Humanitarian situation deteriorate rapidly in Gaza and IOF attacks continue, Al Mezan: Death Toll Reaches 1,440 Palestinians; 79.9% Civilians; 343 Children and 186 Women

2PM Gaza Time The Israeli occupation forces continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip during the 24 hours starting from 2 pm yesterday.
The most lethal IOF attack targeted the open market at the outskirts of the Al Shejai'ya neighborhood, which took place as numerous people went to the market two hours after the IOF announced a humanitarian pause.
This attack killed 29 people and injured dozen.
It exemplifies the serious disrespect of the rules of international humanitarian law by the IOF, as warplanes fired missiles at the crowded market and then fired again after people and medics gathered to help the victims.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian conditions continued to deteriorate in the Gaza Strip.
Around half a million people have now evacuated their houses; half of them are staying in dozens of UNRWA shelters that are not equipped to serves as long-term shelters for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
News about imminent spread of disease in the crowded shelters are of concern.
And the hundreds of thousands of IDPs who are not staying in shelters are difficult to access by the humanitarian actors in the Gaza Strip, as they are spread in many cities and staying with friends and relatives.
The situation is exacerbated by the full blackout since the IOF attack on Gaza's only power plant, which also puts at risk the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation and healthcare.
As of 2 pm today, Thursday 31 July 2014, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights was able to verify that at least 1,440 Palestinians have been killed by the IOF; including 345 children and 186 women.
According to Al Mezan's initial investigations 1,137 (i.
e.
79.
9%) of the victims are civilians.
Many others were people known to be affiliated by Palestinian factions, but not taking part in any hostilities.
At least 762 (52.
9%; 245 children and 155 women) were killed inside their houses; and two other disabled women were killed in an attack on a rehabilitation NGO's office.
Another 175 people were killed in the vicinity of their houses; including in situations where they were trying to flee from their homes as a result of IOF attacks.
Moreover, at least 6,042 other people were injured during the same period; of whom at least 1,697 were children and 1,184 women.
At least, 4,934 houses were destroyed or damaged during this period; of which 638 were destroyed completely as the IOF directly and deliberately attacked 709 of the total number of damaged houses.
Dozens of other civilian facilities; including hospitals, NGO offices.
Schools, mosques and Gaza's only power plant were also destroyed or damaged.
North Gaza district: During the 24-hour reporting period the IOF launched several attacks on various areas in the North Gaza district.
At approximately 2pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, an IOF drone fired at least one missile into a group of people near the Abbas Keelani crossroads in the Al Shaimaa' neighborhood in the town of Beit Lahiya, killing 22-year-old Mohammed Tayseer Sababa on the spot.
Another man, Samir Zakariya Kareem, 25, was critically injured and died at hospital a few hours later.
Another two people were also injured critically.
At approximately 2 pm on the same day medical resources at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City announced the death of Mohammed Talal Al Masri, 24, from wounds he had sustained on 21 July 2014 in an IOF bombardment of his house in the town or Beit Hanoun.
His brother was also killed in the attack.
At approximately 10:30 pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, an IOF drone fired a least one missile at a group of people who were near a security site in the east of Jabalia, killing one man, Ismail Bassam Al Qassad, 27, and injuring another two critically.
During yesterday and today, IOF aircraft bombarded seven houses around the North Gaza district.
The houses are owned by the families of Al Haw, Kutkut, Abu Eedeh, Abu Al Husna, and Manoun in Jabalia, and the families of Hamouda and Nassar in Beit Lahiya.
The attacks destroyed the houses and a school building; the Nour Al Ma'aref school and kindergarten in Jabalia town.
The IOF also destroyed two mosques and a commercial store completely.
These attacks caused damages to dozens of other houses.
At approximately 2:30 pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, Palestinian rescue teams recovered the bodies of ten people who had been killed in IOF attacks in the neighborhoods of Ezbet Abed-Rabbo and Al Salam, both east of Jabalia.
The recovery was facilitated by coordination through the ICRC.
Al Mezan identified the persons who were recovered as: Nael Naji Abu Mu'awwad, 19 Lu'ai Rajab Abu Zeena, 28 Awad Mustafa Ghneem, 30 Mohammed (Wisam) Kamel Dardouna, 33 Sha'ban Abdel Azeez Al Jamal, 23 Alaa' Joudi Khader, 24 Hasan Ibrahim Haboush, 25 Mansour Mohammed Nabhan, 31 Mohammed Ya'qoub Sulaiman, 23 Hosam Faraj Al Najjar, 32 At approximately 6 am today, Thursday 31 July 2104, an IOF drone fired a missile at the Al Baraka Healthy Water; an NGO run facility, which is near two UNRWA schools serving as IDPs shelters.
The facility was completely destroyed and two of the schools were damaged.
