Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together.
The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details.
The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details.
The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
Hostilities in Gaza and southern Israel - " Protective Edge", July 2014
10 Aug 2014 Photo Blog: Ruins in Beit Hanun, August 2014 Photos: Muhammad Sabah, B'TselemPhotos of the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Taken by Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem field researcher in Gaza, on 5 August 2014, in the course of the ceasefire. Whole sections of Beit Hanoun have been demolished, making it one of the hardest hit communities in the recent offensive, along with Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Khuza’ah and Rafah. In the course of the fighting B’Tselem collected several testimonies from Beit Hanoun residents. Click here to view photos and read testimonies.
9 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
8 Aug 2014 Ambulance driver recounts attacks that killed a paramedic and injured team sent to rescue him Beit Hanoun resident leave town during brief humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem, 26 July 2014 "I drove the second ambulance, and there were two medics with me. The street is only about 200-300 meters from the call center, so we were there within minutes. When we reached the entrance to the street, we were surprised to see three tanks and a military bulldozer in the street, about 100 meters away. Suddenly, with no warning, they opened heavy machine-gun fire at us. The bullets penetrated the ambulance. I tried to turn the ambulance around to get out of there, but the steering wheel must have been hit. Suddenly, I felt sharp pain in my leg and realized I'd been hit by a bullet or shrapnel. Then the windshield shattered. Because I couldn't turn the ambulance around, I decided to try reversing. They kept firing as I backed up, until we got far enough away."
8 Aug 2014 Paramedic and photojournalist killed during an attempt to evacuate wounded people from a-Shuja'iyeh Palestinian woman walks past the wreckage of an ambulance in Beit Hanoun town. Suhaib Salem, Reuters, 1 August, 2014 We only took several steps when, suddenly, a missile was fired at us. It landed very close to me. It hit the photojournalist directly, killing killed him. A 25-year-old paramedic was hit in the back by shrapnel. [...] I started treating a little boy, about four years old, who had been hit in the leg by shrapnel. Then I treated another paramedic [...] When we got to the vehicles, we saw they'd been damaged by the bombing, too. [...] We were left with one ambulance and one civil defense vehicle. We got in with the injured child and Fares, the injured paramedic. We headed to the hospital in those two cars [...] Along the short distance I crossed, about 300 meters, I saw a woman and six or seven children lying dead. A few meters from there, I saw two dead men. Across the road, I saw a man, woman and two small children lying dead. They may have been from a single family.
6 Aug 2014 Attorney General asks Court to adopt new policy formulated in response to B’Tselem’s petition, aiming to preventing broadcast of radio spot with names of children killed in Gaza On 6 August 2014, Attorneys Hagai Kalai and Gilad Barnea submitted B'Tselem's response to the attorney general’s position as presented to Israel’s HCJ earlier this week as part of the state’s response to the organization’s petition. B’Tselem’s response emphasizes that the existing rule clearly establishes that it is permissible “to broadcast a political advertisement provided that it concentrate solely on a factual message.” B’Tselem’s proposed radio spot meets these conditions. The Attorney General’s recommendation to change rules as B’Tselem’s radio spot awaits approval raises concern of improper discrimination.
4 Aug 2014 Ya’akov Yinon, 69, of Moshav Netiv Ha’asara in southern Israel, describes being forced to leave his home due to firing from Gaza Yaakov Yinon and his granddaughter. Photo courtesy of the family."Our house is 200 meters from the northern border of the Gaza Strip. I don’t have young children but the situation on the moshav [farming community] is unbearable. The noise of the firing from both sides was horrendous. It was impossible to concentrate on anything. [...] My children last came to visit on Passover. While they were staying with us there was a Color Red alert. My grandchildren woke up while we were carrying them into the safe room, and ever since they won’t agree to come visit."
4 Aug 2014 ‘Abla a-Nabahin of al-Maghazi R.C. recounts bombing of her home on 13 July 2014; her sister Laila al-‘Awedat, 34, was killed Fatmeh al-‘Awedat, mother ‘Abla a-Nabahin and Laila al-‘Awedat in the hospital in Nablus. Photo: Salma a-Deb’i, B'Tselem, 24 July 2014"We heard an explosion nearby. [...] Then suddenly, my brother Ahmad and his wife Suha came in. They were in a panic. Ahmad said that their roof had been hit. I saw that Suha was very frightened. She was trembling. Ahmad asked us to get out of the house immediately. [...] Before we managed to get out, my mother said she wanted to use the toilet. [...] All of a sudden, I felt something pulling me into the house and everything collapsing on top of me. There was black smoke mixed with white dust. I felt I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I was buried in rubble."
3 Aug 2014 Shadi Taleb tells of seeing Abu Jarad family home shelled, leaving 8 dead; recounts constantly fleeing with his family for fear of bombings The funeral of eight members of the Abu Jarad family. Photo: Suhaib Salem, reuters, 19 July 2014 "On Friday, 18 July 2014, about two hours after we left our home in Beit Hanoun, I heard a loud explosion. A house nearby, about 30 or 40 meters from where we were staying, was hit. [...] I went outside and ran over to the house that had been bombed. A lot of neighbors came as well. We started carrying the wounded to ambulances, which arrived quickly. After we were done carrying everyone out, we found out the results of the shelling: eight family members were killed and four were injured. I found that I knew some the people who had been killed. I knew 'Abd a-Rahman Abu Jarad, his wife, Rajaa, and their two children, a 6-month-old baby and a 6-year-old boy."
3 Aug 2014 Initial figures: At least 1,510 Palestinians killed by morning of 2 Aug. 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 64 Israeli soldiers killed by the evening of 3 Aug. Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 1,510 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began, until 2 Aug. 2014.* The fatalities include: 366 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 174 women (under age 60), 75 senior citizens (aged 60 and over).
Since the operation began and until the evening of 3 Aug. 2014 two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
1 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
1 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
31 Jul 2014 ISM volunteer recounts death of a young man killed by shots from unknown source while searching for casualties in a-Shuja'iyeh, Gaza City Still from video."We started walking met a young man who lived in the neighborhood. He wanted to reach his home to check on his family. He wore green shirt. He asked us to help him and accompany him. [...] We were shocked by what we saw. A-Shuja'iyeh had become a real ghost town: a city of ruins, completely destroyed.[...] The house had been completely demolished. He stood in the ruins, shouting and calling Munir’s name, but no one answered [...] We managed to walk just a few steps more when we heard a single gunshot. The young man fell to the ground."
31 Jul 2014 IBA removes two political ads ahead of HCJ hearing on B’Tselem’s radio spot giving names of Gazan children killed in current offensive Before B’Tselem’s petition could be heard by the High Court of Justice (HCJ) and to counter discrimination arguments, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) pulled two patently political ads that support the Gaza offensive. The State requested an extension, stating that the Attorney General had not had enough time to formulate a position on the matter. The justices instructed the State to submit its position by Monday, 4 August 2014. The IBA and B’Tselem were given two days to respond to this position before the Court delivers its ruling.
31 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 1,262 Palestinians killed by morning of 30 July 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 56 Israeli soldiers killed since operation began Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 1,262 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the morning of 30 July.* The fatalities include: 314 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 148 women (under age 60), 62 senior citizens (aged 60 and over),
Initial findings indicate that 172 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Since the operation began and untill the evening of 31 July 2014 two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 56 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
30 Jul 2014 Photo Blog: Brief humanitarian ceasefire in Beit Hanun Beit Hanoun residents leave town during brief humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem, 26 July 2014Muhammad Sabah is B'Tselem's field researcher in the northern Gaza Strip. On 26 July 2014, he took the opportunity of a brief humanitarian ceasefire to inspect several locations in the area. Of the sights he saw in the town of Beit Hanoun during the ceasefire he said: "The situation in Beit Hanoun was terrible. I saw people trying to take a few belongings and get out of there as fast as they could in view of several days of artillery fire. They were also afraid of the ground incursion and because of the UNRWA school and the hospital in Beit Hanoun that had been hit."
29 Jul 2014 B'Tselem petitions Israel’s High Court to oblige Israel Broadcasting Authority to broadcast names of Gazan children killed Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem petitioned the High Court of Justice (HCJ) yesterday, 28 July 2014, seeking to oblige the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to air radio spots produced by B’Tselem which incorporate the names of a few of the more than 200 Palestinian children killed in Gaza in Operation Protective Edge. The IBA refused to air the radio spots on the grounds of being “controversial”, not balanced, and possibly provoking public controversy over the military operation.
29 Jul 2014 13 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank since Operation Protective Edge began: Excessive use of live fire suspected Wounded young man being evacuated from demonstration by Qalandiya Checkpoint, 24 July 2014. Photo by Oren Ziv, Activestills.Since Operation Protective Edge began on 8 July 2014, Palestinians throughout the West Bank have held strikes, rallies, processions and demonstrations to show support for residents of Gaza and to protest the military's actions. At some demonstrations, Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and burned tires; at one demonstration in Qalandiya, Palestinians fired live ammunition. Initial investigations by B'Tselem's field researchers found that in many cases, Israeli security forces responded with live fire. Initial information obtained by B'Tselem raises suspicion that senior commanding officers in the West Bank permitted security forces to use live fire as a means of crowd control, even in clashes with unarmed stone-throwers and in circumstances that posed no mortal risk to anyone.
28 Jul 2014 'Abd al-Fatah Fiad, a farmer from al-Qararah, relates how he and his family fled to Khan Yunis, abandoning their home and livestock Residents evacuating from Beit Hanoun during the humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 26 July 2014We waited until dawn to leave the house. My children cried all night. On Friday (18 July), at 5:30 A.M., I left with my family. We didn’t take anything. Some of the kids didn’t even have enough time to find shoes and they went out barefoot. A lot of people left al-Qararah like us. We walked to Khan Yunis, about 8 kilometers away. We were afraid the bombing wouldn’t stop and we wanted to get as far away as we could. We finally arrived, tired and anxious, at an UNRWA school across from the Khan Yunis hospital. We left behind 25 sheep, a mare, a foal, and chickens.
