Geneva – The Israeli Army has killed and maimed many Palestinians in deliberate targeting of unprotected homes with families inside in inhumane military operations, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said.
Since the beginning of the current Israeli bombing blitz, the Israeli forces targeted 31 extended families: 21 homes of families were bombed and destroyed with families being inside; two civil gatherings of family members were targeted; a man and his wife were stuck inside their car, and a man and his son were targeted in agricultural land.
All acting powers should work to end Israeli’s aggressive offensive on the people of Gaza and act immediately to stop the military operations that are claiming more civilian lives every hour.
So far, the reported incidents have left 96 Palestinians killed, including 44 children and 28 women.
The victims include husbands and wives, mothers and siblings. Seven mothers were also reportedly killed along with their three or four children.
The victims include husbands and wives, mothers and siblings
The death toll is expected to rise as many victims are still buried under the ruins due to the difficulties faced by the rescue teams.
One of the most horrific crimes was on Sunday, March 16, at 1:00 p.m., when the Israeli warplanes fired about 50 missiles at buildings, residential homes, and roads in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City. The raids targeted a residential building belonging to Abu Al-Awf family, another for the Al-Kulak family, and the Ministry of Labor headquarters. The missiles killed 42 civilians, including 10 children and 16 women, while 50 others were wounded, including eight children, and 15 women.
This horrific attack came a day after Israeli warplanes committed a massacre by targeting Alaa Muhammad Abdel-Al Abu Hatab’s home in Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, with at least six rockets.
The home was completely destroyed without prior notice. Abu Hatab’s family was killed including his wife, their four children, his sister, and her three children who fled their home due to the heavy bombing in east Gaza. Another child remains missing, only a five-month-old infant has survived the deadly attack.
In 2014, Euro-Med Monitor documented 144 incidents where at least two or more of the same family were killed. The victims’ number reached 750 at that time.
The reported attacks are part of hundreds of Israeli air raids that did not spear anything in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, since Monday, 10 May, 227 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, while 1,630 have been wounded.
In addition, about 1,030 homes were completely destroyed, about 6,600 housing units and installations were partially damaged, about 530 press offices and commercial interests were destroyed, 41 were damaged and 75,000 civilians were displaced fleeing the bombing, which made the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip prisoners of fear, panic and danger.
The chart below includes a list of the victims killed from Monday, May 10 – Tuesday, May 29 (9:00 GTM).
Victims | Details | Date | City | |
Saber Ibrahim Mahmoud Suleiman, 38, and his son Muhammad, 15 | Killed in a bombing of an agricultural land | 10 May | Jabalia | |
Ibrahim Yusef Atallah Al-Masry, 11, and his brother Marwan, six years old | Killed when a gathering of civilians was targeted | 10 May | Beit Hanoun | |
Ahmed Muhammad Atallah Al-Masry, 20, and his sister, Rahaf, 10 | Killed when a gathering of civilians was targeted | 10 May | Beit Hanoun | |
Amira Abd al-Fattah Abd al-Rahman Subuh, 58, and her son, Abd al-Rahman Yusef Ali Subuh, 19 | Home bombing | 11 May | Gaza | |
Iyad Fathi Fayeq Shrair, 45, his wife Layali Taha Abbas Shrair, 41, and their daughter Linah, 16 On May 18, their other daughter, Mennah, two-years old, sccumbed to her wounds | Home bombing | 11 May | Gaza | |
Munther Abdul Karim Muhammad Baraka, 21, and his brother Manar, 18, were killed | Killed in a bombing of an agricultural land | 11 May | Dair Al Balah | |
Nader Muhammad al-Ghazali, 47, and his nephew, Abd al-Salam Mahmoud Nabih al-Ghazali, 28 | Killed in a bombing of a car | 11 May | Gaza | |
Rima Saad Kamel Saad (Al-Telbani), 31, and her son, Zaid Muhammad Oudeh Al-Telbani, five years old | Home bombing | 12 May | Gaza | |
Saeed Hashem Saeed Al-Hattu, 67, and his wife Maysoon Zaki Hashem Al-Hatu, 55 His two sons Muhammad and Yara were injured | Killed in a bombing of a car | 12 May | Gaza | |
Miami Abdullah Musa Arafa, 49, and her daughter Hadeel Khaled Mahmoud Arafa, 28 Her father was wounded | Home bombing | 12 May | Khan Younes | |
Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Abdullah al-Madhoun, 62, and his wife Halima Ali Muhammad al-Madhoun, 65 Seven citizens are still missing and 33 citizens were injured | Home bombing | 13 May | North of Gaza | |
Ra’fat Muhammad Ismail Ata al-Tanani, 39, his wife, Rawya Fathi Hassan al-Tanani, 36, and their children (Ismail, seven years old, Adham, four years old, Amir, six years old, and Muhammad, three years old) | Home bombing | 13 May | North of Gaza | |
