In its latest incursion into Gaza, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed 11 Palestinians, injured 28, bulldozed 70 dunams of cultivated land and targeted journalists and medical teams.
In addition, it arrested 70 Palestinians; 63 of whom were released on the next day.
Al Mezan's field investigations indicate that 20 IOF armored vehicles stormed into the southeastern parts of the middle-Gaza Bureij refugee camp at approximately 2am Thursday 5 July 2007.
Special IOF force had sneaked into, and took positions inside homes in the area earlier.
Residents were ordered to stay in one room for the duration of the incursion.
IOF helicopter gunships also took part in the shooting.
11 Palestinians were killed; six of whom in the early morning hours.
They were identified as: 23-year-old Muhammad Nayif Al Uweidat; 21-year-old Ahmad Sulaiman Al Qrinawi; 37-year-old Mahmoud Jawad Siyam; 23-year-old Mahmoud Awad Abu Gharqoud; 23-year-old Mahmoud Subhi Nour; and 25-year-old Ahmad Nabil Abu Jalad.
At approximately 10am on the same day, IOF targeted Emad Ghanim; a cameraman who works for the Al Aqsa TV.
Ghanim was shot at frequently despite that his camera was clearly seen.
At 3.
20pm, IOF opened fire at a group of Palestinians killing 19-year-old Mohammad Saqr Nufal and injuring seven others.
As 19-year-old Ubaida Al Qassas tried to help Nufal, he was shot and killed at the spot.
Later at 5.
30pm, IOF opened fire at 18-year-old Ahmad Abu Naji' and killed him.
As IOF withdrew partly from the area, medics found two bodies in the fields.
They were identified as 24-year-old Muhammad Mustafa Mansour, and 24-year-old Ammar Ibrahim Shaeen.
During the incursion, IOF broke into numerous homes and arrested 70 Palestinian men.
They were taken to IOF bases inside Israel.
63 were released in the morning of Friday 6 July 2007.
In their affidavits to the Center, some of those reported that they were ordered to take off their clothes and interrogated.
Seven were kept in detention.
They are: 52-year-old Talal Abu Sbeekha; 26-year-old Torkey Abu Rabee'; 27-year-old Ahmad Abu Jalal; 32-year-old Freeh Al Msaddar; 33-year-old Naeem Atallah; and 28-year-old Abdul-Ra'uf saeed.
IOF withdrew completely from the incursion area at 11pm on 5 July 2007.
The Center's teams reported that IOF has left much damage in the civilian property.
About 70 dunams of farmland was bulldozed and many homes were damaged.
At 10.
30am on the next day, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society teams were able to reach an ambulance that IOF destroyed and detained its team during the incursion.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the incursion by IOF into the Gaza Strip.
It also condemns the behavior of IOF during the incursion, which included numerous breaches of international law and violations of human rights; especially the targeting of civilians, civilian objects, journalists and medical teams.
Al Mezan therefore reiterates its calls upon the international community to intervene and fulfill the moral and legal obligation to uphold respect of international law by providing protection for civilians and civilian property under occupation.
The conduct of IOF, which contravenes with the protections provided by international law, should be duly investigated and perpetrators of crimes must be brought to justice.
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