Thursday, March 24, 2011

PCHR weekly report 17/3 - 23/3/2011: 6 civilians killed including 4 children, 24 civilians injured in border areas including 11 children, houses destroyed or damaged, airstrikes

extracts from PCHR weekly report 17/3 - 23/3/2011:



During the reporting period, IOF killed 6 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, and 4 Palestinian resistance activists in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 28 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 11 children. 

In the Gaza Strip, on Saturday evening, 19 March 2011, IOF killed two Palestinian children who were nearly 300 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. It is worth noting that on 17 March, Israeli aircrafts dropped fliers on border areas warning Palestinians from getting as close as to 300 meters from the border. 

On 22 March 2011, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including two children, and wounded 11 others, including 8 children, with artillery shells in the east of Gaza City. IOF claimed that a shell went astray and killed and wounded these civilians. PCHR's investigations refute this claim as the area was targeted by 4 successive artillery shells.


During the reporting period, IOF launched a series of air strikes on a number of Palestinian civilian facilities and a police station. The targeted facilities were destroyed and a number of houses and other property were damaged. Additionally, 15 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were lightly injured.  

On 19 March 2011, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israeli fired a number of artillery shells at Palestinian areas. As a result, 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded, and a mosque was damaged. 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two limited incursion into Palestinian areas, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.


Saturday, 19 March 2011


At approximately 08:00, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, fired a number of artillery shells at Palestinian agricultural and residential areas in the east of the villages of al-Qarara, 'Abassan, Khuza'a and al-Fukhari. The artillery shelling continued sporadically until 11:00. As a result of the shelling, the minaret of 'Amar Bin Yasser Mosque in 'Abassan village was damaged, but no casualties were reported. 

At approximately 09:30, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Gaza City, fired 3 artillery shells at a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces near al-Mansoura Square in the east of al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, nearly 2,000 meters away from the border. As a result, 6 Palestinians were wounded:

1. Sa'eb Maher Abu Safiya, 20, a security man, seriously wounded by shrapnel to the head and the left foot;
2. 'Emad Saleh Sa'id, 35, a security man, wounded by shrapnel to the body, and sustained a facture to the right foot;
3. Midhat Saleem al-Dayah, 20, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
4. Nasser 'Omar Abu Shanab, 22, wounded by shrapnel to the back;
5. Qussai Fadi Abu Shanab, 22, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and
6. 'Abdul Mon'em Mahmoud Sa'ad, 2, wounded by shrapnel to the face.

At approximately 11:00, IOF warplanes fired two missiles at an agricultural area in the east of al-Qarara village, northeast of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The missiles targeted Palestinian resistance activists, but no casualties were reported.  

Also at approximately 11:00, IOF warplanes fired two missile at an agricultural area in Abu Tu'aima area in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported. 

At approximately 21:30, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Juhor al-Dik village in the central Gaza Strip fired a number of artillery shells at two Palestinian children who were nearly 300 meters away from the border. The two children were instantly killed. IOF continued to fire at the area over the night. On the following day morning, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into the area. At approximately 11:30, an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society was able to enter the area following coordination between the ICRC and IOF. The medical crews found the bodies of the two children nearly 300 meters away from the border, and evacuated them to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The two children were identified as:

1. 'Emad Mohammed 'Eissa Farajallah, 16; and
2. Qassem Salah Abu 'Otaiwi, 16, both from al-Nussairat refugee camp.   

It is worth noting that on Thursday morning, 17 March 2011, IOF aircrafts dropped fliers over border area in the Gaza Strip, warning Palestinians of getting as close as to 300 meters from the border.


Monday, 21 March 2011 

At approximately 23:00, IOF warplanes fired two missiles at 'Abdul 'Aziz al-Rantissi site of the Palestinian police near al-Twam intersection in the west of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip. Police buildings and two vehicles were destroyed. A police officer, Mohammed Hussein Abu 'Amira, 43, from Jabalya town, sustained bruises. Additionally, 6 Palestinian civilians, including two children and two women, were lightly injured by fragments of glass. Dozens of nearby houses , 7 shops and two vehicles were damaged. The building of Bytona Association for Social Development, which is located nearly 100 meters away from the targeted site, was heavily damaged. 