Manar Khader Ahmad Issa (Salama), 39, and her daughter, Lina Muhammad Mahmoud Issa, 13 | Home bombing | 13 May | Al-Bureij camp | |
Hoor Moamen Jamal Al-Zamili, three years old, and her mother Kholoud Fouad Farhan Al-Zamili, 27, who was six-month pregnant | Home bombing | 13 May | Rafah | |
Siham Yusef Muhammad al-Rantisi, 66, her grandson Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim al-Rantisi, two-years old, her son Raed Ibrahim Khamis al-Rantisi, 29, and his wife Shaima Diab Muhammad al-Rantisi, 21 15 civilians were wounded | Home bombing | 13 May | Rafah | |
Lamia Hassan Muhammad Al-Attar, 27, and her three children (Islam Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Attar, eight years old, Amira, seven-years old, and Muhammad Zain Al-Dinwho, eight-months old) | Home bombing | 14 May | North Gaza | |
Fayza Ahmed Muhammad Salama, 45 Her husband and son were injured | Home bombing | 14 May | North Gaza | |
Ahmed Hatem Mahmoud Al-Mansi, 34, and his brother Yusef, 22 | Home bombing | 14 May | North Gaza | |
Yasmin Muhammad Khamis Abu Hatab, 31, and four of her children (Yusef, 11, Maryam, eight years old, Bilal, nine years old, and Yamen, six years old) The children’s aunt Maha Muhammad Abdel-Al Abu Hatab (Al-Hadidi), 35, and three of her children (Osama, six years old, Abdel-Rahman and Suhaib, both 13, and Muhammad Subhi al-Hadidi) Her 11-year-old child, Yahya, is still missing under the rubble Their 5-month-old baby brother has survived the attack Others from the second family are still under the rubble | Home bombing | 15 May | Gaza | |
Ayman Tawfiq Ismail Abu Al-Auf, 50, a doctor, and his two children (Tawfiq, 17, and Tala, 13) | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Abeer Nimer Ali Ashkuntna, 30, and three of her children (Yahya, five years old, Dana, nine years old, and Zain, two years old) Riad Hassan Ashkuntna | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Reem Khalil Ahmad Abu Al-Auf, 41, and her cousin, Rawan Alaa Sobhi Abu Al-Auf, 19 | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Fawaz Amin Muhammad al-Qulaq, 63, and four of his children, including two women (Abdul Hamid, 23, Reham, 33, Bahaa, 49, Sameh, 28) Sameh’s wife, Ayat Ibrahim Khalil al-Qulq, 19, and their child, Qusay, six-months old | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Amal Jamil Salama Al-Qalaq, 42, and three of her sons (Taher, 24, Ahmed, 16, and Hanaa, 15) Shukri Amin Al-Qalaq | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Muhammad Mu’in Muhammad al-Qulaq, 42, his brother Izzat, 44, and his two children (Zaid, eight-yeas old, and Adam, three- years old) | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Raja Sobhi Abu Al-Auf (Al-Afranji), her four children (Dima, Yazan, Amir, Mira) and Rami Al-Franji | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Doaa Omar Abdullah Al-Qulaq, 39, and her elderly relative, Saadia Yusef Daher al-Qulaq, 84 | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Sisters Hala Muhammad Mu’in al-Qulaq, 13, Yara, 10, and Rola, six-years old | Home bombing | 16 May | Gaza | |
Iyad Abdel-Fattah Salha, 35, and his wife Amani Youssef Salha (Mahawish), 29, who is seven months pregnant and their daughter Nagham, two years old | Home bombing | 19 May | Deir Al-Balah | |
Hoda Salah Rabih al-Khazindar, 36 her husband, Muhammad Shakir Jamal al-Khazindar, 38, and their daughter Malak, two and a half years old were wounded, | Home bombing | 20 May | Khan Yunis |
Israel continues its systematic policy, which targets residential buildings and densely populated neighborhoods. The Israeli government disregards the international humanitarian laws and takes advantage of the international community’s failure to hold it accountable for its violations.
Article 25 of the 1899 Hague Regulations provides: “The attack or bombardment of towns, villages, habitations or buildings which are not defended, is prohibited.”
Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention also states that “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”
According to Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the unjustified destruction of properties is considered a grave breach of the Convention. It is also considered a war crime according to Article 8 (2) (b) of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
The international community’s silence and the European Union’s negative position towards the ICC’s investigation into the war crimes carried out in the occupied territories gave Israel the green light to continue with its escalated violations against Palestinians.
All acting powers should work to end Israeli’s aggressive offensive on the people of Gaza and act immediately to stop the military operations that are claiming more civilian lives every hour.
The ICC should monitor the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, including them in their recent investigations into Israel’s previous violations, and hold Israeli leaders and soldiers accountable.