The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) recent escalation continued in Gaza.
Ground and air attacks and extra-judicial executions have killed 23 people and left over 100 injured in various areas in Gaza.
According to field investigations by Al Mezan, Israel fighter jets fired one missile at an open area in Jabalia refugee camp at approximately 8.
40am today, Sunday 20 May 2007.
The missile landed near the central market in the camp where four UNRWA schools are located.
Many children were treated from trauma.
Today is the first day of final exams at UNRWA schools for this school year.
At approximately 3.
30am today, Israeli fighter jets launched two missiles at car maintenance workshops located in the industrial zone in Az Zawayda town, in middle Gaza district.
The two workshops were completely destroyed and two people were wounded.
The workshops are owned by Hatim Abdul-Latif and Abdul-Hamid Fuda.
Some thirty minutes earlier, Israeli jet fighters fired a missile at a civilian car in the As-Sahaba Street in Gaza City killing three: 48-year-old Jamal Manna, 30-year-old Muhiy Ad-Din As-Serhi, and 20-year-old Emad Ashour.
The latter works for the PNA preventive Security apparatus.
According to Al Mezan's investigations, the three were in their way to Ash-Shifa Hospital to visit relatives who were injured in previous Israeli attacks.
At 2.
50am on the same day, Israeli helicopter gunships launched a missile into a store for amplifiers and loudspeakers.
The store is part of the Al Madhoun Company; owned by Muhammad Al Madhoun, and is adjacent to an aluminum workshop in Beit Lahia.
The store was totally destroyed while the workshop was seriously damaged together with the workshop owner's car.
At 11.
15pm yesterday, Saturday 19 May 2007, IOF fighter jets fired a missile which landed by the Jabalia cemetery and killed 16-year-old passer-by Hatim Mahdi Muhammad.
The missile landed in one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip.
At approximately 11.
10 am Saturday 19 May 2007, an Israeli drone fired one missile at a group of shepherds in the southwest of Beit Hanoun killing three of them: 15-year-old Mahir Abu Hashsih; 19-year-old Samir Abu Mutee' and his 16-year-old brother Muhammad.
About thirty minutes later, IOF fired a missile at a house in Az-Zeitoun neighborhood.
The house owner was sitting with friends in the house yard, and four of them were inured in the attack.
These attacks come in the midst of increasing Israeli threats of expanding the military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Decisions as to possible escalation are expected in the meeting of the Israeli security cabinet today.
Such escalation will certainly cause more damage to life and property in Gaza.
Thus far, IOF attacks, which included grave breaches of international law, have not been met with any substantive moves by international community.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the escalation by IOF in Gaza and the harm inflicted upon civilians and their property therefrom.
IOF's attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, and those aimed at extra-legal assassination; represent breaches of international law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War (1949).
Al Mezan questions the persistent silence by the international community, which encourages IOF to continue such violations and breaches.
The Center therefore calls upon the international community to act in accord with its moral and legal obligations and to condemn all the violations of international law, end IOF breaches and provide protection for civilians in OPT.
END