Israeli offensive on Gaza continues for the second consecutive day: houses destroyed while residents inside; Palestinian deaths rise to 22, including 6 children 3 women, and 255 wounded, including 107 children and 64 women; and 29 houses destroyed

GAZA--In the course of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for the second consecutive, Israeli warplanes and gunboats launched intensive attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, targeting houses, civilian facilities, members and training sites of armed groups. From Tuesday noon, 08 July 2014, up to 10:00 on Wednesday, 09 July 2014, 22 Palestinians have been killed, 17 of whom are civilians, including 6 children and 3 women. Eights of these victims, including 6 children, were killed in a house that was targeted by Israeli warplanes, and 6 victims, including 3 women, were killed in front of their house that was targeted by Israeli warplanes. Israeli warplanes have launched 343 airstrikes using 429 missiles on targets throughout the Gaza Strip.

The latest developments since the press release issued by PCHR yesterday noon, 08 July 2014, have been as follows:

Rafah:

Israeli warplanes have launched 95 airstrikes using 130 missiles targeting houses, agricultural plots, open areas, tunnels at the Egyptian border and training sites of Palestinian armed groups in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. Israeli ground and naval forces have also fired dozens of shells at various areas in the city. As a result of these attacks, Abdul Hadi Jum’a al-Soufi, 24, a member of a Palestinian armed group, was killed and 26 Palestinians were wounded, including 10 children and 6 women. Additionally, 7 houses belonging to the families of al-Sha’er, al-Masri, al-Ra’ei, al-Barahma, Mansour and al-Hams were destroyed.

Khan Yunis:

Israeli warplanes have launched 74 airstrikes using 80 missiles targeting 9 houses, 2 minarets of mosques, an agricultural plot and paramilitary sites in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The attack on a house, around and inside which dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered, killed 8 civilians, including 6 children, and wounded 28 others, including 19 children and a woman. The victims’ bodies were recovered from the debris of the destroyed house and from nearby roads. According to investigations conducted by PCHR concerning this crimes, at approximately 14:55 on Tuesday, 08 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a 180-square-meter, 3-storey house belonging to Ahmed Mohammed Kaware, in which 5 families comprised of 21 individuals live, in Jouret al-Lout area in Khan Yunis. Residents of the house immediately left it and stayed 10 meters away. A large number of Palestinian civilians living in the area fathered inside and around the house to protect it, but Israeli warplanes disregard the presence of such high number of civilians, and fired a missile at the northwestern side of the house and destroyed it. As a result, 7 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children, were instantly killed, and 28 others, including 19 children and a woman, were wounded. At approximately 20:00, a child died of wounds he sustained in this attack. The victims were identified as:

1. ‘Ammar Mohammed Jouda, 18;

2. Hussein Yousef Hussein Kaware’, 13;

3. Mohammed Ibrahim ‘Ouda Kaware’, 50;

4. Bassem Salem Kaware’, 10;

5. Mohammed Faraj ‘Ata Kaware’, 12;

6. Abdullah Mohammed Ahmed Kaware’, 12;

7. Qassem Jaber ‘Edwan Kaware’, 12; and

8. Siraj Eyad Abdul ‘Aal, 8.

The other houses that were attacked belong to the families of al-Shawaf, al-Braim, al-Sinwar, Abu Taha, al-Sha’er, Kaware’ and Abu Tair.

Additionally, at least 30 Palestinians, including a woman, were wounded in other attacks against Khan Yunis.

The Central Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes have launched 20 airstrikes using 30 missiles targeting houses, agricultural lands, open areas and members of Palestinian armed groups. As a result of these attacks, a Palestinian civilian and a member of an armed group were killed, and 65 Palestinians, including 27 women and 17 children, were wounded. Four houses were also destroyed. The two Palestinians who were killed were identified as:

1. Salman Salama Abu Sawawin, 36, who was killed while riding a motorbike in Wadi al-Salqa village as Israeli forces fired a number of artillery shells at the area; and

2. Rashad al-Din Abdul Rahman Yassin, 28, a member of a Palestinian armed group, who was directly targeted by an Israeli missile when he was on an agricultural plot.

Israeli warplanes also destroyed a house belonging to the Abu Khater family in al-Nussairat refugee camp, another one belonging to the al-Tayeb family in al-Boreij refugee camp, and the Abu Tamma’a family in Deir al-Balah. An adjacent house was also destroyed, and dozens of nearby houses were heavily damaged.

Gaza City:

Israeli warplanes launched 42 airstrikes using 75 missiles targeting houses, civilians, members of and sites Palestinian armed groups, agricultural lands and open areas. As a result of these attacks, 5 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, were killed and 17 civilians, including 3 children and a woman, were wounded. Three houses were also destroyed.

The two civilian victims were killed when an Israeli warplane launched 2 missiles at a motor cart they were riding in al-Shja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. They were identified as: Mohammed ‘Aahed Mohammed Habeeb, 24; and Ahmed Mousa Khalaf Habeeb, 51.

The three Palestinian activists were killed when Israeli warplanes fired 2 missiles at the car in which they were traveling in al-Wihda Street in the center of Gaza City. They were identified as:

1. Mohammed Sa’id Ahmed Sha’ban, 24, from the northern Gaza Strip;

2. Khader Hussein Ibrahim al-Bashliqi, 45, from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City; and

3. Amjad Juma’a Sa’id Sha’ban, 30, from the northern Gaza Strip.

The houses that were destroyed belong to the families of al-Mamlouk and al-Haddad. Additionally, Ansar governmental complex in the west of Gaza City was extensively damaged.

The Northern Gaza Strip:

Israeli warplanes have launched 112 airstrikes using 114 missiles targeting houses, civilians, agricultural plots, open areas and training sites of Palestinian armed group. As a result of these attacks, 8 Palestinians were killed and 89 others, including 29 children and 20 women, were wounded. Six houses were completely destroyed.

Six civilians, including 3 women, were killed when an Israeli warplane launched a missile at a house belonging to Abdul Hafez Hamad, a leader of Islamic Jihad. Hamad, his mother, his wife, his two brothers and his niece were killed when they were near the house: Rasmiya Khalil Mahmoud Hamad, 67; Mahdi Mohammed Hamad, 40; Abdul Hafez Mohammed Hamad, 38; Ibrahim Mohammed Hamad, 35; and Suha Hamad Hamad, 35. Additionally, 5 members of the same family, including 3 children and a woman, were wounded.

The other Palestinians who were killed were identified as:

1. Fakher ‘Aaref al-‘Ajjouri, 22, who was killed when a cart he was riding was targeted; and

2. Ahmed Nizar Mahdi, 15, who was killed when Israeli warplanes attacked a number of children who were playing in Jabalya.

The targeted houses belong to the families of Abu Jarad, Shabat, Rajab, Abu ‘Ajina, Salman and Abu ‘Ouda.

PCHR reiterates condemnation, expresses utmost concern for these crimes, and:

1. Warns of deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in light of this continuous Israeli military escalation, threats to expand military operations, and the continued tightened closure of the Gaza Strip; and

2. Calls upon the international community to act immediately to stop these crimes, and renews the call to the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligation under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure that it is respected at all times, and their responsibilities under Article 146 to pursue perpetrators of serious violations of the Convention, which are determined in Article 147, which lists violations of the Convention amounting to war crimes.