Published: 20:00 Gaza Time (+2 GMT)   In the worst attack since the start of its aggression on Gaza, an Israeli warplane fired a missile into a four-story house in Gaza city, at approximately 2:35pm today, destroying it and killing multiple civilians.
Most of the corpsesthat have been found are for children and women.
Efforts to search for the victims were still on-going when this press release was published.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights condemns this crime with the strongest terms, and calls for immediate investigation into the attack and prosecution of those who ordered and carried it out.
Al Mezan also calls for immediate international community intervention to stop the killing of Palestinian civilians and children by the IOF.
  According to initial investigations by Al Mezan, Palestinian civil defence crews have been able to find seven corpses for persons from the family of Jamal Al-Dalu, the owner of the targeted house, and two corpses of neighbors.
Efforts are on-going to find more people under the rubble of the house, including at least three other civilians.
It has been confirmed that the sudden attack killed the following civilians:   -          Samah Ad-Dalu, 27, the wife of the house owner’s son, and her children: -          Jamal Mohammed Ad-Dalu, 6; -          Yousef Mohammed Ad-Dalu, 4; -          Ibrahim Mohammed Ad-dalu, 1; and -          Suhaila Ad-dalu, 73, who is the sister of the house owner; -          Tahani Ad-Dalu, 52, who is the wife of the house owner; and her daughter who has not been identified yet.
  The civil defence also found the bodies of two neighbors: -          Abdulla Al-Mzannar, 18; and -          Omniya Al Mzannar.
  Neighbors of the bombarded house informed Al Mezan that the bodies of at least three other persons are expected to be under the rubble: -          Ranin Ad-dalu, 22; -          Sara Ad-Dalu, 9, and -          Mohammed Jamal Ad-Dalu, 29.
  Al Mezan is still following this case and will be able to verify the victims once the field investigation is completed.
  Al Mezan condemns this crime with the strongest terms.
This attack comes in the context of IOF’s increasing attacks on civilian targets during the past few days.
Similar attacks also occurred multiple times in the past; including during the infamous Operation Cast Lead.
Al Mezan asserts that such attacks are in fact encouraged by the continuing silence of international community, who has failed to secure protection for civilians or prosecution of any perpetrators of such crimes in the past.
They are also encouraged by the statements made by several states condoning IOF’s aggression on Gaza during the past days.
  Al Mezan emphasizes that the IOF has increased the use of tactics that seriously violate the rules of international law, such as the deliberate attacks on houses using the ‘roof-knocking’ tactic, and other violations such as extra-judicial killings, disproportionate attacks, and use of excessive force.
The murder of a whole family in such an attack by an army who possesses the highest level technology known to mankind dictates that international community, including the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, intervene immediately to protect civilians from war crimes and hold those who are responsible for them accountable for their acts.
  As the past experience shows, it is civilians; including children, women, and the elderly, who are bearing the brunt of the culture of impunity that has persisted under international community’s failure to protect civilians or prosecute violators.
  END