The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalated its aggression against the Gaza Strip by launching several attacks yesterday, 17 June 2008, which killed six Palestinians in separate attacks in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah.
According to data collected and compiled by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the number of Palestinians killed by the IOF since the start of 2008 has reached (357).
From June 1, 2008, twenty-five Palestinians have been killed by the IOF.
According to Al Mezan investigations, on Tuesday, 17 June 2008, at approximately 2:10pm, an IOF drone launched one missile at a car traveling on Brouk Road in Deir Al Balah.
The rocket landed beside the green Honda and all passengers were able to escape.
Three young men riding a donkey cart were hit by shrapnel as they were passing by when the missile struck.
About fifteen minutes later, the drone launched another missile at the passengers who had fled the targeted car.
They were walking on Al Bee'a Street.
As a result, three of them were injured.
According to medical sources, one of the injured later died.
He was identified as 23-year-old Salah Saber Qaduha from An Nuseirat refugee camp.
In a third raid on Gaza Strip that same day, at approximately 2:30pm, an IOF aircraft fired one missile towards a car carrying five passengers.
The car was heading north on Jamal Abdel Nasser Street, about five meters from the junction in Al Qarara village, north of Khan Younis.
The missile hit the car directly and it burst into flames upon impact.
It was destroyed completely.
All people in the car were killed and their bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The names of victims are: 29-year-old Mo'taz Mohammad Doghmosh, 21-year-old Mohammad Amer Asaliyeh, 21-year-old Nidal Khalid Al Sdoudi, 27-year-old Mahmoud Mohammad Al Shendi, and, 35-year-old Fawzi Sulaiman Al Odaini.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its strong condemnation of these conducts by the IOF, which constitute extrajudicial killings that grossly violate International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Such acts require swift prosecution of those responsible, regardless of motive or cause behind the conduct of these violtions.
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