27 Jul 2014 Video blog: Footage posted on the net since fighting in Gaza began, July 2014 Since the recent bout of fighting in Gaza began, the internet has been inundated with footage of the fighting and its results. It is often difficult to determine the reliability of this footage as well as the context in which the images were shot. Our blog will present footage we collected from various online sources. We do not have full information regarding most of the items, so we appended explanatory notes for context. We also provided links to related media reports and cited details of information still missing. Please note: Most of the clips contain graphic content.
27 Jul 2014 Wisam Shuheibar relates how a missile killed his 8-year-old daughter and her cousins while feeding pigeons on the roof A grieving mother at the funeral of the children. Photo: Muhammad Salem, Reuters, 17 July 2014 "I was sitting reading the Quran when suddenly I heard a loud explosion. At first, I thought it was in the street or in a neighboring house. But I quickly realized it actually came from the roof of my house. I couldn't believe my house had been bombed. I ran up the stairs to the roof. Everything was full of dust and smoke. When they settled, I saw a terrible sight: a pile of five children lying one on top of the other... on the way to the hospital, Afnan passed away in my arms. I fainted. When I came to, we were at the hospital... they told me that two of my brother 'Issam's kids were dead too."
27 Jul 2014 Suhair Shabat describes mortal fear of bombing, leading her to take her children and flee Beit Hanoun Residents leaving Beit Hanoun by foot during the humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 26 July 2014"I decided to walk to my sister's house in a-Rimal neighborhood. It was very dangerous. We walked single file, one after another. I carried 'Abd a-Rahman and he held on to me tightly. We walked hugging the walls of buildings and the doors of closed shops, and tried to take cover under trees and light shelters. It felt like we were walking through a ghost town. We were surrounded by death... I prayed to God that He protect my children and me. I kept walking until we reached the hospital in Beit Hanoun. I met my husband there. I hadn't seen him since the war began, because he was at work all the time... We took a taxi from there to my sister's house in a-Rimal neighborhood. She was already hosting three other families, relatives of ours who had also fled the bombings. All told, we were 31 people. I was still scared, because no place is safe."
27 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 878 Palestinians killed by morning of 26 July 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 43 Israeli soldiers killed since operation began Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 878 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the morning of 26 July. The fatalities include: 207 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 88 women (under age 60), 47 senior citizens (aged 60 and over), Initial findings indicate that 165 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Since the operation began two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 43 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
27 Jul 2014 Two al-Bureij municipality employees killed in bombed Jeep; 7- and 9-year-old sisters in a nearby home injured House in Khan Younis damaged by an Israeli air strike, Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters, 17 July 2014 On 17 July, two employees of the al-Bureij local council were killed when the military bombed their Jeep. The two were on their way to inspect houses damaged by airstrikes. The bombing also injured two girls who live in a house nearby, one of them severely. Their mother, Fawziyeh al-Qrenawi, said in her testimony to B'Tselem: "My two daughters – Shahd, 7, and Salwa, 9 – were playing in their room, which has a wall facing the street... Suddenly, I heard a really loud explosion. A bomb landed very close to us. The house filled with dust and smoke. I ran to the girls' room and found them both lying on the floor. Shahd was bleeding. Salwa was lying next to her, screaming. I was stunned and couldn't understand what I was seeing."
24 Jul 2014 Call for the immediate arrangement of a channel for civilians to escape the battle zone Joint letter by Human Rights Organizations to Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff concerning the absence of any secure area in the Gaza Strip to which civilians can escape to protect their lives and ensure their safety and that of their families. We demand the immediate opening of an escape route for civilians to escape the battle zone.
24 Jul 2014 IBA censors B'Tselem radio spot listing names of Gazan children killed; B'Tselem to petition HCJ, spot gets massive exposure on social media Saher Abu Namus, 3 years old, killed on Friday, 11 July 2014More than 600 Palestinians have been killed during the fighting in Gaza so far, including more than 150 children. Yet Israeli media is barely covering the story, other than mentioning the number of casualties. To encourage public debate in Israel on the issue, B’Tselem asked to purchase a spot on IBA Radio in order to have the names of some of the children killed read out. The radio refused, on the grounds that reading out the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza is politically “controversial”. Yet the refusal is, in itself, far from neutral: it is a powerful statement in favor of silencing public debate over the massive price that Gazan civilians are paying for this operation.
24 Jul 2014 Yasmin (5) and Usamah (8) al-Astal, sent to their aunt's house because of shelling, were killed when her house was bombed, 16 July 2014 Women grieve in Khan Yunis. Photo: Finbarr O'Reilly 19 July, 2014“My wife and I were afraid something bad would happen to Yasmin and Usamah. We thought my sister Kawthar’s home would be safer… It’s usually quiet there, and the bombings haven’t reached them... my cousin called from Khan Yunis. He said a missile had been fired at my sisters’ house and asked me to come quickly because my kids had been hurt... I ran like a maniac to Kawthar’s house. When I got to the front door, I realized something terrible had happened. People inside the house came up to me. They told me that my two children had been killed... I yelled and cried hysterically.
24 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 686 Palestinians, two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 32 Israeli soldiers killed up to 23 July 2014 at 8:00 P.M. Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 686 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until 23 July at 8:00 P.M. The fatalities include: 163 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 69 women (under age 60), 38 senior citizens (aged 60 and over). Initial findings indicate that 153 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 32 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel during the same time frame.
23 Jul 2014 Ruth Ben Abu, 56, describes how a Qassam rocket directly hit her home in Sderot, southern Israel "It was the third time a Qassam rocket directly hit our family. The first was about five years ago, when a rocket hit my brother's house. Three years ago, a rocket hit my parents' house. I'm lucky that the damage to my house was relatively minor... my beeper started sounding the alarm and I went into the safe room ... I heard the rockets land very loudly, and it was so strong that the safe room shook... I was shaking and couldn't move. When I went out, I saw that the blast had blown the door in. I was shaking and couldn't move. When I went out, I saw that the blast had blown the door in. Bits of glass and shrapnel and plaster were scattered everywhere."
23 Jul 2014 Muhammad Abu Mu'ammar describes the bombing that killed his wife, father and brother in Khan Yunis Bombed and destroyed houses, Gaza, 19 July 2014. Photo: Suhaib Salem, Reuters"The family sat out on the porch, enjoying the atmosphere after breaking the fast. Despite the general sense of fear because of the war... things in the area felt normal at the time... Musa, my four-year-old, was sitting in my lap. My wife was holding Hazem, the baby.... Suddenly, two missiles landed on us... Everyone was hysterical and it was a huge mess. It's hard to describe the moments after the explosion. I saw some members of my family lying on the ground. Some of them weren't moving. They had blood on their faces and clothes. The little children were crying."
23 Jul 2014 Joint letter to Defense Minister: Gaza Strip civilian infrastructure is collapsing Palestinians fill bottles and containers with water from a public tap in Rafah. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 19 July 2014 In an urgent letter to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, 12 human rights organizations demand today that Israel fulfil its obligations and ensure that the humanitarian needs of the civilian population of Gaza are met, particularly with respect to the dwindling supply of water and electricity. More than half of Gaza’s population, 1.2 million people, currently were affected by lack of adequate access to water and sanitation services. Hundreds of thousands are completely without power, while additional hundreds of thousands are rationed up to 5 hours of electricity per day. These acute shortages are the result of severe damage to civilian infrastructure caused during the hostilities.
22 Jul 2014 Israel, July 2014: Life in fear of rockets Ashkelon residents run for shelter during a bomb alert. Photo: Baz Ratner, Reuters Millions of Israeli citizens, many of whom are children, have been living under the threat of rocket fire for more than two weeks. For hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in the south of the country, this terrible situation is part of an ongoing routine. The unrelenting attacks have disrupted their lives, denied their right to live in security and hurt their ability to make a living. Every venture outside – to work, school, or a recreational activity – is attended by a sense of danger. Some residents have even decided to relocate for fear they or their loved ones would get hurt. The photographs presented here were taken by Dudu Greenspan from Be'er Sheva, by Activestills, and by Reuters photographers.
22 Jul 2014 Nabilah Abu Halima, who saw her son killed in Operation Cast Lead, relates how the family had to flee their home again "The children were very scared and wanted us to move to schools, where they thought we would be safer. My son Muhammad, who is 18, cried and told me, “You want us to die, like you did with Matar.” Our son Matar was 17 when he was killed in the 2009 war [Operation Cast Lead]. He was killed together with his cousin Muhammad, who was 12, while they were trying to escape the bombardments… After I lost him, I was in a very bad state and couldn't function for some time... My husband, my parents and I thought about it until the morning and decided to leave."
22 Jul 2014 Muhamad Abu Haloub, 75, a retired Education Ministry director, describes how he and his family evacuated their Beit Lahiya home on military orders Palestinian civilians find shelter in an UNRWA school, Gaza, 13 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem"The fire from the first missile reached inside our homes, the explosion was so strong. It terrified us. Everyone panicked, especially the women, children and elderly people. Not all the families in the area left at once. We did it in stages. I saw my little grandchildren and the children of neighbors and relatives paralyzed with fear, and I could see in their eyes that they were shocked. They were trembling with fear. We had to evacuate our home and leave all our belongings behind. We only took a change of clothes, documents, money and jewelry. We left everything else behind: furniture, dishes, equipment. That really hurt. We left in a hurry after the last warning this morning, because we were very afraid of being bombed."
