12PM Gaza Time   IOF escalated its aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Attacks on civilian targets, with high number of casualties, continued yesterday evening and today.
An IOF attack on the town of Khuza'a in the east of Khan Younis district, which resembles the IOF attack on the Shejai'ya neighborhood, with direct hits on houses, killing of fleeing civilians, and preventing ambulances from evacuating the injured.
IOF also continued to attack facilities and resources that are indispensible for the survival of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip; including water and power network and municipality and water utility workers.
Gaza power plant shut off since 4am yesterday following an IOF attack on it.
As this press release was being drafted, reports broke that the IOF attacked an UNRWA school that is used as an IDP shelter, killing and wounded hundreds of civilians.
There are at least 200,000 displaced people in the Gaza Strip; more than 100,000 of whom were sheltered in UNRWA schools.
The rest sought shelter in government schools or with relatives and friends.
Many IDP's were killed from IOF attacks on houses or shelters they resorted to during the past few days.
According to the field investigations by Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, as of 12pm today, on Thursday 24 July 2014, at least 758 Palestinians have been verified as killed by the IOF; including 173 children and 92 women.
This number does not include dozens of casualties and injuries victimized in an IOF attack on an IDP shelter, which occurred after 12 pm today.
According to Al Mezan's initial investigations 595 (i.
e.
78.
4%) of the victims are civilians.
Many others were people known to be affiliated by Palestinian factions, but not taking part in any hostilities.
At least 379 (63.
7%; 133 children and 81women) were killed inside their houses; and two other disabled women were killed in an attack on a rehabilitation NGO's office.
This reflects the extent of the damage to civilian life caused by IOF's direct attacks on houses since the start of this military operation on 7 July 2014.
Of the 379, eighteen were combatants and the rest were civilians.
Another 103 people were killed in the vicinity of their houses; including in situations where they were trying to flee from their homes as a result of IOF attacks.
Three of those were identified as combatants.
Moreover, at least 3,323 other people were injured during the same period; of whom at least 1,021 were children and 763 women.
At least, 3,665 houses were destroyed or damaged during this period; of which 481 were destroyed completely as the IOF directly and deliberately attacked 542 of the total number of damaged houses.
The numbers of casualties and houses are not final, but only those verified by Al Mezan thus far.
They are expected to rise as the verification of more cases is on-going.
IOF attacks also damaged or destroyed 55 schools, 75 mosques, an ambulance centre, 18 NGO offices, 39 fishing boats and 7 hospitals.
At approximately 12 pm, on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an Israeli aircraft fired one missile at two civilians who were standing next to their house in the Al Shaaf neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
They were both killed and were identified as: Nidal Al Ejlah, 30, and Mahmoud Habeeb, 29.
At approximately 12:10 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, IOF aircraft fired at least one missile at a group of people who were sitting in a shade in their house, which located in central Khan Younis City.
Several persons were injured in the attack.
When people gathered to help the injured, IOF drones fired another two missiles at them and killed five persons: Ismail Mohammed Al Astal, 45; Ahmad Ismail Al Astal, 20; (Ismail's on) Mahmoud Ismail Al Astal, 17; (Ismail's on) Mohammed Salih al astal, 19; (Ismail's nephew) and Mohammed Hasan Al Astal, 42.
Another two persons from the Al Astal family were injured in the attack.
At approximately 1:30 pm, on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired one missile at Mohammed Al Dada, 40, killing him on the spot.
Mohammed was a resident of the eastern Gaza City's neighborhood of Al Zeitoun.
He was standing at the entrance of his house when he was attacked.
At around 2 pm on Tuesday 23 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile at the house the Ziyada family and completely destroyed it.
The house is located in Jabaliya camp, north of the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed Awad Ziyada, 48, was killed and one young man was injured as a result of the attack.
Medical sources at the Kamal Odwan hospital described his injury as 'critical'.
In the morning, on Thursday 24 July 2014, civil defense crews uncovered the bodies of two other men from the house: Belal Zayid Elwan, 21, and Majed Mahmoud Hmaid, 29; both were buried under the rubble.
One neighboring house that belongs to Fayiz Jameel Al Zenati was completely destroyed and his children; Mohammed, 10; Ahmad, 9; Mahmoud, 5, and Amani, 16, were injured as a result of the attack.