Also at approximately 23:00, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a 1,200-square-meter barrack of recycling nylon waste belonging to Mamdouh Yousef Zaidan in al-Sha'af neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The barrack was completely destroyed, and the building of a company of construction materials belonging to Riad Yousef Hassanain was damaged. 

At approximately 23:30, an IOF warplane fired a missile at a 500-square-meter smith workshop belonging to 'Abdul Salam 'Abdullah Dalloul in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The workshop was destroyed. 

At approximately 23:55, an IOF warplane fired two missiles at the building of stores and machines of Khuza'a Municipality, east of Khan Yunis. The 150-square-meter building and a subordinate yard were completely destroyed. Additionally, a 120-square-meter animal farm belonging to Shawqi Saleem al-Najjar was destroyed, and a nearby room and the fence of a nearby house were damaged. 

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

At approximately 23:55 on Monday, 21 March 2011, Mahmoud Hussein al-Najjar, 61, received a phone call from an Israeli number and the caller, who introduced himself as an Israeli military officer order him to evacuate his house in Khuza'a village. At approximately 00:14 on Tuesday, an IOF drone fired a missile at a 130-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to al-Najjar's son, Hussein. The missile penetrated the ceiling and fell into the lounge, where Hussein was, but he survived the attack. The family left the house immediately. Later, IOF phoned Mahmoud al-Najjar again and ordered him to evacuate his house in five minutes. Al-Najjar and his two sons, who live in houses next to his, evacuated the three houses. Nevertheless, none of these house has been bombarded.

At approximately 00:20, IOF warplanes fired a missile at a space area in the east of Khuza'a village, east of Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 08:15, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the northeast of Gaza City. They leveled areas of Palestinian land, which they had already razed under cover of shooting. They left the area at approximately 11:30 and no casualties were reported. 

In the evening, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including two children, and wounded 11 others, including 8 children, with artillery shells in al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The Israeli radio quoted Israeli military sources claiming that an artillery shell went astray and caused the civilian casualties. Investigations conducted by PCHR refute this claim, as a residential area was targeted with 4 artillery shells, and whether one of them went astray or not, they all targeted a residential area. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 15:10, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired 4 artillery shells successively at al-Nazzaz Street in al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, nearly 2,000 meters away from the border. The first shell hit a 150-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Samer Waleed Mushtaha. The second floor of the house was completely destroyed and the first one was heavily damaged. The second shell fell onto a nearby tract of land belonging to the al-Hilu family. The third shell landed near a number of boys who were playing football near their houses. As a result, two children were killed and their bodies were dismembered: Mohammed Saber Harara, 19; and Mohammed Jalal al-Hilu. The fourth shell fell near Yasser Hamed al-Hilu, 51, and his grandchild, 15-year-old Yasser 'Aahed al-Hilu, while they were trying to open the garage of their house to get their car out in order to evacuate the wounded to hospital. The man and his grandchild were instantly killed. Additionally, 11 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, were wounded:

1. Ahmed Talal al-Hilu, 10, seriously wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen;
2. Tariq Ziad al-Hilu, 14, his hand was cut;
3. Mo'ammar 'Aamer al-Mubayidh, 15, wounded by shrapnel to the hand and the foot;
4. Yasser 'Aamer al-Hilu, 3, seriously wounded by shrapnel to the head;
5. Mo'ammar 'Aadel al-Mubayidh, 15, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
6. Mohammed 'Alaa' al-Hilu, 10, seriously wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
7. Alaa' Rami Abu Sakran, 9, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
8. Tamer 'Aahed al-Hilu, 13, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
9. Jamal Mahmoud al-Hilu, 53, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
10. 'Abdullah Ziad al-Hilu, 53, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and
11. 'Abdul Karim Nabeel Abu Sirriya, 19, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body.