22 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 505 Palestinians, two Israeli civilians and 27 Israeli soldiers have been killed up to 21 July 2014 8PM Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 505 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the 21 July at 9PM. The fatalities include: 140 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 56 women (under age 60), 28 senior citizens (aged 60 and over), Initial findings indicate that 102 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Two Israeli civilians were killed within Israel during this time, and 27 soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
21 Jul 2014 B’Tselem calls on the Government of Israel to immediately cease the bombardment of inhabited homes, neighborhoods and areas in the Gaza Strip House in Khan Younis damaged by an Israeli air strike, Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters, 17 July 2014 Horrific developments in Gaza have reached intolerable heights: Israel is bombing houses with people in them, entire families have been buried under rubble, and streets lie in ruins. Hundreds have been killed so far, dozens in the last 24 hours only, many of them women and children. Hamas makes no pretense to follow the laws of war. Israel does, but holds Hamas responsible for its own. Unlawful actions by one party cannot justify unlawful actions by the other. The horrifying reality on the ground makes it impossible to further countenance Israel’s cynical use of legal terms such as “proportionality”, “distinction” and “due caution”.
21 Jul 2014 Salman Abu Namus on the bombing that killed his 3-year-old son in Jabalya RC, northern Gaza Strip Saher Abu Namus. Photo: Abu Namus family."Just as I was about to leave, I heard two loud explosions very close by. I went outside. Everything was full of dust. When the air began to clear, I saw my wife running down the street. I ran over to her and saw her pick up a little boy and scream. When I got there, I saw she was holding Saher. He was dead."
21 Jul 2014 Initial findings: 25 members of a single family killed when their house was bombed, apparently without warning Search for victims amongst the rubble of a house bombed in Khan Younis. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 21 July 2014 On 20 July Israeli forces bombed the four-story building that was home to the extended Jame' family: the matriarch, Fatmeh Abu Jame', her four sons, and their wives and children. B’Tselem’s initial findings indicate that the likely target of the attack was Ahmad Suliman Sahmoud, a member of Hamas’ military wing, who was visiting a member of the family. Everyone who was in the house at the time was hurt: 25 members of the Abu Jame' family were killed, as well as Hamas operative Sahmoud. The rest were injured. Information B’Tselem has at this stage indicates that no warning was issued and no warning missile was fired prior to the attack
21 Jul 2014 Amani Badawi from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City describes life under airstrikes "I keep thinking about my children and what might happen to them. I keep checking the different spaces around the house, looking for a safe room, but there isn’t one. All the rooms have large windows that look out over the street except the kitchen, which is in the center of the apartment. So we decided to sleep in the kitchen. My son Diaa insisted on sleeping in his bed, but when he heard the bombings he came running into the kitchen with his mattress and blanket to sleep with us. There was no room in the kitchen for another mattress so he slept between the other two kids. They slept right up against each other – that is, when we finally managed to sleep, because the bombings just don’t stop, day and night."
21 Jul 2014 Joint statement: Concerns Regarding Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the IDF's Operations in Gaza Israeli airstrike on Gaza. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Rueters, 21 July 2014The organizations demanded that the Attorney General instruct the government to refrain from violating the laws of war and re-evaluate its aggressive policy and rules of engagement. The organizations seek to clarify whether the Attorney General critically evaluated the legal advice supplied to the Military Advocate General that underpins 'Operation Protective Edge', and calls on him to establish an external, independent and effective investigatory mechanism to examine the decision making of the political and operational establishment as required by international law and supported by the rulings of the High Court of Justice.
21 Jul 2014 Muhammad Abu Harb describes the bombing the killed his sister, Rawida Bombed and destroyed houses, Gaza, 19 July 2014. Photo: Suhaib Salem, Reuters"The room was dark and full of smoke. We found my sister, Rawida. She was badly wounded from big pieces of shrapnel, but she was still alive. We got her out from under the rubble. One of the rods that support the roof was stuck in her hip. We pulled it out of her body. We carried her out to the street. Then we found my mother. She was lying in a corner of the room covered in blood and crying in pain. She was having difficulty breathing, but her injuries looked less dangerous. Another of my sisters, Hanan, was badly hurt in her abdomen and chest. She was still breathing. My brother, Marwan, was also hurt. The neighbors helped us carry them outside."
20 Jul 2014 R. N., 57, who lives in Ashdod, southern Israel, describes life in constant fear of rocket fire "When I go to work, I drive a friend of mine, because she's too scared to drive. I'm a bit braver but we're always on our toes: should we leave now or later. We decide to take our chances and leave and I drive as fast as I can, always thinking about where I can stop if it catches me on the way. We're really scared to go outside. The city is a ghost town and we only shop for essentials. The rest of the time, I'm at home."
20 Jul 2014 Yusra Abu Kaf from the Beduin community of Um Betin in the Negev describes life under rocket attacks with no protection Unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev, illustration. Photo by: Neukoln, Wikipedia"There’s no bomb alert in our village, but we can hear the alerts from Omer. Even though the village was recognized by the state a few years ago, there is nothing here to protect us. There are no security rooms and no bomb shelter. More than 2,000 people live here. Our roofs are made of tin sheets, so when we hear the alert, we go outside and lie flat on the ground. It’s safer outside than inside. If a rocket hits the house, it’ll collapse completely and that’s very dangerous."
18 Jul 2014 Human Rights NGO's: A procedure to evacuate those injured in the Gaza Strip is required immediately Photo from Palestine Red Crescent Society webisteIn light of last night's events: A procedure to evacuate those injured in the Gaza Strip is required immediately. as part of the lessons learned the "Cast Lead" operation, and in accordance with its legal obligations, the military pledged to prepare a coordination mechanism that would allow the evacuation of the wounded and give access to ambulances within a reasonable time. The incidents of last night clearly illustrate that this mechanism, even if it exists on paper, is not sufficiently effective. Accordingly, we urge immediate action to honor this legal obligation to institute a mechanism to regulate the evacuation of the wounded in the Gaza Strip. We call for protection to be provided to rescue teams and medical personnel in the Gaza Strip, to allow them to perform their duties without exposing them to danger.
17 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 203 People killed in Gaza Strip, One Israeli civilian killed in Israel (to 17 July 2014 19PM) Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 203 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the 17 July at 7PM. The fatalities include: 41 minors, 21 women (under age 60), 14 senior citizens, Initial findings indicate that 48 of the people killed were involved in combat.
One Israeli civilian, Dror Khanin, was killed within Israel by mortar bomb fired by Palestinians from Gaza.
17 Jul 2014 May Hamadah, 33, who is fully paralyzed, describes the bombing of the hostel she lives in, which killed two and injured four Palestinian carries a damaged wheelchair as he walks amidst the debris of a hostel for people with disabilities, bombed on 12 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Salef, Reuters "We heard the Muazzin call out and prepared for prayer. It was about 4:30 A.M. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Everything shook and the walls collapsed. The hostel filled with dust and smoke. It took me a few minutes to come around and understand what had happened. The dust and smoke dispersed a bit, and I could see. The hostel was completely destroyed. There were broken things everywhere. I checked myself and discovered I was wounded in my head, abdomen and legs . I saw my friends 'Ula and Suha lying on the floor next to me. They weren't moving. They looked terrible. I knew right away that they’d been killed. The missile hit the roof and entered the hostel from the top floor."
17 Jul 2014 Rima Kasab describes life with her children in fear, under the shadow of war in Gaza City "Death has become an inseparable part of our lives, every minute, day and night. You never know when death will take you by surprise. You don't know when the next war will break out and how it will end. You don’t know how many people will pay with their lives and how many homes will be destroyed... I pretend to be strong and not afraid so my children don’t get scared, especially when they hear the missiles and the bombings. I tell them it’s happening far away and that nothing will reach us. They keep asking why people’s houses are being bombed, what those people did, and whether it hurts them. "
16 Jul 2014 Ety Levy, a single mother of four who lives in Ashkelon, southern Israel, describes life in fear under rocket attacks Ety Levy"during the operation, I stay at home with my four kids, day and night. When the siren goes off, we leave our apartment and gather in the staircase. We hear and see rockets being diverted [by Israel's "Iron Dome" defense system] or hitting targets very close to us. Every explosion makes the whole building shake. The children are afraid to sleep in their rooms and insist on staying in the living room with me all night. Even if they do manage to fall asleep, they take turns staying awake "on guard".
16 Jul 2014 Sa'eed al-Hadad relates bombing of al-Batsh home in Gaza City with no prior warning, which killed 18 family members A child from al-Batsh family during the funeral. Photo: Muhammad Salem, Reuters, 13 July 14 "At around 10:30 P.M., I heard two loud explosions. They were really close to my house and the whole area shook. There was no warning fire beforehand like there was in other cases. Glass in my house shattered and the whole area was covered in thick smoke... I made sure everyone in my family was okay and went outside...We continued looking for survivors and carrying bodies out all night... I can't express it in words. No one in the neighborhood ever imagined that family homes would be attacked for no reason, with no prior warning."
16 Jul 2014 Military demand to evacuate rehabilitative hospital in Gaza unlawful Dr. Basman al-'Ashi, Director of al-Wafa Hospital and two of the patients. Photo: Anne Pak, ActiveStills.org, 15 July 2014. The military’s demand to evacuate the hospital is unlawful. A hospital is not a military target and the military may not target it even after it is evacuated. The information B’Tselem has indicates that the hospital was ordered to evacuate as part of the sweeping demand to evacuate the entire neighborhood, in blatant disregard for the fact that evacuating a rehabilitation institution is a complicated task which may put lives at risk. There is no other rehabilitative institute in the area where patients can be transferred. These patients require special conditions that cannot be recreated. Transferring hospital patients is complicated and dangerous at the best of times. Under the current conditions in Gaza, the danger is mortal.
