Since 27 June 2006, Israel has waged a massive military offensive against the Gaza Strip, causing high numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of public and private property.1 From 08:00 27 June – 08:00 08 August, Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of 170 Palestinians, including 138 civilians (some 25 per cent of whom were children), 14 security officers, and 15 armed Palestinians. An additional 506 Palestinians were injured.

During this period, the Israeli military carried out 768 attacks on the Gaza Strip, including 190 air attacks by Israeli F16s, UAVs and helicopters. The Israeli military fired over 3,500 artillery and other shells into the Gaza Strip and Israeli military aircraft, including F16s, carried out 380 air patrols.

Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip has been grossly disproportionate and constitutes collective punishment of the 1.4 million Palestinian civilians residing there. This Special Report updates the previously issued PMG Special Report: Collective Punishment: Israel’s Attack on the Gaza Strip, issued on 09 July 2006. It focuses on the period between 08:00 08 July and 08:00 08 August 2006.

1. Killings and Injuries <> Israeli military operations from 08:00 08 July until 08:00 08 August resulted in the killing of 131 Palestinians, including 108 civilians (of whom 26 were children), 8 security officers, and 12 armed Palestinians.2 During the same period, Israeli military activity resulted in the injury of 395 civilians, including women and children.

This brings the total number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since 08:00 27 June to 170. This is roughly equivalent to the total number of Palestinians killed in the 11 month period between 01 August 2005 and 08:00 27 June 2006 (see Annex I). Of the total number of Palestinians killed since 08:00 27 June, 151 (88.8 per cent) were killed during the month of July 2006. This is the single largest monthly death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 2004, when 166 Palestinians were killed, of whom 6 were assassinated.

Sample of Israeli Military Operations Resulting in the Killing of Palestinian Civilians

• At 20:00 on 08 July, the Israeli army fired 1 artillery shell from its locations in Israel towards 1 civilian house east of the neighbourhood of Ash Shuja’iya east of Gaza city, killing 3 civilians from the same family (a mother as well as her son and daughter): Rawan Fareed Hajjaj, a 6-year-old female child, Amneh Yousef Hajjaj, a female civilian, and Mohammed Fareed Hajjaj. The attack also resulted in the injury of 5 other family members (brothers), including 3 children (aged 12, 13, and 15 years).
• At 03:00 on 12 July, an Israeli F16 combat aircraft fired 1 missile towards a civilian house in Ash Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza city, killing Dr. Nabeel Abu Salmiyyeh, his wife, and his 4 children, injuring 17 civilians, and completely destroying the house.
• At 13:25 on 24 July, the Israeli army fired a number of artillery shells from its locations in Israel towards Palestinian territory near An Nada residential towers in the town of Beit Lahiya, killing 3 civilians, including 1 child, and injuring 15 others, including a number of children. Of those injured, 2 civilians were in critical condition. Those killed were: Saleh Ibrahim Nasser, 15 years old; Sa’di Ahmed Abu Na'im; and Sadeq Abdul Ra’ouf Nasser.
• At 15:50 on 24 July, the Israeli army fired 1 artillery shell from one of its locations in Israel towards Palestinian territory near the American School. The artillery shell hit a cart carrying farmers who were travelling to their land, killing 1 child and 1 female civilian: Nadi Habeeb al ‘Attar, 12 years old, and Kheiriyyeh al ‘Attar. The attack also resulted in the injury of 3 children, including 2 who were in critical condition.
• At 19:50 on 26 July, the Israeli army fired 1 artillery shell from a location in Israel towards 1 house in the area of Al Qarem east of the town of Jabalya, killing 4 civilians from the same family: Asma’ Ali ‘Okal and her daughters, Shahd ‘Okal, a 6-month infant; Mariya ‘Okal, 3 years old7 years old. The attack also resulted in the injury of other civilians as well as caused damage to the house.
• At 07:00 on 27 July, the Israeli army fired a number of artillery shells from its locations in Israel towards the area of Tallet al Kashef south of the town of Beit Hanun, killing Kamilah al Najjar, a 75-year-old female civilian.
• At 00:05 on 28 July, an Israeli UAV fired 1 missile towards the area surrounding a social club in the town of Jabalya, killing 12-year-old Anas Khaled Zamlat.
• At 23:55 on 05 August, an Israeli UAV fired 1 missile towards a gathering of civilians on George Street in the city of Rafah, killing 12-year-old Ibrahim Salman ar Rmeilat and injuring 3 civilians.

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