Today, 14 August 2007, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Four Palestinians have been killed by IOF; thus raising the toll of deaths since the start of July 2007 to 32 (one in an Israeli prison).
Additionally, 67 have been injured from IOF fire in Gaza.
According to information available to Al Mezan, at approximately 12.
30am today Israeli Special Forces entered about a kilometer into Abassan Al Jadida town, east of Khan Younis.
Soldiers broke into houses and stationed inside and on the roofs of some of them.
At approximately 1.
30am, an IOF helicopter gunship lunched a missile at a crowd in the town killing 24-year-old Muhammad Yousif Abu Msameh, and injuring many others.
An Israeli armored force stormed into the town and reached Al Farahin neighborhood, about two kilometers deep, where they opened fire intensively.
At approximately, 4am a helicopter gunship lunched another missile at a crowd injuring five people.
At approximately, 4.
30am soldiers, who took positions on houses' roofs, opened fire and killed 25-year-old Amr Muhammad Al Farra.
They also injured his mother, 70-year-old Sabha Sulaiman Al Farra, while she was searching for her son.
She died of her wounds as the IOF restricted the ambulances' access to her.
In addition, at approximately 8am, the IOF opened fire at a passerby; 38-year-old Abdul Kareem Al Shami, killing him in the spot.
The IOF ordered all the men between the ages of 16 and 50, via loudspeakers, to gather in a field the town, and detained many of them.
Eyewitnesses reported that many of those were subjected to aggressive and degrading treatment.
At approximately 11.
40am a helicopter gunship lunched a third missile, which landed near a group journalists as they were covering the incursion.
No injuries were reported.
Moreover, Israeli bulldozers have still been razing agricultural lands in the area by the time of issuing this press release.
Al Mezan strongly condemns this Israeli escalation, which comes under increased measures of closure and sanctions on the Gaza Strip.
The Center also condemns the IOF's continued restrictions of medical teams' access to victims, and targeting them while trying to do so; a conduct that gravely breaches the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Al Mezan also condemns the measures of collective punishment, engendered by the arbitrary detentions, degrading treatment of civilians and the closure and the sanctions.
Al Mezan reiterates its calls upon the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities by providing effective protection for Palestinian civilians and property under Israel's occupation.
End