16 Jul 2014 Bassam Khatab on the missile that killed his 5-year-old son, ‘Abd a-Rahman, at home, in Deir al-Balah Bassam Khatab. Photo: Khaled al-'Azayzeh, B'Tselem, 13.7.14 Muhammad got there before me. He told me afterwards that he went into his apartment and found my son 'Abd a-Rahman in his bedroom. He was lying on the bedroom floor. His legs were chopped off at the knees and he had shrapnel wounds all over his body and face. When I got to Muhammad's apartment, I saw him standing in the doorway. He was holding a severely wounded child. I took the child from him without knowing it was my son. I starting carrying the child downstairs, and only then I looked at his face and realized it was 'Abd a-Rahman, my five-year-old. He was dead. I was stunned. I shouted: "My son is dead!" One of my brothers called an ambulance, which came a few minutes later. We took 'Abd a-Rahman to Shuhadaa al-Aqsa Hospital.
16 Jul 2014 Faiza a-Luah on being forced to flee her home in northern Gaza with her children Faiza a-Luah. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 15 July 2014I'm really worried about my husband. I talked to him a short while ago, and he told me things are worse. I asked him to leave the house, but he said it's very dangerous and that if he goes outside, he won't make it alive. I don't know what will happen to him. Our home was already bombed once, in the 2009 war. We left the house then too and sheltered in a school. When we got back, we found a pile of rubble. There was nothing left that was usable. We just finished rebuilding one story of our house a year ago. When we moved in, I couldn't believe I had a house with walls, windows, doors, a kitchen, a toilet and a shower. But the happiness didn't last long, because now we've been evacuated again. We had to escape and go back to sitting on school chairs. To me, these chairs symbolize being uprooted again. These chairs mean pain and suffering.
15 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 172 People killed in Gaza Strip, by evening of 14 July 2014 Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 172 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the evening of 14 July. The fatalities include: 34 minors, 20 women (under age 60), 10 senior citizens. Initial findings indicate that 43 of the people killed were involved in combat.
15 Jul 2014 Gaza Strip, July 2014: A constant state of emergency The home of 'Abd al-Hafez Hamad. Six members of this family were killed when the house was bombed on the night of 8 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 9 July, 2014According to B’Tselem’s initial inquiries, by yesterday evening (14 July 2014) at least 172 Palestinians had been killed in Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. This number includes 34 minors (eight younger than 6 years old), 20 women (under 60) and 10 senior citizens. Our field researchers in Gaza have been working ceaselessly, night and day, to document events. Our field researchers in the West Bank have been lending a hand by collecting testimonies over the phone. Our office staff has been processing and verifying information, and trying to convey the incomprehensible scope of the infringement on human rights. The following seven photos were taken by our field workers in Gaza.
15 Jul 2014 Bilal al-Astal recounts bombing that killed 9 in Gazan café, where he and others were watching a World Cup match Searching for bodies in the sand the day after the airstrike. Photo: Fares Akram, 10 July 2014 "We watched the first half of the match together. We drank tea and coffee and there was a relaxed mood. We didn't hear any airplanes nearby. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. By the time I realized what was happening, I found myself buried under a pile of sand and dirt. I choked on the sand and could hardly breathe. I manage to get my head out of the sand. The rest of my body was stuck and I started calling for help. It was dark, but I could see that most of the caf? had been destroyed. It had simply disappeared, replaced by a huge hole in the ground. The people who had been inside were buried under the sand."
14 Jul 2014 Deliberate targeting of civilians by Hamas defies humanity and is morally and legally reprehensible Building hit by rocket, southern Israel. Photo: Ronen Zvulun, Reuters, 9 July 2014 Millions of Israeli citizens, many of whom are children, have been living under the threat of rocket fire for almost a week. For hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in the south of the country, this terrible situation is part of an ongoing routine. The unrelenting attacks have disrupted their lives, denied their right to live in security and hurt their ability to make a living. Every venture outside – to work, school, or a recreational activity – is attended by a sense of danger. Some residents have even decided to relocate for fear they or their loved ones would get hurt.
14 Jul 2014 Testimony: Avi Adaf of Sderot describes rocket hit on a neighboring home used for child day care Rocket hit on home, Sderot, southern Israel, 3 July 2014. Photo: Amir Cohen, Reuters "On 3 July 2014, at about 8:30 in the morning, a rocket hit my neighbor’s house. The house was being used as a small child day care center, as part of a rotation system... we heard the blast and my wife and I ran outside. We went into the house next door, into the security room, where the children were, to get them out. My wife and I both took one child in each hand and got out. The fifth child was with the care giver. The rocket hit the wall of the house and lodged there, but luckily, it didn’t explode, so the damage was relatively minor. I’ve learned from past experience not to let the kids see the damage the rockets cause, because it can be traumatic, so I waited inside the house with the kids until the bomb squad removed the rocket lodged in the wall, before we went out."
14 Jul 2014 Muhammad Shahin recounts bombing of al-Hajs’ home, Khan Yunis; 8 members of al-Haj family killed Woman mourns killing of al-Haj family, her relatives. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 10 July 2014 We reached the house that had been bombed. "I know it well. There was hardly anything left. It was totally destroyed. Bits of bodies were scattered on the road. The house next door to them belonged to the Shakshak family. It was also destroyed, but wasn't directly hit. The family was covered with debris, but they managed to get out alive. We started looking for survivors in the al-Haj family home. It was a terrible sight. I didn't think we could rescue anyone from under the debris. All we got out was body parts."
13 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 114 People killed in Gaza Strip to date (12 July 2014, noon) Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 114 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until 12 July at noon. The fatalities include: 26 minors, 13 women (under age 60), 5 senior citizens, Initial findings indicate that 27 of the people killed were involved in combat.
13 Jul 2014 B'Tselem info sheet: 52 Palestinians killed in bombings of homes in Gaza Strip, which are unlawful A house bombed in Gaza. Photo: Muhammad Salem, reuters, 13 July 2014 According to B'Tselem's initial findings, from the start of Operation Protective Edge there were ten incidents in which Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed when the Israeli military bombed homes. 52 people were killed in these incidents, of them 19 minors and 12 women. Official spokespeople state that it is enough for a person to be involved in military activity to render his home legitimate military targets, without having to prove any connection between his activity and the house in which he and his family live. This interpretation is unfounded and illegal. Euphemisms such as "surgical strikes" or "operational infrastructure" cannot hide the facts: illegal attacks of homes, which constitute punitive home demolition from the air, come at a dreadful cost in human life.
13 Jul 2014 B'Tselem info sheet: 52 Palestinians killed in bombings of homes in Gaza Strip, which are unlawful A house bombed in Gaza. Photo: Muhammad Salem, reuters, 13 July 2014 According to B'Tselem's initial findings, from the start of Operation Protective Edge there were ten incidents in which Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed when the Israeli military bombed homes. 52 people were killed in these incidents, of them 19 minors and 12 women. Official spokespeople state that it is enough for a person to be involved in military activity to render his home legitimate military targets, without having to prove any connection between his activity and the house in which he and his family live. This interpretation is unfounded and illegal. Euphemisms such as "surgical strikes" or "operational infrastructure" cannot hide the facts: illegal attacks of homes, which constitute punitive home demolition from the air, come at a dreadful cost in human life.
11 Jul 2014 Initial investigation: At least 38 Palestinian civilians, incl. 23 minors, killed in Gaza Strip in first 3 days of Operation Protective Edge The Kaware’a family home in Khan Yunis, Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 8 July 2014According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 83 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip from the early hours of 8 July 2014, when the Israeli military launched Operation Protective Edge, to the evening of 10 July. Our initial findings indicate there were at least 38 civilian fatalities, including 23 minors, 15 women and four persons over the age of 60. B'Tselem will continue to investigate these incidents of civilian fatalities as well as handle new reports being received of civilian casualties.
10 Jul 2014 Muhammad Hamad, 75, resident of Beit Hanun, relates how bombing killed his family members in their yard Mourners at the Hamad family home. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 9 July 2014 "I heard a loud explosion. I grabbed Kinan and went out into the street with him. It was full of smoke and dust. I walked on bits of glass. I left Kinan with people in the street and went back into the yard to check on the rest of the family. I found bodies lying on the ground covered in blood, with their clothes torn. Everything was full of shrapnel and blood. Some neighbors came with flashlights. When they lit up the yard, I was shocked – I saw the bodies of my three sons, 'Abd al-Hafez, Mahdi and Ibrahim, my wife, my granddaughter Dina, and my daughter-in-law Suha. The two other little ones, Rakan and Nur, were lightly injured."
9 Jul 2014 Bombing family homes of activists in armed Palestinian groups violates international humanitarian law The Kaware’ family home in Khan Yunis, Photo: Khaled al-'Azayzeh, B'Tselem, 8 July 2014 Since the Israeli military launched Operation Protective Edge in the early hours of 8 July 2014, the IDF Spokesperson and media sources have reported deliberate attacks against the homes of senior activists in armed Palestinian groups. The IDF Spokesperson reported that 11 such homes were attacked. Even if uninvolved civilians are not injured, these houses are not legitimate military targets, and attacking them is a violation of international humanitarian law. The gravity of the violation is compounded when uninvolved civilians are injured. Until now, B’Tselem has documented one case in which civilians were in a house bombed after a prior warning missile was fired:
More on the Gaza Strip
10 Aug 2014 Photo Blog: Ruins in Beit Hanun, August 2014 Photos: Muhammad Sabah, B'TselemPhotos of the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Taken by Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem field researcher in Gaza, on 5 August 2014, in the course of the ceasefire. Whole sections of Beit Hanoun have been demolished, making it one of the hardest hit communities in the recent offensive, along with Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Khuza’ah and Rafah. In the course of the fighting B’Tselem collected several testimonies from Beit Hanoun residents. Click here to view photos and read testimonies.
