This Tuesday, 15 January 2008, the IOF escalated their aggression against the Gaza Strip to a level not seen in some months.
17 Palestinians were killed, including three farmers who were working in their fields, during an incursion in the Az Zaytoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.
The number of Palestinians killed by the IOF in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2008 has reached 50, which demonstrates the IOF's significant escalation of aggression in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), particularly in the Gaza Strip.
According to Al Mezan's field investigations, at approximately 8.
15am, on 15 January 2008, about ten IOF military vehicles, under helicopter cover, entered to a distance estimated at about two kilometers around Malaka square.
They approached from the South Karni Crossing, on Gaza's eastern border, and reached eastern Az Zaytoun and Al Shaja'ia neighborhoods.
The IOF military vehicles stationed in the area and took positions.
They then opened fire and launched artillery shells at several targets, including farmers who were on their farms, killing three of them.
At approximately 10am later that day, the same IOF tanks fired artillery shells that landed near the car market adjacent to Salah Ad-Din Street.
One civilian was killed in this attack.
One hour later, at approximately 11am, IOF tanks fired shells that landed near the Tunis Secondary School for Boys in eastern Az Zaytoun neighborhood.
As a result, one student was killed as he was returning home from the school.
There was information regarding the presence of others killed in that area; however, the IOF prevented medical crews and ambulances from accessing the area.
The IOF withdrew from the area at approximately 12:40pm.
Soon afterwards, Palestinian medical crews searched the area and found five bodies among trees that had been killed by the IOF during the incursion.
They were transferred to Al Shifa Hospital.
Thirty people were also injured; of whom five were reported to have sustained serious wounds.
At least five of those killed were civilians.
The victims were identified as: 65-year-old As'ad Issa Tafish, farmer; 22-year-old Marwan Samir Odeh, farmer; 50-year-old Saaid Mustafa Alsmoni, farmer; 35-year-old Ayman Fadil Malaka, civilian and car salesman, who was in the car market located near the incursion; 19-year-old Abdel Salam Atiya Abu Laban, secondary school student; 30-year-old Rami Talal Farhat; 27-year-old Ahid Sa'd-Allah Ashour; 21-year-old Mahmoud Atta Abu Laban; 21-year-old Hossam Mahmoud Zahar; 21-year-old Salim Abdul-Haq Al Modalal; 20-year-old Fakhir Salim Zowayid; 27-year-old Mustafa Yihya Silmy; 20-year-old Musab Salim Silmy; 21-year-old Muhammad Majdy Hajy; 20-year-old Mahmoud Sabri Hana; 23-year-old Abed Allah Talab Al-Haj Salem; and one unidentified man.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its condemnation of the IOF's mounting aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The IOF frequently acts inside populated areas and open s fire on them arbitrarily, harming civilians and their property.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to intervene quickly and effectively to stop these conducts that are incompatible with the norms of international law and constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War.
Under the IOF's continued attacks and siege, the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) deteriorates, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan denounces the international community's silence in relation to the IOF's conducts.
The IOF carried out limited operations in a sporadic manner, rather than initiating widespread invasions that would attract international attention and generate international condemnation.
These attacks have caused the deaths of 50 Palestinians; many of whom are civilians, in the first two weeks of 2008.
Al Mezan warns about the consequences the international community's continued silence will bring to the Gaza Strip, which include wide-scaled attacks in accordance with repeated Israeli threats.
Such expansion of military action in Gaza will undoubtedly cause even more destruction, deaths and injuries, to Palestinian civilians, as past experiences indicate.
Al Mezan reiterates its call upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to take effective steps to ensure protection for Palestinian civilians under Israel's occupation and to fulfill their legal and moral obligations by taking steps to ensure Israel's compliance.
As the IOF continues to impose siege and collective punishment on the population, and escalating acts of murder, they are violating the Fourth Geneva Convention and human rights norms on all grounds.
End