The shattering of widows in the schools injured 16 IDPs in two of the schools; the Beit Lahiya School and the New Jabalia School; three of whom were children and three women.
Several nearby houses were damaged.
Gaza City district: IOF aircraft and artillery continued bombarding Gaza City on Wednesday and Thursday, hitting various civilian objects.
The most lethal attack was on the open market on the western edge of the Al Shejai'ya neighborhood, east of Gaza City on Wednesday 30 July 2014; in which at least 29 people were killed and over 170 injured.
The total number of casualties in the Gaza City district between 2 pm on Wednesday and 2 pm today is 35, including 10 children, four journalists, one ambulance medic, and two civil defence officers.
Another 276 people were injured; including 43 children and 22 women.
IOF artillery shelled six houses in the district during the reporting period; destroying two completely while three were damaged severely and about 20 lightly.
Another two media offices were targeted by the IOF and one mosque was destroyed completely.
The IOF bombardment of houses in Gaza city killed 15 people; including nine children.
At approximately 2pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, the dead body of an 1-year-old girl, Dana Mohammed Dhahir, was brought to the Shifa hospital after she was recovered from under the rubble of her house.
The OF had bombarded this house on 21 July 2014.
The dead body of another young man was also brought to the Shifa hospital around 2:30 pm on the same day.
He was identified as Ahmed Mohammed Bakr, 19, who had died in a hospital in Jordan on 29 July 2014; to which he had been referred for treatment from an injury he sustained in an IOF attack.
Later, at 4:30 pm, the dead bodies of two men were also admitted at the Shifa hospital after being recovered from under a house in the Al Shejai'ia neighborhood which the IOF bombarded on 27 July 2014.
They were identified as Khalid Mohammed Mesbih, 26, and Hamza Yasser Mheesin, 24.
According to Al Mezan's investigation into this attack, at approximately 5pm pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, IOF aircraft bombarded the open market in the Al Shejai'ya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with three missiles.
Many people were in the market or shopping as news had come of a possible truce.
A house that lies on the opposite side of the market's street also took a direct artillery hit.
Ambulances and civil defence teams rushed to the area to aid the people, and many journalists also came to the scene.
However, IOF aircraft bombarded the same area a second time, firing six more missiles at the crowd.
Twenty people were killed immediately in these two attacks.
Another nine of the wounded also died at hospital at night.
In all, at least 29 people were killed, including eight children, three journalists, one ambulance medic, and two civil defence officer.
Over 170 other people injured, including 33 children, 14 women, a journalist and a medic.
The IOF had announced a humanitarian truce starting at 3 pm and until 7 pm, which seems to have prompted many people to go to the market for shopping.
Al Mezan has identified the victims, whose names are on the list below:
Lina Alaa' Al Silik, 9 Omniya Mohammed Al Silik, 8 Malak Jalal Al Silik, 7 Abdel Kareem Hussein Al Silik, 70 Abdel Azeez Mohammed Al Silik, 3; Abdel Halim Mohammed Al Silik, 5 Layan Nael Al Silik, 3 Ola Jala Al Silik, 10 Alaa' Abdel Kareem Al Silik, 35 Rami Kamal Dhaher, 35 (civil defence officer) Mustafa Khalid Al Silik, 18 Abed Wael Shamali, 16 Abdel Raziq Ibrahim Al Biltaji, 55 (medic) Haytham Mahfoudh Kishku, 26 Alaa' Mohammed Rajab, 19 Mahmoud Mohammed Rajab, 20 Mu'ath Ahmed Tayeh, 23 Sa'di Sa'di Faraj, 21 'Ahed Ziyad Al Gharabli, 24 Mohammed Mazin Fouda, 18 Shareef Mahmoud Totah, 21 'Ahed Abed-Raboo Al Dahdouh, 27 (civil defence officer) Hamdi Sa'di Abu Zour, 50 Mu'taz Bassam Deeb, 18 Sameh Mohammed Al Aryan, 29 (journalist) Rami Fathi Rayyan, 25 (journalist) Alaa' Wael I'leewa, 21 Lu'ai Fayiz Al 'Arqan, 35 Mohammed Nour Al Deeri, 22 (freelance journalist) At approximately 4 am on Thursday 31 July 2014, medical sources at the Shifa hospital announced the death of Mohamme Majed Dhaher, 27, who was injured from IOF bombardment of his house in the Al Shejai'ya neighborhood on 21 July 2014.
Dhaher was a journalist at the Al Risala newspaper.
At approximately 5 am on Thursday 31 July 2014, medical sources at the Shifa hospital announced the death of a 5-year-old girl, Nour Ezz Al Jamal, from wounds she had suatained in IOF bombardment of her house in the Al Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City on 29 July 2014.
Middle Gaza district: The IOF launched aerial and artillery attacks on various areas around this district since yesterday afternoon.