9 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
8 Aug 2014 Ambulance driver recounts attacks that killed a paramedic and injured team sent to rescue him Beit Hanoun resident leave town during brief humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem, 26 July 2014 "I drove the second ambulance, and there were two medics with me. The street is only about 200-300 meters from the call center, so we were there within minutes. When we reached the entrance to the street, we were surprised to see three tanks and a military bulldozer in the street, about 100 meters away. Suddenly, with no warning, they opened heavy machine-gun fire at us. The bullets penetrated the ambulance. I tried to turn the ambulance around to get out of there, but the steering wheel must have been hit. Suddenly, I felt sharp pain in my leg and realized I'd been hit by a bullet or shrapnel. Then the windshield shattered. Because I couldn't turn the ambulance around, I decided to try reversing. They kept firing as I backed up, until we got far enough away."
8 Aug 2014 Paramedic and photojournalist killed during an attempt to evacuate wounded people from a-Shuja'iyeh Palestinian woman walks past the wreckage of an ambulance in Beit Hanoun town. Suhaib Salem, Reuters, 1 August, 2014 We only took several steps when, suddenly, a missile was fired at us. It landed very close to me. It hit the photojournalist directly, killing killed him. A 25-year-old paramedic was hit in the back by shrapnel. [...] I started treating a little boy, about four years old, who had been hit in the leg by shrapnel. Then I treated another paramedic [...] When we got to the vehicles, we saw they'd been damaged by the bombing, too. [...] We were left with one ambulance and one civil defense vehicle. We got in with the injured child and Fares, the injured paramedic. We headed to the hospital in those two cars [...] Along the short distance I crossed, about 300 meters, I saw a woman and six or seven children lying dead. A few meters from there, I saw two dead men. Across the road, I saw a man, woman and two small children lying dead. They may have been from a single family.
6 Aug 2014 Attorney General asks Court to adopt new policy formulated in response to B’Tselem’s petition, aiming to preventing broadcast of radio spot with names of children killed in Gaza On 6 August 2014, Attorneys Hagai Kalai and Gilad Barnea submitted B'Tselem's response to the attorney general’s position as presented to Israel’s HCJ earlier this week as part of the state’s response to the organization’s petition. B’Tselem’s response emphasizes that the existing rule clearly establishes that it is permissible “to broadcast a political advertisement provided that it concentrate solely on a factual message.” B’Tselem’s proposed radio spot meets these conditions. The Attorney General’s recommendation to change rules as B’Tselem’s radio spot awaits approval raises concern of improper discrimination.
4 Aug 2014 Ya’akov Yinon, 69, of Moshav Netiv Ha’asara in southern Israel, describes being forced to leave his home due to firing from Gaza Yaakov Yinon and his granddaughter. Photo courtesy of the family."Our house is 200 meters from the northern border of the Gaza Strip. I don’t have young children but the situation on the moshav [farming community] is unbearable. The noise of the firing from both sides was horrendous. It was impossible to concentrate on anything. [...] My children last came to visit on Passover. While they were staying with us there was a Color Red alert. My grandchildren woke up while we were carrying them into the safe room, and ever since they won’t agree to come visit."
4 Aug 2014 ‘Abla a-Nabahin of al-Maghazi R.C. recounts bombing of her home on 13 July 2014; her sister Laila al-‘Awedat, 34, was killed Fatmeh al-‘Awedat, mother ‘Abla a-Nabahin and Laila al-‘Awedat in the hospital in Nablus. Photo: Salma a-Deb’i, B'Tselem, 24 July 2014"We heard an explosion nearby. [...] Then suddenly, my brother Ahmad and his wife Suha came in. They were in a panic. Ahmad said that their roof had been hit. I saw that Suha was very frightened. She was trembling. Ahmad asked us to get out of the house immediately. [...] Before we managed to get out, my mother said she wanted to use the toilet. [...] All of a sudden, I felt something pulling me into the house and everything collapsing on top of me. There was black smoke mixed with white dust. I felt I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I was buried in rubble."
3 Aug 2014 Shadi Taleb tells of seeing Abu Jarad family home shelled, leaving 8 dead; recounts constantly fleeing with his family for fear of bombings The funeral of eight members of the Abu Jarad family. Photo: Suhaib Salem, reuters, 19 July 2014 "On Friday, 18 July 2014, about two hours after we left our home in Beit Hanoun, I heard a loud explosion. A house nearby, about 30 or 40 meters from where we were staying, was hit. [...] I went outside and ran over to the house that had been bombed. A lot of neighbors came as well. We started carrying the wounded to ambulances, which arrived quickly. After we were done carrying everyone out, we found out the results of the shelling: eight family members were killed and four were injured. I found that I knew some the people who had been killed. I knew 'Abd a-Rahman Abu Jarad, his wife, Rajaa, and their two children, a 6-month-old baby and a 6-year-old boy."
3 Aug 2014 Initial figures: At least 1,510 Palestinians killed by morning of 2 Aug. 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 64 Israeli soldiers killed by the evening of 3 Aug. Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 1,510 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began, until 2 Aug. 2014.* The fatalities include: 366 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 174 women (under age 60), 75 senior citizens (aged 60 and over).
Since the operation began and until the evening of 3 Aug. 2014 two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 64 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
1 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
1 Aug 2014 Families bombed at home, Gaza, July 2014 (initial figures) In Israel's latest military operation in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, many homes were bombed with residents inside, killing several family members together. The following infographic details members of families killed in 36 incidents where civilian homes were bombed or shelled. In these incidents, 251 people were killed, including 55 women, 114 minors, and 11 people over the age of 60. Roll the mouse over the houses for more details. The figures are based on B'Tselem's initial investigation. We will continue to investigate the incidents and update the figures accordingly.
31 Jul 2014 ISM volunteer recounts death of a young man killed by shots from unknown source while searching for casualties in a-Shuja'iyeh, Gaza City Still from video."We started walking met a young man who lived in the neighborhood. He wanted to reach his home to check on his family. He wore green shirt. He asked us to help him and accompany him. [...] We were shocked by what we saw. A-Shuja'iyeh had become a real ghost town: a city of ruins, completely destroyed.[...] The house had been completely demolished. He stood in the ruins, shouting and calling Munir’s name, but no one answered [...] We managed to walk just a few steps more when we heard a single gunshot. The young man fell to the ground."
31 Jul 2014 IBA removes two political ads ahead of HCJ hearing on B’Tselem’s radio spot giving names of Gazan children killed in current offensive Before B’Tselem’s petition could be heard by the High Court of Justice (HCJ) and to counter discrimination arguments, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) pulled two patently political ads that support the Gaza offensive. The State requested an extension, stating that the Attorney General had not had enough time to formulate a position on the matter. The justices instructed the State to submit its position by Monday, 4 August 2014. The IBA and B’Tselem were given two days to respond to this position before the Court delivers its ruling.
31 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 1,262 Palestinians killed by morning of 30 July 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 56 Israeli soldiers killed since operation began Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 1,262 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the morning of 30 July.* The fatalities include: 314 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 148 women (under age 60), 62 senior citizens (aged 60 and over),
Initial findings indicate that 172 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Since the operation began and untill the evening of 31 July 2014 two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 56 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
30 Jul 2014 Photo Blog: Brief humanitarian ceasefire in Beit Hanun Beit Hanoun residents leave town during brief humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B’Tselem, 26 July 2014Muhammad Sabah is B'Tselem's field researcher in the northern Gaza Strip. On 26 July 2014, he took the opportunity of a brief humanitarian ceasefire to inspect several locations in the area. Of the sights he saw in the town of Beit Hanoun during the ceasefire he said: "The situation in Beit Hanoun was terrible. I saw people trying to take a few belongings and get out of there as fast as they could in view of several days of artillery fire. They were also afraid of the ground incursion and because of the UNRWA school and the hospital in Beit Hanoun that had been hit."
29 Jul 2014 B'Tselem petitions Israel’s High Court to oblige Israel Broadcasting Authority to broadcast names of Gazan children killed Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem petitioned the High Court of Justice (HCJ) yesterday, 28 July 2014, seeking to oblige the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to air radio spots produced by B’Tselem which incorporate the names of a few of the more than 200 Palestinian children killed in Gaza in Operation Protective Edge. The IBA refused to air the radio spots on the grounds of being “controversial”, not balanced, and possibly provoking public controversy over the military operation.
29 Jul 2014 13 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank since Operation Protective Edge began: Excessive use of live fire suspected Wounded young man being evacuated from demonstration by Qalandiya Checkpoint, 24 July 2014. Photo by Oren Ziv, Activestills.Since Operation Protective Edge began on 8 July 2014, Palestinians throughout the West Bank have held strikes, rallies, processions and demonstrations to show support for residents of Gaza and to protest the military's actions. At some demonstrations, Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces and burned tires; at one demonstration in Qalandiya, Palestinians fired live ammunition. Initial investigations by B'Tselem's field researchers found that in many cases, Israeli security forces responded with live fire. Initial information obtained by B'Tselem raises suspicion that senior commanding officers in the West Bank permitted security forces to use live fire as a means of crowd control, even in clashes with unarmed stone-throwers and in circumstances that posed no mortal risk to anyone.
28 Jul 2014 'Abd al-Fatah Fiad, a farmer from al-Qararah, relates how he and his family fled to Khan Yunis, abandoning their home and livestock Residents evacuating from Beit Hanoun during the humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 26 July 2014We waited until dawn to leave the house. My children cried all night. On Friday (18 July), at 5:30 A.M., I left with my family. We didn’t take anything. Some of the kids didn’t even have enough time to find shoes and they went out barefoot. A lot of people left al-Qararah like us. We walked to Khan Yunis, about 8 kilometers away. We were afraid the bombing wouldn’t stop and we wanted to get as far away as we could. We finally arrived, tired and anxious, at an UNRWA school across from the Khan Yunis hospital. We left behind 25 sheep, a mare, a foal, and chickens.
