Al Mezan is concerned about the continuing IOF policy of deliberate killings of civilians, in light of new targeting of civilian persons and establishments by Israeli air forces.
Furthermore, the IOF have occupied houses and community institutions, using them as surveillance points to fire at persons approaching the area where they are positioned.
100 Palestinians have been killed, and the situation has seriously deteriorated due to the closures imposed upon the town of Beit Hanoun.
According to Al Mezan field investigations, On 17 July from 0:25am to 0:55am, the IOF launched 5 air strikes on different parts of Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia Refugee Camp, injuring 2 Palestinians and causing severe damage to houses and other private property.
Furthermore, the IOF occupied several buildings: Al Taher Institute, the Rural Development Institute, the National Club, and a Fateh Office, as well as the private house of Othman Qasem Ali Al Kafarna, located near Beit Hanoun Cemetery, using them as military surveillance points; IOF soldiers began firing arbitrarily towards civilians.
Previously on July 16th, the IOF had occupied the houses of Salah Shabat, Hani Al Kafarna, and Mansour Obeid Al Kafarna, as well as the Faculty of Agriculture, and Ghassan Kanafani Development Institute, using them as military surveillance points to fire at whoever approached the area.
The IOF maintained complete effective control over the middle areas of Beit Hanoun, and particularly over the entrances and exits of Beit Hanoun Hospital, which forced the Ministry of Health to transfer all cases coming from Beit Hanoun Hospital to Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, and Al Awda Hospital in Jabalia.
On July 17 at approximately 6.
40 am, the IOF opened fire at civilians in the centre of Beit Hanoun, killing Mohammed Mahmoud Al Kafarna, 21, close to his house, and injuring Mohammed Dawood Al Kafarna, 20, who sustained serious injuries.
At approximately 11:20 am, the IOF, stationed themselves on the roofs of houses in central Beit Hanoun and opened fire at civilian houses, injuring Iman Fayez Al Za'anin, 20, who sustained critical injuries as a result of her injury with a bullet to the neck while at the front door of her house.
Further, at approximately 12:30pm, IOF randomly opened fire at houses, killing Mohanna Sa'ed Misleh, 18, who died as a result of a bullet to the head.
Furthermore, IOF tanks stationed in the courtyard of the National Club, fired missiles at houses, western Beit Hanoun Cemetery, and notably at the houses of Kamal Al Kafarna, and Khaled Hasan Al Kafarna, as well as Al Quds Medical Center.
The Al Kafarna houses were partially destroyed as a result, and residents of the area had to leave their houses for fear of sustained IOF attacks.
10 year-old Amjed Nueir, and 12 year-old Mohammed Nuseir were reported injured as a result.
At approximately 6:25pm on the same day, IOF helicopters opened heavy fire on residents of central Beit Hanoun town, injuring Mohammed Sobhi Abu Odeh, 25, who sustained serious injuries to the chest.
In the context of the IOF destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, at approximately 2:20am, they completely destroyed the building of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Tel Al Hawa, after having partially damaged it in a previous attack on July 13.
More civilians were reported injured, and severe damage was caused to nearby houses.
Al Mezan condemns these IOF war crimes in Beit Hanoun in the context of the large scale IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been escalating since 25 June 2006.
Al Mezan maintains that the field reports show Israel's deliberate targeting of civilians, which constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law, particularly the 4th Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Al Mezan reiterates its demands to the international community, notably the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under the Convention, put an end to Israeli violations in the OPT, and provide protection to Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
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