Attacks on the refugee camps of An Nuseirat and Al Bureij and the Wadi Al Salqa village killed six people; including a child who was killed while inside her house.
Another victim, Suleiman Baraka is a staff member at the Deir Al Balah Municipality.
The victims were identified by Al Mezan as: Mohammed Tayseer Abu Hadda', 25 Ahmed Basim Al Louh, 24 Aref Ahmad Baraka, 45 Suleiman Sa'd Baraka, 33 Baraa' Kamel Ibrahim, 18 Manar Jamal Abu Msabih, 10.
At approximately 3:15 am on Tuesday 31 July 2014, the IOF fired artillery shells at the third floor of the Surgery Department building at the Al Aqsa hospital in the town of Deir Al Balah.
A nurse was injured, Najah Salama Al Ghseen, 50.
She informed Al Mezan that she was tending to a patient when the explosion occurred.
She sustained bruises in the head and the right shoulder.
At approximately 8am, also on Wednesday, IOF fired artillery shells at the industrial zone east to Deir Al Balah town.
The Al Awda factory, which makes biscuits, was hit and its external walls collapsed.
A fire started in the factory and spread to most of it; including the stores in which food, raw materials and fuel is stored.
It was still on fire when this press release was published.
The factory's executive director informed Al Mezan that the management contacted the ICRC when the shelling started and provided the GPS coordinates for it were passed to the Israeli army; however, the shelling continued and hit the factory.
Khan Younis district: The IOF escalated the attacks on the Khan Younis district; especially direct attacks on inhabited houses.
IOF also continued the artillery shelling in various areas in the district since yesterday afternoon.
As of 2 pm today, 30 people were killed; including a child and five women, and about 115 were injured; including 19 children and 21 women.
Thousands more people had to evacuate their houses in the eastern parts of the district and move to Khan Younis city center, where IOF attacks on houses continued.
Under the full blackout and lack of essentials, IDPs shelters are unable to tend to the IDPs needs, with fears of the spreading of disease in them growing every day.
The IOF bombarded 11 houses in Khan Younis, destroying them and inflicting death and injuries on several families.
At approximately 12:05 pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, IOF aircraft dropped a heavy bomb on a branch road in the Maan neighborhood, southeast of Khan Younis.
Three houses were destroyed completely and another eight houses were severely damaged.
This bombing killed seven people who lived in the three destroyed houses.
They were: Ibrahim Mustafa Hejazi, 80 Meryam Ahmad Hejazi, 70 Sobhiya Ibrahim Hejazi, 50 Salah Mousa Hejazi, 13 Zeinab Mahmoud Abu Jazar, 50 Ismail Mahmoud Hejazi, 18 Ramadan Abu Taha, 18 At least 21 other people were injured in this attack.
Rafah district: This district also saw several IOF attacks.
At approximately 2:20 pm on Wednesday 30 July 2014, IOF fired several artillery shells towards homes in the Al Nasser village, north to Rafah town.
Two houses took direct hits and injured 12 people, including six children and two women.
At approximately 9:20 am on Thursday 31 July 2014, an IOF drone fired a missile at the house of Hani Khader Abu Hlal, 31, which is located in the Al Jneena neighborhood in Rafah.
The house owner's wife, Maha Abu Hlal, 33, was killed and he was injured.
At approximately 9:20 am, also on Thursday, IOF drones fired three missiles at an apartment building that is inhabited by four families who rent apartments in it.
The building is located in the Al Jneena neighborhood in Rafah.
Four children were moderately injured in the attack.
At approximately 9:20 am on Thursday, an IOF drone fired a missile at Fadel Nader Al Mghari, 25, as he was on a motorcycle in the Al Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah.
He was killed instantly.
Al Mezan strongly condemns IOF's serious violations of international law.
The IOF targeting of civilians and civilian objects; such as houses, which are frequently hit with their residents inside them, markets, schools, UN IDPs shelters and other major civilian structures, represent grave breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) that amounts to war crimes.
Al Mezan expresses serious concern by the reports from the UN about the rapidly deteriorating conditions in IDP shelters, in which the number of IDPs keeps increasing every day.
Al Mezan deplores the continued failure of international community to provide the due protection for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, and its failure to clearly condemn IOF's flagrant violations of international law.
This failure has encouraged serious violations of international law, which is reflected in human lives, to continue.
Al Mezan therefore calls on the international community to: Condemn with the strongest terms Israel's grave breaches of IHL in the context of Operation Protective Edge; Take immediate, effective action to provide the due protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip from military attacks and persecution; Express unequivocal support and play a positive role in ensuring that credible, independent investigations into the suspected violations of human rights and IHL in the context of the operation Protective Edge to ensure accountability for those who committed them, and redress for their victims; and Press for an immediate end of Israel's unlawful closure and blockade of the Gaza Strip.
END