27 Jul 2014 Video blog: Footage posted on the net since fighting in Gaza began, July 2014 Since the recent bout of fighting in Gaza began, the internet has been inundated with footage of the fighting and its results. It is often difficult to determine the reliability of this footage as well as the context in which the images were shot. Our blog will present footage we collected from various online sources. We do not have full information regarding most of the items, so we appended explanatory notes for context. We also provided links to related media reports and cited details of information still missing. Please note: Most of the clips contain graphic content.
27 Jul 2014 Wisam Shuheibar relates how a missile killed his 8-year-old daughter and her cousins while feeding pigeons on the roof A grieving mother at the funeral of the children. Photo: Muhammad Salem, Reuters, 17 July 2014 "I was sitting reading the Quran when suddenly I heard a loud explosion. At first, I thought it was in the street or in a neighboring house. But I quickly realized it actually came from the roof of my house. I couldn't believe my house had been bombed. I ran up the stairs to the roof. Everything was full of dust and smoke. When they settled, I saw a terrible sight: a pile of five children lying one on top of the other... on the way to the hospital, Afnan passed away in my arms. I fainted. When I came to, we were at the hospital... they told me that two of my brother 'Issam's kids were dead too."
27 Jul 2014 Suhair Shabat describes mortal fear of bombing, leading her to take her children and flee Beit Hanoun Residents leaving Beit Hanoun by foot during the humanitarian ceasefire. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 26 July 2014"I decided to walk to my sister's house in a-Rimal neighborhood. It was very dangerous. We walked single file, one after another. I carried 'Abd a-Rahman and he held on to me tightly. We walked hugging the walls of buildings and the doors of closed shops, and tried to take cover under trees and light shelters. It felt like we were walking through a ghost town. We were surrounded by death... I prayed to God that He protect my children and me. I kept walking until we reached the hospital in Beit Hanoun. I met my husband there. I hadn't seen him since the war began, because he was at work all the time... We took a taxi from there to my sister's house in a-Rimal neighborhood. She was already hosting three other families, relatives of ours who had also fled the bombings. All told, we were 31 people. I was still scared, because no place is safe."
27 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 878 Palestinians killed by morning of 26 July 2014; two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 43 Israeli soldiers killed since operation began Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 878 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the morning of 26 July. The fatalities include: 207 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 88 women (under age 60), 47 senior citizens (aged 60 and over), Initial findings indicate that 165 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Since the operation began two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 43 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
27 Jul 2014 Two al-Bureij municipality employees killed in bombed Jeep; 7- and 9-year-old sisters in a nearby home injured House in Khan Younis damaged by an Israeli air strike, Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters, 17 July 2014 On 17 July, two employees of the al-Bureij local council were killed when the military bombed their Jeep. The two were on their way to inspect houses damaged by airstrikes. The bombing also injured two girls who live in a house nearby, one of them severely. Their mother, Fawziyeh al-Qrenawi, said in her testimony to B'Tselem: "My two daughters – Shahd, 7, and Salwa, 9 – were playing in their room, which has a wall facing the street... Suddenly, I heard a really loud explosion. A bomb landed very close to us. The house filled with dust and smoke. I ran to the girls' room and found them both lying on the floor. Shahd was bleeding. Salwa was lying next to her, screaming. I was stunned and couldn't understand what I was seeing."
24 Jul 2014 Call for the immediate arrangement of a channel for civilians to escape the battle zone Joint letter by Human Rights Organizations to Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff concerning the absence of any secure area in the Gaza Strip to which civilians can escape to protect their lives and ensure their safety and that of their families. We demand the immediate opening of an escape route for civilians to escape the battle zone.
24 Jul 2014 IBA censors B'Tselem radio spot listing names of Gazan children killed; B'Tselem to petition HCJ, spot gets massive exposure on social media Saher Abu Namus, 3 years old, killed on Friday, 11 July 2014More than 600 Palestinians have been killed during the fighting in Gaza so far, including more than 150 children. Yet Israeli media is barely covering the story, other than mentioning the number of casualties. To encourage public debate in Israel on the issue, B’Tselem asked to purchase a spot on IBA Radio in order to have the names of some of the children killed read out. The radio refused, on the grounds that reading out the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza is politically “controversial”. Yet the refusal is, in itself, far from neutral: it is a powerful statement in favor of silencing public debate over the massive price that Gazan civilians are paying for this operation.
24 Jul 2014 Yasmin (5) and Usamah (8) al-Astal, sent to their aunt's house because of shelling, were killed when her house was bombed, 16 July 2014 Women grieve in Khan Yunis. Photo: Finbarr O'Reilly 19 July, 2014“My wife and I were afraid something bad would happen to Yasmin and Usamah. We thought my sister Kawthar’s home would be safer… It’s usually quiet there, and the bombings haven’t reached them... my cousin called from Khan Yunis. He said a missile had been fired at my sisters’ house and asked me to come quickly because my kids had been hurt... I ran like a maniac to Kawthar’s house. When I got to the front door, I realized something terrible had happened. People inside the house came up to me. They told me that my two children had been killed... I yelled and cried hysterically.
24 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 686 Palestinians, two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 32 Israeli soldiers killed up to 23 July 2014 at 8:00 P.M. Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 686 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until 23 July at 8:00 P.M. The fatalities include: 163 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 69 women (under age 60), 38 senior citizens (aged 60 and over). Initial findings indicate that 153 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Two Israeli civilians, one foreign national and 32 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel during the same time frame.
23 Jul 2014 Ruth Ben Abu, 56, describes how a Qassam rocket directly hit her home in Sderot, southern Israel "It was the third time a Qassam rocket directly hit our family. The first was about five years ago, when a rocket hit my brother's house. Three years ago, a rocket hit my parents' house. I'm lucky that the damage to my house was relatively minor... my beeper started sounding the alarm and I went into the safe room ... I heard the rockets land very loudly, and it was so strong that the safe room shook... I was shaking and couldn't move. When I went out, I saw that the blast had blown the door in. I was shaking and couldn't move. When I went out, I saw that the blast had blown the door in. Bits of glass and shrapnel and plaster were scattered everywhere."
23 Jul 2014 Muhammad Abu Mu'ammar describes the bombing that killed his wife, father and brother in Khan Yunis Bombed and destroyed houses, Gaza, 19 July 2014. Photo: Suhaib Salem, Reuters"The family sat out on the porch, enjoying the atmosphere after breaking the fast. Despite the general sense of fear because of the war... things in the area felt normal at the time... Musa, my four-year-old, was sitting in my lap. My wife was holding Hazem, the baby.... Suddenly, two missiles landed on us... Everyone was hysterical and it was a huge mess. It's hard to describe the moments after the explosion. I saw some members of my family lying on the ground. Some of them weren't moving. They had blood on their faces and clothes. The little children were crying."
23 Jul 2014 Joint letter to Defense Minister: Gaza Strip civilian infrastructure is collapsing Palestinians fill bottles and containers with water from a public tap in Rafah. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 19 July 2014 In an urgent letter to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, 12 human rights organizations demand today that Israel fulfil its obligations and ensure that the humanitarian needs of the civilian population of Gaza are met, particularly with respect to the dwindling supply of water and electricity. More than half of Gaza’s population, 1.2 million people, currently were affected by lack of adequate access to water and sanitation services. Hundreds of thousands are completely without power, while additional hundreds of thousands are rationed up to 5 hours of electricity per day. These acute shortages are the result of severe damage to civilian infrastructure caused during the hostilities.
22 Jul 2014 Israel, July 2014: Life in fear of rockets Ashkelon residents run for shelter during a bomb alert. Photo: Baz Ratner, Reuters Millions of Israeli citizens, many of whom are children, have been living under the threat of rocket fire for more than two weeks. For hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in the south of the country, this terrible situation is part of an ongoing routine. The unrelenting attacks have disrupted their lives, denied their right to live in security and hurt their ability to make a living. Every venture outside – to work, school, or a recreational activity – is attended by a sense of danger. Some residents have even decided to relocate for fear they or their loved ones would get hurt. The photographs presented here were taken by Dudu Greenspan from Be'er Sheva, by Activestills, and by Reuters photographers.
22 Jul 2014 Nabilah Abu Halima, who saw her son killed in Operation Cast Lead, relates how the family had to flee their home again "The children were very scared and wanted us to move to schools, where they thought we would be safer. My son Muhammad, who is 18, cried and told me, “You want us to die, like you did with Matar.” Our son Matar was 17 when he was killed in the 2009 war [Operation Cast Lead]. He was killed together with his cousin Muhammad, who was 12, while they were trying to escape the bombardments… After I lost him, I was in a very bad state and couldn't function for some time... My husband, my parents and I thought about it until the morning and decided to leave."
22 Jul 2014 Muhamad Abu Haloub, 75, a retired Education Ministry director, describes how he and his family evacuated their Beit Lahiya home on military orders Palestinian civilians find shelter in an UNRWA school, Gaza, 13 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem"The fire from the first missile reached inside our homes, the explosion was so strong. It terrified us. Everyone panicked, especially the women, children and elderly people. Not all the families in the area left at once. We did it in stages. I saw my little grandchildren and the children of neighbors and relatives paralyzed with fear, and I could see in their eyes that they were shocked. They were trembling with fear. We had to evacuate our home and leave all our belongings behind. We only took a change of clothes, documents, money and jewelry. We left everything else behind: furniture, dishes, equipment. That really hurt. We left in a hurry after the last warning this morning, because we were very afraid of being bombed."
22 Jul 2014 Initial figures: At least 505 Palestinians, two Israeli civilians and 27 Israeli soldiers have been killed up to 21 July 2014 8PM Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, at least 505 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the 21 July at 9PM. The fatalities include: 140 minors (one minor participated in the hostilities), 56 women (under age 60), 28 senior citizens (aged 60 and over), Initial findings indicate that 102 of the people killed participated in the hostilities.
