reefi, 28;
Nasser Ziyad Al Reefi, 37;
Abdallah Tareq Al Reefi, 6;
Ziyad Tareq Al Reefi, 13; and
Omar Nasser Al Reefi, 4.
At approximately 11:20 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at a group of workers as they were digging new graves in the Al Sheikh Radwan cemetery in the north of Gaza City. Four of the workers were killed and a fifth was critically injured. Those who were killed were identified as:
Abdel Raheem Talal Shweekh, 22;
Rami Hamdi Salem – Abu Nahl, 20;
Mohammed Hamdi Salem – Abu Nahl, 18; and
Awsam Talal Tafish, 45.
Middle Gaza district:
At approximately 3:45 pm, on Wednesday 20 August 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at a group of civilians from the same family who were leaving the UN IDPs shelter in the Deir Al Balah Preparatory School for Girls in the east of the town of Deir Al Balah. Two children were killed: Saher Mohammed Al 'Abeet, 11; and Mohammed Emad Al 'Abeet, 16, and two other men were injured: Awad Mohammed Al 'Abeet, 45; and Atallah Ziyad Al 'Abeet, 30. According to an affidavit given to Al Mezan's by the father of one of the killed children, he and his family went to the UN shelter. His wife, Randa, and two children, Saher and Ihsan, and a number of their relatives were with them at the shelter and registered their names in it. After the registration, they walked back to go to the house of a relative of theirs, which is located near the shelter, in order to bring mattresses to the shelter. They were attacked as they walked towards the house.
At approximately 10 pm, on Wednesday 20 August 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at Block 7 in the Al Bureij refugee camp, injuring three persons; one of who sustained critical injuries.
At approximately 1:30 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at a group of people who were on the Al Ishreen Street in the Al Nuseirat refugee camp, killing two men: Omar Tayseer Abu Nada, 27; and Jom'a Ibrahim Matar, 30.
The IOF also bombarded two houses in the refugee camps of Al Bureij and Al Nusierat, destroying one completely and severely damaging the second.
Khan Younis district:
IOF launched 31 air raids on various areas in Khan Younis, mostly on fields and houses. Four persons were injured and four houses were destroyed from these attacks.
Rafah district:
At approximately 12:55 am, on Thursday 21 August 2014, IOF aircraft fired a heavy missile at the house of Jbara Ahmad Jazariyeh, which is located in the Msabbeh area, north to Rafah town. Five minutes prior to this attack, an IOF drone fired a missile at the house, injuring a women, Mahasin Ahmed Jazariyeh, 45. The house, which hosted four families of 29 individuals, was destroyed completely in the second attack.
At approximately 2:30 am today, Thursday 21 August 2104, IOF aircraft fired nine heavy missiles at the house of Nasser Kellab, which is adjacent to the houses of the Younis family and the Abu Slaimeh family in the area of Tel As Sultan in the west of the town or Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The attack, which may have targeted three of leaders of the Al Qassam Brigades, killed ten people and injured another 49; including 20 children and 14 women. The three leaders of Al Qassam were killed, along with four of the house residents and three of the neighbors. Those who were killed were identified as:
Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Shalama, 40; (Al Qassam leader in southern Gaza)
Raed Sobhi Al Attar, 40; (Al Qassam leader in Rafah)
Mohammed Hamdan Barhoum, 45; (from Al Qassam Brigades)
Yousef Nasser Kellab, 75;
Nazeera Ramadan Kellab, 40;
Ahmed Nasser Kellab, 17; (Nazeera' son)
Yousef Nasser Kellab, 15; (Nazeera' son)
Hassan Hussein Younis, 75; (neighbor)
Amal Ibrahim Younis, 53; (Hassan Younis' wife) and
Aysha Ismail Atiyeh, 63; (neighbor).
Another 54 people were injured in this attack; including 22 children and 16 women. The three-story targeted house was destroyed completely and six other houses were severely damaged.
Al Mezan condemns IOF's attacks on civilians and civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. Attacks on protected civilians and civilian objects that fail to comply with the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) represent grave breaches of IHL, which amount to war crimes. These violations must be credibly and promptly investigated and prosecuted. The international community has an obligation to condemn these violations and make swift, effective interventions to bring them to a halt.
Al Mezan deplores the failure of international community to ensure the protection of the civilian population and the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which have been devastated due to thousands of IOF unlawful military attacks that did not respect the basic principles of IHL. International community must provide the civilian population in the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and ensure free and timely passage of materials and personnel needed to re-establish the basic needs for human life; including power, water, sanitation and the health sector.