At approximately 11 P.
M.
on Wednesday 28 August 2002, the Israeli forces killed four and wounded five Palestinians from a family in ash-Shaikh Ijlin area, southwest of Gaza City.
The family were in their country home in the area when Israeli tanks, which are permanently stationed on a nearby hill close to the settlement of Nitzarim, attacked the house with several tank shells and machineguns.
It is worth mentioning that the house is only 300 meters from the tanks’ position.
Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, a resident of Beir al-Naajeh area in Jabalia, owns the house.
He was with his family, eight persons, in the house, which is composed of two parts, a metal room and a hut, situated 20 meters apart.
According to neighbors, the family used to come to this place at this time every year to collect their grapes and peaches.
At the time of the incident two relatives of the family were visiting them.
The shelling took place while ten people were at the home; six of whom were inside the hut.
After the shelling, the tanks approached the house and prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded for two hours.
It was until 1 A.
M.
when ambulances were finally allowed access.
According to medical sources, four people were murdered as a result of the shelling.
They are: Ruwaida Abdullah Ibrahim al-Hajin, age 42, Nihad Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 19, Ashraf Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 22, and Muhammad Samir Abdullah al-Hajin, age 18.
In addition, five people were wounded, two of them in critical condition.
They are: Salah Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 15, Muhammad Hashim al-Hajin, age 20, Saeed Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 3, Rafat Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 24, and Sharif Uthman Mahmud al-Hajin, age 21.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights utterly condemns this crime, which adds to the long list of Israeli war crimes.
The Center, citing the  results of its fieldwork, asserts that the Israeli forces have escalated their aggression against civilians in the OPTs, taking advantage of the state of international inaction to stop such crimes.
Al Mezan calls upon the international community, especially the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to intervene immediately to stop the continued Israeli crimes and protect the civilian population of the OPTs and their property.
The Center demands that the international community bring those who ordered and perpetrated these crimes to justice.
  END