Two Israeli civilians were killed within Israel during this time, and 27 soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
21 Jul 2014 B’Tselem calls on the Government of Israel to immediately cease the bombardment of inhabited homes, neighborhoods and areas in the Gaza Strip House in Khan Younis damaged by an Israeli air strike, Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters, 17 July 2014 Horrific developments in Gaza have reached intolerable heights: Israel is bombing houses with people in them, entire families have been buried under rubble, and streets lie in ruins. Hundreds have been killed so far, dozens in the last 24 hours only, many of them women and children. Hamas makes no pretense to follow the laws of war. Israel does, but holds Hamas responsible for its own. Unlawful actions by one party cannot justify unlawful actions by the other. The horrifying reality on the ground makes it impossible to further countenance Israel’s cynical use of legal terms such as “proportionality”, “distinction” and “due caution”.
21 Jul 2014 Salman Abu Namus on the bombing that killed his 3-year-old son in Jabalya RC, northern Gaza Strip Saher Abu Namus. Photo: Abu Namus family."Just as I was about to leave, I heard two loud explosions very close by. I went outside. Everything was full of dust. When the air began to clear, I saw my wife running down the street. I ran over to her and saw her pick up a little boy and scream. When I got there, I saw she was holding Saher. He was dead."
21 Jul 2014 Initial findings: 25 members of a single family killed when their house was bombed, apparently without warning Search for victims amongst the rubble of a house bombed in Khan Younis. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 21 July 2014 On 20 July Israeli forces bombed the four-story building that was home to the extended Jame' family: the matriarch, Fatmeh Abu Jame', her four sons, and their wives and children. B’Tselem’s initial findings indicate that the likely target of the attack was Ahmad Suliman Sahmoud, a member of Hamas’ military wing, who was visiting a member of the family. Everyone who was in the house at the time was hurt: 25 members of the Abu Jame' family were killed, as well as Hamas operative Sahmoud. The rest were injured. Information B’Tselem has at this stage indicates that no warning was issued and no warning missile was fired prior to the attack
21 Jul 2014 Amani Badawi from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City describes life under airstrikes "I keep thinking about my children and what might happen to them. I keep checking the different spaces around the house, looking for a safe room, but there isn’t one. All the rooms have large windows that look out over the street except the kitchen, which is in the center of the apartment. So we decided to sleep in the kitchen. My son Diaa insisted on sleeping in his bed, but when he heard the bombings he came running into the kitchen with his mattress and blanket to sleep with us. There was no room in the kitchen for another mattress so he slept between the other two kids. They slept right up against each other – that is, when we finally managed to sleep, because the bombings just don’t stop, day and night."
21 Jul 2014 Joint statement: Concerns Regarding Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law in the IDF's Operations in Gaza Israeli airstrike on Gaza. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Rueters, 21 July 2014The organizations demanded that the Attorney General instruct the government to refrain from violating the laws of war and re-evaluate its aggressive policy and rules of engagement. The organizations seek to clarify whether the Attorney General critically evaluated the legal advice supplied to the Military Advocate General that underpins 'Operation Protective Edge', and calls on him to establish an external, independent and effective investigatory mechanism to examine the decision making of the political and operational establishment as required by international law and supported by the rulings of the High Court of Justice.
21 Jul 2014 Muhammad Abu Harb describes the bombing the killed his sister, Rawida Bombed and destroyed houses, Gaza, 19 July 2014. Photo: Suhaib Salem, Reuters"The room was dark and full of smoke. We found my sister, Rawida. She was badly wounded from big pieces of shrapnel, but she was still alive. We got her out from under the rubble. One of the rods that support the roof was stuck in her hip. We pulled it out of her body. We carried her out to the street. Then we found my mother. She was lying in a corner of the room covered in blood and crying in pain. She was having difficulty breathing, but her injuries looked less dangerous. Another of my sisters, Hanan, was badly hurt in her abdomen and chest. She was still breathing. My brother, Marwan, was also hurt. The neighbors helped us carry them outside."
20 Jul 2014 R. N., 57, who lives in Ashdod, southern Israel, describes life in constant fear of rocket fire "When I go to work, I drive a friend of mine, because she's too scared to drive. I'm a bit braver but we're always on our toes: should we leave now or later. We decide to take our chances and leave and I drive as fast as I can, always thinking about where I can stop if it catches me on the way. We're really scared to go outside. The city is a ghost town and we only shop for essentials. The rest of the time, I'm at home."
20 Jul 2014 Yusra Abu Kaf from the Beduin community of Um Betin in the Negev describes life under rocket attacks with no protection Unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev, illustration. Photo by: Neukoln, Wikipedia"There’s no bomb alert in our village, but we can hear the alerts from Omer. Even though the village was recognized by the state a few years ago, there is nothing here to protect us. There are no security rooms and no bomb shelter. More than 2,000 people live here. Our roofs are made of tin sheets, so when we hear the alert, we go outside and lie flat on the ground. It’s safer outside than inside. If a rocket hits the house, it’ll collapse completely and that’s very dangerous."
18 Jul 2014 Human Rights NGO's: A procedure to evacuate those injured in the Gaza Strip is required immediately Photo from Palestine Red Crescent Society webisteIn light of last night's events: A procedure to evacuate those injured in the Gaza Strip is required immediately. as part of the lessons learned the "Cast Lead" operation, and in accordance with its legal obligations, the military pledged to prepare a coordination mechanism that would allow the evacuation of the wounded and give access to ambulances within a reasonable time. The incidents of last night clearly illustrate that this mechanism, even if it exists on paper, is not sufficiently effective. Accordingly, we urge immediate action to honor this legal obligation to institute a mechanism to regulate the evacuation of the wounded in the Gaza Strip. We call for protection to be provided to rescue teams and medical personnel in the Gaza Strip, to allow them to perform their duties without exposing them to danger.
17 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 203 People killed in Gaza Strip, One Israeli civilian killed in Israel (to 17 July 2014 19PM) Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 203 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the 17 July at 7PM. The fatalities include: 41 minors, 21 women (under age 60), 14 senior citizens, Initial findings indicate that 48 of the people killed were involved in combat.
One Israeli civilian, Dror Khanin, was killed within Israel by mortar bomb fired by Palestinians from Gaza.
17 Jul 2014 May Hamadah, 33, who is fully paralyzed, describes the bombing of the hostel she lives in, which killed two and injured four Palestinian carries a damaged wheelchair as he walks amidst the debris of a hostel for people with disabilities, bombed on 12 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Salef, Reuters "We heard the Muazzin call out and prepared for prayer. It was about 4:30 A.M. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Everything shook and the walls collapsed. The hostel filled with dust and smoke. It took me a few minutes to come around and understand what had happened. The dust and smoke dispersed a bit, and I could see. The hostel was completely destroyed. There were broken things everywhere. I checked myself and discovered I was wounded in my head, abdomen and legs . I saw my friends 'Ula and Suha lying on the floor next to me. They weren't moving. They looked terrible. I knew right away that they’d been killed. The missile hit the roof and entered the hostel from the top floor."
17 Jul 2014 Rima Kasab describes life with her children in fear, under the shadow of war in Gaza City "Death has become an inseparable part of our lives, every minute, day and night. You never know when death will take you by surprise. You don't know when the next war will break out and how it will end. You don’t know how many people will pay with their lives and how many homes will be destroyed... I pretend to be strong and not afraid so my children don’t get scared, especially when they hear the missiles and the bombings. I tell them it’s happening far away and that nothing will reach us. They keep asking why people’s houses are being bombed, what those people did, and whether it hurts them. "
16 Jul 2014 Ety Levy, a single mother of four who lives in Ashkelon, southern Israel, describes life in fear under rocket attacks Ety Levy"during the operation, I stay at home with my four kids, day and night. When the siren goes off, we leave our apartment and gather in the staircase. We hear and see rockets being diverted [by Israel's "Iron Dome" defense system] or hitting targets very close to us. Every explosion makes the whole building shake. The children are afraid to sleep in their rooms and insist on staying in the living room with me all night. Even if they do manage to fall asleep, they take turns staying awake "on guard".
16 Jul 2014 Sa'eed al-Hadad relates bombing of al-Batsh home in Gaza City with no prior warning, which killed 18 family members A child from al-Batsh family during the funeral. Photo: Muhammad Salem, Reuters, 13 July 14 "At around 10:30 P.M., I heard two loud explosions. They were really close to my house and the whole area shook. There was no warning fire beforehand like there was in other cases. Glass in my house shattered and the whole area was covered in thick smoke... I made sure everyone in my family was okay and went outside...We continued looking for survivors and carrying bodies out all night... I can't express it in words. No one in the neighborhood ever imagined that family homes would be attacked for no reason, with no prior warning."
16 Jul 2014 Military demand to evacuate rehabilitative hospital in Gaza unlawful Dr. Basman al-'Ashi, Director of al-Wafa Hospital and two of the patients. Photo: Anne Pak, ActiveStills.org, 15 July 2014. The military’s demand to evacuate the hospital is unlawful. A hospital is not a military target and the military may not target it even after it is evacuated. The information B’Tselem has indicates that the hospital was ordered to evacuate as part of the sweeping demand to evacuate the entire neighborhood, in blatant disregard for the fact that evacuating a rehabilitation institution is a complicated task which may put lives at risk. There is no other rehabilitative institute in the area where patients can be transferred. These patients require special conditions that cannot be recreated. Transferring hospital patients is complicated and dangerous at the best of times. Under the current conditions in Gaza, the danger is mortal.