Medical sources described their injures as 'critical'.
Another neighboring house which belongs to Muneer Al Hinnawi was severely damaged and 5 members of his family were slightly injured.
According to Al Mezan's filed investigations, Israeli aircraft attacked this overcrowded area in the refugee camp without prior warning.
At approximately 2 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, rescue crews were allowed to enter the Al Qarara town, east to Khan Younis district and uncovered two dead bodies for Mohammed Yousef Al Abadla, 23, and Nour Abdel Raheem Al Abadla, 24.
Initial reports indicate they might have been injured from IOF artillery shelling a few days ago and were left bleeding to death as ambulances were not allowed to reach them under the continued IOF shelling of the area.
At approximately 2 pm on Wednesday 23 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired one missile at the house of Mohammed Nasser Abu Mu'ammar, which is located in the Al Nasser village, north to the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
Mohammed's wife, Fathiyya Nadi Abu Mu'ammar, 72, was killed.
Her body was four in the stair-house of the neighboring house.
Another four people were injured.
The attacked house was completely destroyed and two adjacent houses were damaged.
IOF artillery batteries positioned north to the border fence fired several shells targeting apartments in the Al Sheikh Zayid town; a cluster of apartment buildings, in Beit Lahiya north of the Gaza Strip.
The attack took place at around 2:40 pm on Tuesday, 22 July 2014 and continued all night long.
Nine residents, including 4 children, were injured as a result.
Their injuries were described as 'moderate' to 'light' by medical sources at the Kamal Odwan Hospital.
Several apartments were damaged in the attack.
At approximately 2:40 pm on Wednesday, 22 July 2014, Israeli artillery batteries fired several shells at the third and top floors of the Balsam Hospital, which is located near the Al Awda Towers in Beit Hanoun town, north of the Gaza Strip.
The surgery unit at the hospital was damaged in the attack.
According to Al Mezan's filed investigations, the hospital was affected in previous Israeli air attacks in the vicinity of the hospital.
The IOF invasion of the Um Al Nasser village, which is about 500 meters to the west of the hospital, obstructed access to the hospital and disrupted the hospital's work.
At approximately 3:00 pm, on Wednesday 23 July 2014, an Israeli aircraft fired one missile at a house which belongs Mohammed Bolbol in the Al Shejai'ya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Ahmad Bolbol, 22, was killed in the attack.
He was inside his house trying to bring some basics for the family.
The family had fled the house, and he returned to pick up these basics.
His family are took safe shelter in Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, where there are no services or support for IDPs.
At approximately 4 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded the house of Fadi Mahmoud Al Maqat'a, 29, which is located in the town of Deir Al Balah.
The house, which was roofed by asbestos and tin, was completely destroyed.
T's owner sustained wounds in his upper limbs and his wife, 25-year-old Yasmeen Hussein Al Maqat'a, was killed.
Their children, Mahmoud, 4, and Ola, 2, were injured.
The attack also destroyed the adjacent house and killed a child, Jana Rami Al Maqat'a, 3, and injured three women.
A third house was also destroyed with its content and a child, Salah Al Assar, was injured in the house, which belongs to Yasser Al Maqat'a, whose wedding was supposed to take place after the month of Ramadan.
At approximately 4:25 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired a missile at an empty field in the Kherbet Al Adan village in Rafah and injured 6-month-old Zeinab Alaa' Ayish moderately.
At around 4:40 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of civilians from the Al Radee’ family as they were in Al Mussalam Street in Beit Lahiya town, north of the Gaza Strip.
Ziyad Ghaleb Al Radee’, 24; Raed Salem Al Radee’, 22, and his 6-year-old sister, Salma, were killed as a result of the attack.
At approximately 4:45 pm, on Wednesday 23 July 2014, medical sources received the dead body of Hazem Ayyad, 24, who had been killed on 20 July 2014 in an IOF missile attack on his house.
At approximately 6 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at the house of Ibrahim Omar Al Hallaq, 40.
Omar was with a friend of his checking the house after his family had evacuated it due to IOF shelling of his area earlier.
Omar and his friend were killed.
Al Mezan was unable to identify the second person.
At approximately 6pm on Wednesday 23 July 2014, rescue crews uncovered the body of 22-year-old Abdel Qadir Al Khalidi from under the rubble of a field in the east of the Al Bureij refugee camp, which had been bombarded at around 4:15pm n the previous day, Tuesday 22 July 2014.
