Death Toll Rises to 210 as IOF Intensify Attacks on Gaza, More Arbitrary Warnings Spread Panic but Offer No Safe Shelters for Civilians

1PM (+3 GMT)   On the ninth day of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) 'Operation Protective Edge' on the Gaza Strip, IOF continued targeting houses with their residents inside them or without giving them proper warning or time to evacuate.
Dozens of civilians have been killed in such airstrikes on their houses; including from warning missiles, called 'rook-knocking' attacks that are supposed to serve as warning.
IOF artillery intensified the shelling of the border areas, causing large fires to wheat fields.
Last night and the early morning hours today, Wednesday 16 July 2014, witnessed the heaviest and most severe bombing since the beginning of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) 'Operation Protective Edge' on the Gaza Strip.
The IOF escalated the attacks against houses and apartment buildings.
Panic spread among tens of thousands of people from these attacks, but also from random phone calls ordering hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes and residential areas; threatening of impending IOF attacks.
The IOF phone calls are usually made at late at night and as drones and war jets are flying in the skies and causing loud explosions.
IOF artillery shelling also intensified in the eastern and northern border areas along the Gaza Strip.
IOF warning include phrases that assert that any location might be attacked; meaning there are no shelters in the Gaza Strip.
As aerial attacks on houses and other civilian structure continue to happen continuously throughout the Gaza Strip, such warnings cannot be deemed effective or sufficient, as required by the relevant standards of international law.
UNRWA has opened several schools and offered shelter for people who have opted for evacuating their houses in North Gaza and Gaza districts.
These shelters are inadequate and lack various essentials.
During 'Operation Cast Lead' in 2008/09, the IOF bombarded three UNRWA schools that were being used as shelters, killing and injuring a number of civilians.
According to the field investigations by Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, as of 1pm today, Wednesday 16 July 2014, 210 Palestinians have been verified as killed by the IOF; including 37 children and 28 women.
According to Al Mezan's initial investigations 153 (i.
e.
72.
8%) of the victims are civilians.
Many others were people known to be affiliated by Palestinian factions, but not taking part in any hostilities.
Al Mezan's initial investigations reveals that at least 78 people were killed inside their houses; including 27 children and 21 women.
Another two disabled women were killed inside an NGO building.
Another 17 people were killed in the vicinity of their houses; 3 of whom were allegedly combatants.
Moreover, at least 1,346 other people were injured during the same period; of whom at least 367 were children and 291 women.
At least, 1,708 houses were destroyed or damaged during this period; of which 307 were destroyed completely as the IOF directly and deliberately attacked 379 of the total number of damaged houses.
IOF attacks also damaged or destroyed 28 schools, 38 mosques, an ambulance centre, 15 NGO offices, 39 fishing boats and 4 hospitals.
In Gaza City, IOF aerial attacks intensified significantly last night; mostly targeting civilian and residential apartments in apartment buildings.
The IOF directly hit 19 houses and completely destroyed 15 of them.
Another 35 other houses sustained partial damage.
At approximately 3:00 am, on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, Israeli war jets fired one missile at a residential apartment on the eighth floor of the southeastern side of the Dawoud Building in central Gaza City.
The apartment was destroyed and the Watan Radio station stopped operating.
One of the radio station's worker, Tareq Hamdiyya, was also injured.
Al Shaab Radio station also stopped operation as its office was damaged from debris as a result of this attack.
On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Israeli warplanes targeted 13 houses in the North Gaza district.
Eight of these houses were completely destroyed, another eight houses were severely damaged, and 64 other houses were partially damaged.
On Wednesday IOF warplanes targeted five civilian in the Middle Gaza district: two in the Al Nuseirat refugee camp, two in Al Zawayda town, and one in Deir Al Balah town.
As a result, these houses were completely destroyed.
Four people were injured from these attack; including a woman; Rawya Al 'Afsh, 41, who was injured as she tried to leave her house.
Several neighboring houses were partially damaged.
At around 9:45 pm on Tuesday, 15 July, 2014, Israeli warplanes fired at least one missile at a farm that belongs to Mamdouh Al Kafarna in the east of the town of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
Eleven civilians, including 5 women and one child, were injured as a result of this attack.
Six neighboring houses were damaged.
At approximately 10:50 pm on Monday, 15 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired one missile at a car driving on the Abu Yosef Al Najjar Street in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
The attack killed two persons: Mosa Dehleez, 30, and Yasser Al Mahmom, 18.
Ahmad Al Nawajha, 23, was also injured critically and dies at around 3:10 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014.
Three others were injured moderately in the attack: Salah Dehleez, 20, Jamal Abu Khatla, 49 , and Yosef Abu Samhadana, 17.
At approximately 1:00 am on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired one missile at a field near Askalan School, north of the Al Fukhari neighborhood, southeast of Khan Younis city.
One civilian, Fareed Abu Daqqa, 33, was killed.
At approximately 2:35 am on Wednesday, 16 July, 2014, an Israeli drones fired one missile at Mohammed Sabry Al Dbari, 21, as he was walking near a mosque in Al Shoka area in Rafah.
Mohammed was instantly killed.
At around 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 15 July, 2014, Israeli warplanes fired at least one missile at a farm in north west Khan Younis city in the south of the Gaza Strip.
As a result, Sobhi Mousa, 78, was killed.
At approximately 3:00 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired one missile at Mohammed Shorab, 23, while he was returning to his house in the south west of Khan Younis city.
He died at the Gaza European Hospital later.
At approximately 3:15 on Wednesday, 16 July 2014, an Israeli drone fired one missile at the house of Mohammed Al 'Arjani.
The one-story, asbestos-roofed house, ahich is located in the southeast of Khan Younis city, was destroyed.
One man, 19-year-old Abdallah Al 'Arjani, was killed and six of his family members were injured; including six children.
Eighteen people were displaced.
At approximately 7:00 am on Wednesday, 16 July, 2014, an Israeli drone fired one missile at Ashraf Abu Shanab, 21, while he was working in his farm, which is located in the Al Shoka area.
As a result of the attack, Ashraf immediately died.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights reiterates its strong condemnation the IOF's serious violations of international law, particularly the frequent disproportionate attacks that fail to distinguish between civilian and military targets.
All deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian object are serious violations of international law that amount to war crimes.
The use of missiles as means of warning and not giving time for civilians to leave do not exempt the IOF of the responsibility for the high number of civilian casualties and damages to civilian structures; including police stations.
Al Mezan highlights that it has been civilians bearing the brunt of IOF's unlawful attacks.
Therefore, Al Mezan calls on international community to act to stop such attacks without any further delay.
International community must intervene to ensure that the attacks on houses, mosques, hospitals, police stations and NGO, are investigated and prosecuted as per the standards provided by international law.
Al Mezan also urges international community; especially the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to act swiftly and resolutely to provide effective protection for the civilian population under Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.
END