16 Jul 2014 Bassam Khatab on the missile that killed his 5-year-old son, ‘Abd a-Rahman, at home, in Deir al-Balah Bassam Khatab. Photo: Khaled al-'Azayzeh, B'Tselem, 13.7.14 Muhammad got there before me. He told me afterwards that he went into his apartment and found my son 'Abd a-Rahman in his bedroom. He was lying on the bedroom floor. His legs were chopped off at the knees and he had shrapnel wounds all over his body and face. When I got to Muhammad's apartment, I saw him standing in the doorway. He was holding a severely wounded child. I took the child from him without knowing it was my son. I starting carrying the child downstairs, and only then I looked at his face and realized it was 'Abd a-Rahman, my five-year-old. He was dead. I was stunned. I shouted: "My son is dead!" One of my brothers called an ambulance, which came a few minutes later. We took 'Abd a-Rahman to Shuhadaa al-Aqsa Hospital.
16 Jul 2014 Faiza a-Luah on being forced to flee her home in northern Gaza with her children Faiza a-Luah. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 15 July 2014I'm really worried about my husband. I talked to him a short while ago, and he told me things are worse. I asked him to leave the house, but he said it's very dangerous and that if he goes outside, he won't make it alive. I don't know what will happen to him. Our home was already bombed once, in the 2009 war. We left the house then too and sheltered in a school. When we got back, we found a pile of rubble. There was nothing left that was usable. We just finished rebuilding one story of our house a year ago. When we moved in, I couldn't believe I had a house with walls, windows, doors, a kitchen, a toilet and a shower. But the happiness didn't last long, because now we've been evacuated again. We had to escape and go back to sitting on school chairs. To me, these chairs symbolize being uprooted again. These chairs mean pain and suffering.
15 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 172 People killed in Gaza Strip, by evening of 14 July 2014 Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 172 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until the evening of 14 July. The fatalities include: 34 minors, 20 women (under age 60), 10 senior citizens. Initial findings indicate that 43 of the people killed were involved in combat.
15 Jul 2014 Gaza Strip, July 2014: A constant state of emergency The home of 'Abd al-Hafez Hamad. Six members of this family were killed when the house was bombed on the night of 8 July 2014. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 9 July, 2014According to B’Tselem’s initial inquiries, by yesterday evening (14 July 2014) at least 172 Palestinians had been killed in Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. This number includes 34 minors (eight younger than 6 years old), 20 women (under 60) and 10 senior citizens. Our field researchers in Gaza have been working ceaselessly, night and day, to document events. Our field researchers in the West Bank have been lending a hand by collecting testimonies over the phone. Our office staff has been processing and verifying information, and trying to convey the incomprehensible scope of the infringement on human rights. The following seven photos were taken by our field workers in Gaza.
15 Jul 2014 Bilal al-Astal recounts bombing that killed 9 in Gazan café, where he and others were watching a World Cup match Searching for bodies in the sand the day after the airstrike. Photo: Fares Akram, 10 July 2014 "We watched the first half of the match together. We drank tea and coffee and there was a relaxed mood. We didn't hear any airplanes nearby. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. By the time I realized what was happening, I found myself buried under a pile of sand and dirt. I choked on the sand and could hardly breathe. I manage to get my head out of the sand. The rest of my body was stuck and I started calling for help. It was dark, but I could see that most of the caf? had been destroyed. It had simply disappeared, replaced by a huge hole in the ground. The people who had been inside were buried under the sand."
14 Jul 2014 Deliberate targeting of civilians by Hamas defies humanity and is morally and legally reprehensible Building hit by rocket, southern Israel. Photo: Ronen Zvulun, Reuters, 9 July 2014 Millions of Israeli citizens, many of whom are children, have been living under the threat of rocket fire for almost a week. For hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in the south of the country, this terrible situation is part of an ongoing routine. The unrelenting attacks have disrupted their lives, denied their right to live in security and hurt their ability to make a living. Every venture outside – to work, school, or a recreational activity – is attended by a sense of danger. Some residents have even decided to relocate for fear they or their loved ones would get hurt.
14 Jul 2014 Testimony: Avi Adaf of Sderot describes rocket hit on a neighboring home used for child day care Rocket hit on home, Sderot, southern Israel, 3 July 2014. Photo: Amir Cohen, Reuters "On 3 July 2014, at about 8:30 in the morning, a rocket hit my neighbor’s house. The house was being used as a small child day care center, as part of a rotation system... we heard the blast and my wife and I ran outside. We went into the house next door, into the security room, where the children were, to get them out. My wife and I both took one child in each hand and got out. The fifth child was with the care giver. The rocket hit the wall of the house and lodged there, but luckily, it didn’t explode, so the damage was relatively minor. I’ve learned from past experience not to let the kids see the damage the rockets cause, because it can be traumatic, so I waited inside the house with the kids until the bomb squad removed the rocket lodged in the wall, before we went out."
14 Jul 2014 Muhammad Shahin recounts bombing of al-Hajs’ home, Khan Yunis; 8 members of al-Haj family killed Woman mourns killing of al-Haj family, her relatives. Photo: Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, Reuters, 10 July 2014 We reached the house that had been bombed. "I know it well. There was hardly anything left. It was totally destroyed. Bits of bodies were scattered on the road. The house next door to them belonged to the Shakshak family. It was also destroyed, but wasn't directly hit. The family was covered with debris, but they managed to get out alive. We started looking for survivors in the al-Haj family home. It was a terrible sight. I didn't think we could rescue anyone from under the debris. All we got out was body parts."
13 Jul 2014 Initial figures: 114 People killed in Gaza Strip to date (12 July 2014, noon) Member of emergency services crew in Gaza; background: house bombed on 10 July 2014. Photo: Ahmad Zakut, Reuters. According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 114 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the time between early Tuesday, 8 July 2014, when Operation Protective Edge airstrikes on Gaza began until 12 July at noon. The fatalities include: 26 minors, 13 women (under age 60), 5 senior citizens, Initial findings indicate that 27 of the people killed were involved in combat.
13 Jul 2014 B'Tselem info sheet: 52 Palestinians killed in bombings of homes in Gaza Strip, which are unlawful A house bombed in Gaza. Photo: Muhammad Salem, reuters, 13 July 2014 According to B'Tselem's initial findings, from the start of Operation Protective Edge there were ten incidents in which Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed when the Israeli military bombed homes. 52 people were killed in these incidents, of them 19 minors and 12 women. Official spokespeople state that it is enough for a person to be involved in military activity to render his home legitimate military targets, without having to prove any connection between his activity and the house in which he and his family live. This interpretation is unfounded and illegal. Euphemisms such as "surgical strikes" or "operational infrastructure" cannot hide the facts: illegal attacks of homes, which constitute punitive home demolition from the air, come at a dreadful cost in human life.
13 Jul 2014 B'Tselem info sheet: 52 Palestinians killed in bombings of homes in Gaza Strip, which are unlawful A house bombed in Gaza. Photo: Muhammad Salem, reuters, 13 July 2014 According to B'Tselem's initial findings, from the start of Operation Protective Edge there were ten incidents in which Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were killed when the Israeli military bombed homes. 52 people were killed in these incidents, of them 19 minors and 12 women. Official spokespeople state that it is enough for a person to be involved in military activity to render his home legitimate military targets, without having to prove any connection between his activity and the house in which he and his family live. This interpretation is unfounded and illegal. Euphemisms such as "surgical strikes" or "operational infrastructure" cannot hide the facts: illegal attacks of homes, which constitute punitive home demolition from the air, come at a dreadful cost in human life.
11 Jul 2014 Initial investigation: At least 38 Palestinian civilians, incl. 23 minors, killed in Gaza Strip in first 3 days of Operation Protective Edge The Kaware’a family home in Khan Yunis, Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 8 July 2014According to B'Tselem's initial figures, 83 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip from the early hours of 8 July 2014, when the Israeli military launched Operation Protective Edge, to the evening of 10 July. Our initial findings indicate there were at least 38 civilian fatalities, including 23 minors, 15 women and four persons over the age of 60. B'Tselem will continue to investigate these incidents of civilian fatalities as well as handle new reports being received of civilian casualties.
10 Jul 2014 Muhammad Hamad, 75, resident of Beit Hanun, relates how bombing killed his family members in their yard Mourners at the Hamad family home. Photo: Muhammad Sabah, B'Tselem, 9 July 2014 "I heard a loud explosion. I grabbed Kinan and went out into the street with him. It was full of smoke and dust. I walked on bits of glass. I left Kinan with people in the street and went back into the yard to check on the rest of the family. I found bodies lying on the ground covered in blood, with their clothes torn. Everything was full of shrapnel and blood. Some neighbors came with flashlights. When they lit up the yard, I was shocked – I saw the bodies of my three sons, 'Abd al-Hafez, Mahdi and Ibrahim, my wife, my granddaughter Dina, and my daughter-in-law Suha. The two other little ones, Rakan and Nur, were lightly injured."
9 Jul 2014 Bombing family homes of activists in armed Palestinian groups violates international humanitarian law The Kaware’ family home in Khan Yunis, Photo: Khaled al-'Azayzeh, B'Tselem, 8 July 2014 Since the Israeli military launched Operation Protective Edge in the early hours of 8 July 2014, the IDF Spokesperson and media sources have reported deliberate attacks against the homes of senior activists in armed Palestinian groups. The IDF Spokesperson reported that 11 such homes were attacked. Even if uninvolved civilians are not injured, these houses are not legitimate military targets, and attacking them is a violation of international humanitarian law. The gravity of the violation is compounded when uninvolved civilians are injured. Until now, B’Tselem has documented one case in which civilians were in a house bombed after a prior warning missile was fired:
More on the Gaza Strip
- Background
- The scope of Israeli control
- Operation Cast Lead
- Firing Qassam Rockets
- The siege on Gaza
- Rafah Crossing
- The water crisis
- Residents without Status
- Medical System
- Inter-Palestinian clashes
- Death Penalty
- Gilad Shalit
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- Background the use of firearms
- Rubber-coated steel bullets
- Flechette tank shells
- Military investigations
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