At approximately 6:03 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, IOF drones fired two missiles at csr on the Salah Ad-Din Street in the Satar Al Gharbi neighborhood in Khan Younis City, south of the Gaza Strip.
the car was destroyed and three people were killed instantly.
A fourth person was critically injured and died from his wounds a few hours later.
The four persons were identified as: Issam Ismail Abu Shaqra, 42; Abdel Rahman Ibrahim Abu Shaqra, 17; Mohammed Ahmad Abu Shaqra, 17; and Ahmad Mohammed Al Saqqa, 24.
At approximately 7:05 pm, on Wednesday 22 July 2014, Israeli artillery fired artillery shells which hit the seventh floor in one of Al Sheikh Zayid apartment buildings.
Two people were killed as a result of the shelling: Bilal Azra, 26, and Abdel Karim Abu Jermi, 25.
An IOF drone had targeted the same building with a missile atapproximately 9:00 pm on Tuesday, 22 July 2014 which forced most of its residents to evacuate.
At approximately 7:15 pm on Wednesday, 22 July 2014, IOF fired an artillery shell which hit a cattle farm which belongs to Ali Abu Rayya in the Tal Az Za’tar neighborhood, in Jabaliya north of the Gaza Strip.
One child, Ayman Ahmad, 16, was killed in the attack as he was working on the farm.
The farm was partially destroyed.
At approximately 7:40 am on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded a field in the town of Deir Al Balah, killing Alaa' Hamad Khattab, 25.
At approximately 10 pm, on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an Israeli aircraft fired one missile at a two persons; one of whom was a child, as they were standing outside their house in the Al Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
They were immediately killed and were identified as: Hazem Aqil, 15, and Nayef Al Zaza, 20.
At approximately 12:50 am on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile at the house of Mohammed Hassan Al 'Ajrami in Tel Az-Za'tar neighborhood in Jabalia refugee camp.
The house was destroyed completely.
The neighboring house of the Abu Eeta family, was severely damaged, too, and five of its residents were killed; including a child and a women.
Ten others injured critically or moderately; including five children and a women.
Those who were killed were identified as: Ibrahim Abdallah Abu Eeta, 67; Jameela Saleem Abu Eeta, 55; (Ibrahim's wife) Mohammed Abu Eeta, 34; (their son) Ahmed Ibrahim Abu Eeta, 31; (their son) and Adham Ahmad Abu Eeta, 4; (Ahmad's son).
A nearby mosque and ten houses were damaged in the attack.
In addition, three ambulances were damaged.
The damages were exacerbated because the IOF drones fired the first two missiles at the house and then, ten minutes later, fired a third missile, by which time ambulances had arrived to rescue the victims.
At approximately 1:50 am on Thursday, 24 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded a house for the Al Astal family in the Al Mawasi area in the west of Khan Younis City, killing six persons from the family; including two children.
They were identified as: Tha'ir Omran Al Astal, 32; Malak Ameen Al Astal, 24; (Tha'r's wife) Nada Thair Al Astal, 5; (Thair and Malak's daughter) Ameen Thair Al Astal, 4; (Thair and Malak's daughter) Milad Omran Al Astal, 29 (Tha'ir's brother).
At approximately 3:30 am on Thursday, 24 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded the house of Ahmad Abdel Majeed Abu Daqqa, which is located in Abasan town, east to Khan Younis district.
The three-story house was bombarded without prior warning and was completely destroyed when its residents were inside it.
As a result, five people were killed and three injured.
Al Mezan identified the persons who were killed as: Adli Khalil Abu Daqqa, 45; Samy Mousa Abu Daqqa, 45; Anwar Abdel Majeed Abu Daqqa, 42; Akram Shehadeh Abu Daqqa, 42; and Mohammed Shehadeh Abu Daqqa, 38 (Akram's brother).
At approximately 3:40 am on Thursday, 24 July 2014, an IOF drone bombarded a field in the town of Deir Al Balah, killing Ahmad Ibrahim Al Aqur'aan, 31, and critically injuring his father.
According to information available to Al Mezan the Al Qur'aan family has a cottage in the countryside of the town.
They were preparing to have their Ramadan's dawn (Suhour) meal when they were attacked.
