Ref: 117/2008
Date: 28 December 2008
Time: 15:00 GMT
251 Palestinians,
Mostly Civilians, Including 20 Children and 9 Women, Killed and 584
Others, Including 130 Children and 28 Women, Wounded
For the second
consecutive day, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued to wage
their bloodiest and most brutal war against the Gaza Strip since its
occupation in 1967, under an international and Arab conspiracy of
silence. In details of PCHR's press release issued yesterday and the
attacks that followed, yesterday evening, IOF launched more air strikes
against many civilian facilities, including workshops, houses, medical
warehouses and even mosques in a grave precedent. IOF war planes have so
far continued to fly over the Gaza Strip terrifying the Palestinian
civilian population. At night, many Palestinian families received phone
calls from the Israeli intelligence, which ordered them to vacate their
houses as they would be bombarded. Such phone calls confused Palestinian
civilians. PCHR believes that this declared war target Palestinian
civilians and their property, and statements of Israeli political and
military officials herald a humanitarian catastrophe and a persistent
war at all levels. The international community is required more than
ever before to immediately act to stop this gravest offensive since the
Gaza Strip was first occupied by IOF. According to what PCHR field
workers have been able to document so far, the number of civilian
victims in the first ten minutes of the offensive against the Gaza Strip
is the highest since 1967, and it is higher than the number of victims
in the war against Lebanon in 2006.
PCHR reiterates
its condemnation in the strongest terms for this bloody war, and calls
upon the international community, particularly the Fourth Geneva
Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, and international organizations to immediately act to stop such
grave and unprecedented deterioration in the human rights situation and
humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR
indicates that its field workers have faced extreme difficulties in
documenting crimes due to the dangers of getting close to the areas that
were bombarded more than once, and due to the confusion that spread over
hospitals because of the high numbers of casualties as these hospitals
lack necessary medical equipment. Additionally, many victim have not
been identified as they were dismembered, and many of the wounded have
not been listed on the records of hospitals.
According to
what PCHR field workers have been able to document, the crimes committed
by IOF have been as follows:
At
approximately 11:25 on Saturday, 27 December 2008, dozens of IOF
warplanes launched a wave of air strikes almost the same time throughout
the Gaza Strip. This timing indicates that an Israeli decision was taken
to cause maximum casualties in the climax of daily activities. It also
explains the high number of victims killed or wounded in a few minutes
on the bloodiest day during the 41 years of Israeli occupation. The
timing of air strikes coincided with the end of the morning period and
the beginning of the afternoon period at schools, many of which are
located near police stations that were bombarded.
Rafah
District
At
approximately 11:25 on Saturday, 27 December 2008, IOF warplanes fired
several missiles at the Palestinian security compound, which includes
buildings of the Palestinian National Security Forces, Internal Security
Service and Police, in Abu Baker Street in the center of Rafah, and at a
number of training sites of Palestinian resistance groups in Tal
al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of the town. The targeted buildings
were completely destroyed. The attacks were concentrated on the police
station, whose vicinity was witnessing active movement of civilians and
school children who were on their way to their schools in the area. As a
result, 12 Palestinians were killed, including a child, a preacher, an
Imam of a mosque, a physician, a nurse and a lawyer. Bodies of the
victims were dismembered. Additionally, a mosque and a number of houses,
shops, workshops and vehicles were damaged.
At
approximately 03:30 on Sunday, 28 December 2008, IOF warplanes bombarded
a smith workshop belonging to Abu Mousa family in al-Junaina
neighborhood in the center of Rafah. At approximately 06:50, IOF
warplanes bombarded a medical warehouse belonging to the Abu Hashem
family in the same area. Fire broke out in the warehouse, where benzene
was stored. The fire extended to 5 neighboring houses.
At
approximately 07:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a police station, which had
been already evacuated, in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of
Rafah.
At
approximately 08:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a site of the Palestinian
National Security Forces in the east of Rafah. Twenty minutes later, IOF
warplanes bombarded a naval police station at the coast.
At
approximately 10:50, IOF warplanes bombarded the building of Rafah
Governorate near Rafah International Crossing Point.
Hospitals in
Rafah have admitted 77 Palestinians who were wounded, including 20
children and 3 women. The wounds were described as moderate to serious.
Khan
Yunis District
At
approximately 11:25 on Saturday, 27 December 2008, IOF warplanes
bombarded sites of the riot control police and the Internal Security
Service and the building of the agricultural control department in the
west of Khan Yunis. They also bombarded training sites of Palestinian
resistance groups and a naval police station in the west and south of
Khan Yunis. As a result, 16 Palestinians were killed, including 11
civilians, one of them is a child. Eight of the victims were killed in
the attack against the agricultural control department. The victims were
on duty.
At
approximately 17:30 on the same day, Israeli warplanes bombarded a smith
workshop belonging to the al-Jabri family in al-Amal neighborhood in the
west of Khan Yunis.
At
approximately 20:30, IOF warplanes bombarded and destroyed a cafeteria
belonging to Mousa family.
At
approximately 03:00 on Sunday, 28 December 2008, Israeli warplanes
bombarded a smith workshop belonging to the Baraka family in Bani
Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis.
At
approximately 08:30, IOF warplanes bombarded a greenhouse in al-Qarara
village, east of Khan Yunis. At the same time, IOF warplanes bombarded
agricultural areas in Khuza'a village, east of Khan Yunis, wounding a
14-year-old child seriously.
Hospitals in
Khan Yunis have admitted at least 100 Palestinians who were wounded,
including 12 children and an old man.
