The Israeli air force launched numerous raids on Palestinian security installations and residential areas in the Gaza Strip on both Tuesday 5 March and Wednesday 6 March, 2002.
Israeli warships attacked northern Gaza several times while Israeli tanks entered several PA controlled areas and reoccupied al-Karama Street, east of Gaza City and Jabalia.
The Israeli military attacks resulted in the killing of seven Palestinians and injuring many others.
At approximately 11:00am Wednesday 6 March 2002, Israeli F16s bombarded the General Security site in Gaza City.
The building was reduced to near rubble and many nearby houses were also damaged.
It is worth noting that the building is located in a populated residential area in ash-Shaikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza and each strike without warning endangers numerous passers-by.
At 4:20am Wednesday, Israeli tanks entered eastern Jabalia and Abu Safiya Street in Bait Hanun, where they bulldozed agricultural land.
They have also entered ash-Shaja'ia area east of Gaza City at 2:30am earlier in the night and destroyed a Palestinian National Security site.
At approximately 1:15am Wednesday 6 March, about twenty Israeli military vehicles entered the village of Abasan, east of Khan Yunis.
They blew up two houses owned by Issam Abid-Rabuh Barakat Abu Daqa and his brother Adnan, which was occupied by four families.
Two other houses were damaged due to the explosion.
The Isreali forces surrounded the area around Qdih road and arrested fifteen Palestinians; fourteen of them were released, while Adli Abid-Rabuh Barakat Abu Daqa, the Legal Advisor of Bani Suhaila Muncipality were kept in detention.
Besides, three Palestinians were killed in this attack: Mufida Muhammad Abu Daqa, 43, Abdul-Ghani Abdul-Rahman Hamdan Abu Daqa, 49, Jamal Abu Hamda, 29.
At almost the same time, Israeli forces invaded al-Qarara area, north of Khan Yunis, where they destroyed a house owned by Mahmud Abid-Rabuh Mahmud as-Smiri.
At 12:15am Wednesday 6 March morning nine tanks accompanied by two bulldozers entered the PA controlled area near Rafah Refugee Camp.
Israeli forces broke into many houses and occupied their roofs during the incursion, which lasted till 5:00 in the morning.
They searched the houses in the area and caused severe damage to their furniture and contents.
A house owned by Khalid Ismail Muhammad al-Ajiz was totally destroyed and seven houses damaged and five civilians were wounded.
Inhabitants of this area told the Center that most of the people left their houses with children in great panic just after they heard the sound of the tanks approaching.
Moreover, at approximately 10:00pm Tuesday night, Israeli marine forces bombarded the area of as-Sudania, west of Bait Lahia, with heavy machineguns as Israeli tanks entered the area.
Thirty minutes later, Israeli military boats shelled a Palestinian marine police vehicle with two missiles, killing one person and injuring another one.
They have also shelled the same area twice at 1:00am and 1:40 the same night.
As a result of the Israeli attacks, four Palestinians were killed, they are: Eid Khalil Naim al-Qumu', 28 from Jabalia, Fuad Freij Abu Dhahir, 28, a marine police member from Khan Yunis, Mahir Fuad Fathi Hamada, 20, a marine police member from Gaza City, and Jamil as-Sabagh, 37, a marine police officer from Gaza City.
At 8:10pm Tuesday 5 March, the Israeli forces shelled eastern Jabalia with three bombs, but without causing injuries or damages.
Israeli Apaches bombarded Ansar security compound and the President Arafat compound in Gaza City with three missiles and caused severe damage in the buildings.
Half an hour later, an Israeli F16 bombarded Arafat Police Town in Gaza, destroying a building and causing damages to the nearby houses.
Suffering extensive damage in this attack was the School For the Visually Impaired.
In a separate attack which took place at approximately 7:00pm Tuesday 5 March 2002, Israeli helicopter gunships fired a car with two missiles and assassinated three Palestinians in an act of extrajudicial murder in the West Bank city of Ramallah; they are: Muhanad Munib Abu Abu Halawa, 23, Umar Hussain Nimir Miqdad, 27, Rashid Mustafa, 20.
A fourth Palestinian, who was accidently in the assassination place, was wounded.
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights is highly concerned with the frequent Israeli crimes perpetrated against Palestinian civilians and the Israeli forces escalation of their aggression against Palestinian civilians and their property.
The Center is also concerned with the Israeli continuous siege imposed on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which constitutes part of the collective punishment procedures utilized against an occupied territory.
Al-Mezan condemns the international community’s silence in the face of such grave breaches to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which serves only to encourage Israel to continue its crimes against Palestinian civilians and their property.
The Center warns the international community the dangerous consequences of more Israeli war crimes and calls upon them to provide Palestinian civilians and their property with immediate international protection.
END