At approximately 4 am on Thursday, 24 July 2014, Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile at the third floor of the Salah Ad-Din mosque, which is located in the Jabalia town center in the north the Gaza Strip.
The rubble of the mosque fell on two adjacent houses and killed two children: Hadi Abdel Hameed Rab El-Nabi, 3, and Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Rab El-Nabi, 1.
Another 15 of the residents of the two houses were also injured; including five children and two women.
Their injured varied from critical to moderate and some of them were referred to Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
The mosque was severely damaged and ten neighboring houses were damaged.
No warning was given prior to this attack.
At approximately 9 am, on Wednesday 24 July 2014, medical sources received the dead body of three people who had killed in an IOF attack on them in the Al Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, on 19 July 2014.
Their house was destroyed over them in the attack and their bodies were just recovered from under the rubble.
They are: Mohammed Ayyad, 24; Tareq Tafesh, 36, and Omar Nassar, 23.
At approximately 10:42 am on Thursday, 24 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded a villa owned by the Al Bordini family.
A family of relatives of the owners were living in the villa; the family of Salameh Abu Abdeh, 30.
One woman was killed and her three children injured; one of whom critically, in the attack.
Information available to Al Mezan indicates that IOF drones first fired two missiles at the villa's rook.
Once the mother heard the explosions, she hurried to gather her children and headed to the basement.
IOF F16 aircraft then fired a heavy missile at the villa and killed her as the basement roof fell on her.
The children were saved as the roof did not fall on them in the spot they were sitting in the basement.
Rescue teams managed to find them alive, but they were all injured.
The youngest girl, Ritaj, 1.
5, sustained critical injuries with fractures in her skull.
The other two girls, Rahaf, 4, and Raghad, 8, were moderately injured.
At approximately 11:30 am on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at the house of Basheer Family in the town of Deir Al Balah.
Shrapnel from the missile injured a 7-year-old girl, Rawan Ayman Sweedan.
At approximately 11:30 am on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at the vicinity of the house of Na'eem Jom'a Anu Mizyid, 31, which is located behind the Al Aqsa hospital.
Na'eem as killed in the attack.
At approximately 11:40 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, medical sources in Khan Younis announced the death of a 45-year-old woman, Manal Mahmoud Al Astal.
She had been injured when an artillery shell hit her house earlier.
Five of her children were also injured in the same attack.
At approximately 10 am, on Tuesday 22 July 2014, the IOF targeted Gaza’s only power plant, which is located in the northeast of the Al Nuseirat refugee camp, in the Middle Gaza district.
Israeli aircraft targeted the plant for a second time at approximately 2:30 am on Wednesday 23 July 2014, hitting one of the turbines and the control room in the plant.
The power generating system had to shut down.
Before this attack, electricity had been largely cut off for long hours, with supply of three hours per day in areas where the power network was not damaged.
IOF targeted power cables and transformers and cut down lines coming from Israel that provided Gaza with electricity.
Blackouts have been either long or around the clock across the Gaza Strip during the past several days, which has resulted in major water problems as water supply and filtering depend on power.
Al Mezan expresses outrage by the IOF flagrant violations of international law in the context of the ongoing Operation Protective Edge .
The extensive use of artillery and air attacks has devastated people; especially families who were attack when they were inside their homes.
Al Mezan strongly condemns the attacks civilian objects including hospitals, IDP shelters, electricity facilities, ambulances, and houses.
Al Mezan deplores the failure of international community, who once again put political considerations over human rights and justice, to provide protection or play a constructive role in the current situation.
Statements from influential states which failed to duly condemn serious violations of international law and war crimes have only allowed such violations to exacerbate and more civilians die and suffer.
The pattern of voting on the UN Human Rights Council yesterday sends a negative message that violations can go overlooked and likely unpunished due to the shield of impunity that such state action provides for perpetrators of these violations.
Al Mezan therefore calls on the international community to: Condemn with the strongest terms Israel's grave breaches of IHL in the context of Operation Protective Edge; Take immediate, effective action to provide the due protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip from military attacks and prosecution; Express unequivocal support and play a positive role in ensuring that credible, independent investigations into the suspected violations of human rights and IHL in the context of the operation Protective Edge to ensure accountability for those who committed them, and redress for their victims; and Press for an immediate end of Israel's unlawful closure and blockade of the Gaza Strip.
END