The
Central Gaza Strip
At
approximately 11:25, IOF warplanes bombarded 15 sites throughout the
central Gaza Strip: A civil defense station and a police station in al-Zahraa'
town; Fayez Jarad site of the Palestinian National Security Forces near
al-Mughraqa village; a police station and a site of the Internal
Security Service in Abu Meddain area; a civil defense station, 5 police
stations and a site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas in Deir
al-Balah; a site of the National Security Forces in al-Maghazi refugee
camp; a site of the National Security Forces in al-Boreij refugee camp;
and a site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades near Gaza Valley.
As a result of
these attacks, 84 Palestinians, including 20 civilians, were killed. The
victims include two children, one of whom is 3-year-old and was killed
while he was at home in al-Zahraa' town and his mother and sister were
seriously wounded.
At
approximately 02:45 on Sunday, 28 December 2008, Israeli warplanes
bombarded a house belonging to the al-Shaf'ei family in al-Boreij
refugee camp after ordering the family to vacate it. The house was
destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were heavily damaged.
At
approximately 09:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a naval police station in
al-Nussairat refugee camp.
Al-Aqsa
Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah has admitted 100 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, who were wounded in these attacks.
Gaza
District
At
approximately 11:25 on Saturday, IOF warplanes bombarded Arafat police
compound in the center of Gaza City, where the ceremony of graduation of
trained officers was being conducted; the headquarters of the past
Preventive Security Service and offices of Wa'ed Society for Prisoners
in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the south of Gaza City; al-Mashtal site
in the Beach camp in the west of the city; al-'Abbas police station; a
bust garage belonging to Hamas near Gaza Harbor; and the headquarters of
the Security and Protection Service and the presidential compound in the
west of the city. They also bombarded a police station in al-Daraj
neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, a site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades of Hamas in al-Shoja'iya neighborhood and another one in al-Zaytoun
neighborhood in the east of the city; a house belonging to the Humaid
family in al-Tuffah neighborhood in the east of the city. At
approximately 15:30, IOF warplanes bombarded the main gate of al-Saraya
security compound in the center of Gaza City.
At
approximately 01:00 on Sunday, 28 December 2008, IOF warplanes bombarded
al-Burno Mosque near Shifa Hospital and two smith workshops belonging to
the Khawaja and Abu Jahal families in the center of Gaza City.
At
approximately 02:00, IOF warplanes bombarded the building of al-Aqsa
Satellite Television in al-Nasser Street in the north of Gaza City.
At
approximately 05:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a 3-storey house belonging
to the Selmi family in al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
At
approximately 08:00, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Shoja'iya police station
in the east of Gaza City.
At
approximately 09:15, IOF warplanes bombarded a store of weapons in Tal
al-Hawa neighborhood, a divan of the al-'Ashi family in al-Remal
neighborhood and a site of the National Security Forces in al-Nasser
neighborhood.
At
approximately 10:10, IOF warplanes bombarded a space area in Sheikh
Radwan neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. Ten minutes later, they
bombarded a police vehicle in al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
At
approximately 11:00, IOF warplanes bombarded a part of al-Saraya
security compound, which includes Gaza Central Prison, in the center of
Gaza City.
As a result of
these air strikes, 117 Palestinians, including 15 children and 7 women,
were killed. The victims include 7 students of UNRWA Vocational Training
Center and 3 members of the al-Rayes family. They also include a man and
his son from Hwaij family, who were killed while inside their house when
IOF warplanes bombarded a house belonging to the Humaid family.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, many victims, including
chief of police Major General Tawfiq Jaber, were killed in Araft police
compound where the ceremony of the graduation of police officers was
being held.
Hospitals in
Gaza City have admitted 200 Palestinians who were wounded, including 18
children and 12 women. The wounds were described as moderate to serious.
At least 35 of the wounded have been receiving medical treatment at
intensive care units.
The
Northern Gaza Strip
At
approximately 11:25 on Saturday, 27 December 2008, IOF warplanes
bombarded a number of sites of Palestinian security services and
training sites. As a result, 21 Palestinians, including 2 women and 3
staff members of the Palestinian Telecommunication Company, were killed.
The sites that
were bombarded are:
·
'Abdul 'Aziz al-Rantissi
site in the west of Jabalya, in which 9 security men were killed and
dozens of others were wounded.
·
The naval police station in
the west of Beit Lahia, in which 3 security men were killed and dozens
of others were wounded.
·
The building of Palestinian
National Security Forces in the east of Jablaya, in addition to a site
of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades and a room of the Palestinian
Telecommunication Company, where a passing woman, 3 staff members of the
company and 3 members of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades were killed.
·
A site of Palestinian
National Security Forces in the west of Beit Hanoun.
·
A space area in al-Amal
neighborhood in Beit Hanoun, where two civilians, including a woman,
were killed.
PCHR strongly
condemns such series of war crimes being committed by IOF in the Gaza
Strip, and:
1)
Reiterates its call for the
international community, especially the High Contracting Parties to the
Fourth Geneva Convention, and international organizations to immediately
intervene to stop such unprecedented deterioration in the human rights
situation and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
2)
Reminds that police
stations, police officers and law enforcement officials are classified
under the international law as civilians, and targeting them as such
while they were not engaged in military action constitutes a violation
of the international law.
3)
Points out that the
majority of the buildings and sites that were attacked are located in
civilian-populated areas, so scores of houses were heavily damaged. Such
attacks are an indication of Israeli disregard for the lives and safety
of Palestinian civilians, which can be seen in the high number of
civilian victims.
4)
Calls upon States and
international organizations to provide urgent humanitarian and medical
assistance to the Gaza Strip, which has been under a tightened siege
impacting all aspects of lives, especially health conditions, as
hospitals in the Gaza Strip are unable to treat such high number of
casualties.
* Photos
