The IOF have escalated their offensive against Palestinians in the OPT using excessive and disproportionate force.
They have also tightened the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, causing severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.
According to the Center's field sources, on July 8th 2006, 13 Palestinians were killed, three belonging to the same family, and 21 others were injured.
In just one day on July 6th, 23 Palestinians were killed.
The total number of deaths now stands at 44 and the number of injuries has reached 112.
Further, the IOF have destroyed parts of the only electricity station in the Gaza Strip, which has caused total suspension of electricity throughout the Gaza Strip.
Consequently, water pumps are unable to operate.
The lives of patients in hospitals are threatened as there is no electricity to operate medical equipment.
On July 7th, Gaza’s petrol stations ran out of fuel supplies.
Indicators show that the Palestinians are facing an imminent humanitarian crisis that will be the first of its kind since the Israeli occupation of the OPT in June 1967.
According to Gaza City Municipality, the five water wells supplying the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood have stopped working due to the fuel depletion.
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is rapidly deteriorating due to the tight closure of the Gaza Strip, which has led to severe shortages of food and basic goods.
This adds to the negative effects of the financial boycott of the PNA which has prohibited around 160,000 Palestinians from receiving their salaries.
Furthermore, the IOF have continued the use of disproportionate force against Palestinians, targeting vital establishments.
According to the Center's field investigations, on July 8th at approximately 7:55am IOF tanks, stationed in eastern Gaza City, fired a missile which landed on the house of Farid Hajjaj, located in east Shijaiya neighborhood.
As a result, his wife, Amna Hajjaj, 45, his 6-year-old daughter, Rawan, and his son aged 21 were killed, while 5 others from the same family were injured.
Al Mezan’s fieldworker was at the site when it happened,he barely managed to escape the explosion.
According to eye witnesses, the IOF opened fire towards an UNRWA operations officer when he was reporting at site of the attack.
At approximately 3:45 am, the IOF fired a missile at Al Mansoura Street in Al Shaja'ia neighborhood, resulting in the injuring of 3 Palestinian civilians.
Further, an Israeli scouting jet fired a missile at a group of youth in eastern Al Shaja'ia, killing Ahmed Sarsak, 23, and Hani abu Al Qombuz, 22.
Two other civilians, Nimir Shalleh, 23 and Saleh Al Jemasi, 19, were killed on the same day from shrapnel wounds inflicted by a helicopter missile.
Furthermore, IOF helicopters fired a missile which landed close to Al Shiqaqi Mosque in eastern Al Shijaiya, reportedly killing 5 Palestinians.
On July 9th at approximately 00:30 am, IOF airplanes resumed shelling of Al Shijaiya, injuring 3 Palestinian civilians.
At approximately 2:30am an Israeli scouting jet fired a missile that landed on Al Haja Hamda area in Al Shijaiya.
One Palestinian was reported injured.
In the context of the escalating IOF offensive, on July 8th at approximately 11:50 the IOF destroyed Beit Hanoun Bridge, and continued targeting electricity networks and transformers leading to a total power cut throughout Northern Gaza.
Moreover, Rafah Terminal has been closed since June 25th 2006, leaving around 4700 passengers stranded at the Egyptian side of the terminal.
700 of the passengers, including 30 patients who underwent medical treatment in Egypt, are stuck inside the terminal building.
The IOF maintained the tight siege on Al Shoka area in eastern Rafah, cutting all humanitarian supplies from the area.
Consequently, UNRWA had to use one of its schools in Al Shoka area into a shelter to accommodate around 1000 evacuated Palestinians.
Al Mezan condemns the IOF policy of collective punishment, and warns about the continuation of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan emphasizes that the deliberate killing of Palestinian civilians, the shelling of houses, the destruction of civilian premises, and the tight siege constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Al Mezan calls upon the international community, namely the high contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Conventions, to urgently intervene and provide protection to Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
The center emphasizes that the continuation of the silence of the international community encourages Israel to continue committing further crimes.
The Center affirms that the international community has a legal and moral obligation under the 4th Geneva Convention to intervene, particularly at this time when indicators demonstrate Israel's intention to escalate its aggression in the Gaza Strip.
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