Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) carried out a wide-scaled incursion into the area of northern Gaza, one of the most populated areas in the Gaza Strip. The northern Gaza Governorate is composed of three major residential areas: Jabalia towns and its refugee camp, the town of Beit Hanoun and the town of Beit Lahia. The population of this area is over 250,000.

IOF spokespersons announced that the Israeli Army carried out the incursion to stop the launch of Qassam and other hand-made rockets on the Israeli village of Sderot and Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. The incursion is still underway for the sixth day. Seventy-seven Palestinians (three Palestinians were killed in South Gaza during the same period. The rest are from Gaza city and northern Gaza area); among whom are 24 children, have been killed and 248, including 81 children, were injured by the time of issuing this update.

Numerous homes and private property have also been destroyed as IOF utilize air force and heavy tanks in this military operation. In addition, as the incursion continues, the civilian population of the area suffer shortage in food and water supply. In the areas which IOF occupy civilians lack the most basic needs. Al Mezan received numerous plights from people who were in urgent need for medicine and water.

Events of day six: Sunday 3 October 2004

According to Al Mezan’s initial documentation IOF destroyed 168 homes in North Gaza, at least 38 of which completely. Acts of demolition of homes and land continued today.

At approximately 9:10pm Sunday, 3 October 2004, about 20 Israeli tanks stormed into Zimmu Street the town of Beit Hanoun where they occupied the house of Farid Az Zaaneen and leveled two farms near the house. Tanks withdrew from the street around 3am today.

Israeli special forces smuggled into the Twam neighborhood, south of Jabalia, at approximately 1:20am today. Eyewitnesses informed the Center that the exchanged fire with Palestinian resistance members and withdrew from the area. No casualties were reported.

At approximately midnight yesterday, IOF launched an air raid at the house of what it described as a Palestinian militant. The attack took place in Ash-Shija’ya neighborhood in Gaza City. Two Palestinians were wounded.

IOF shelled the Manshyeh neighborhood in Beit Lahia and killed four Palestinians: Faris Umar Al habel, aged 21, Romel Muhammad Al Barrawi, aged 20, Ismail Ibrahim Qahman, aged 21, and Muhammad sabir Al Baba, aged 23. The four are from the town of Beit Lahia.

At approximately 6am today, IOF tanks, which had been positioned in the As Sikka Street eastern Jabalia, opened fire at a residential area. They killed 27-year-oldMuhammad Mousa Al Hissi. Al Hissi was on his way back home from the mosque after the dawn prayer when he was shot according to eyewitnesses. It is worth noting that IOF took positions at sites that give a wide range of vision in the area. Numerous Palestinians were killed over the past week from snipers and tank fire initiated from these sites.

The health situation in the besieged town of Beit Hanoun continued to deteriorate. The only clinic functioning in the town under the incursion lacks medicine, blood supply and staff. A 29-year-old woman, Aisha Wahdan, arrived at the clinic today after a snake bit her. He condition is deteriorating as the clinic lacked the required medicine and she was denied access outside the town. A 10-month-old baby, arrived at hospital suffering a heart attack, and could not have adequate assistance, like many others.

At around 11:30am today, an Israeli airplane fired a missile at the At Twam neighborhood in Jabalia. No casualties were reported.

At 11:45am, IOF opened fire at a residential area in the Sikka Street, east of Jabalia camp killing 20-year-old Ramzi Hasaballa. He died fro a live bullet in the face.

Later, at 11:55am, IOF tanks moved into Beit Lahia and reached the outskirts of Tel Az Zaatat neighborhood where they took positions. They opened fire at the Al Awda hospital in the neighborhood and neighboring houses.

Muhammad Riziq, a resident of the Middle Gaza area, reported to Al Mezan today that IOF opened fire at the taxi lifting him and his family at the Abu Holly checkpoint. The incident took place at around 1pm. Riziq went to the closed checkpoint with his sick son and his wife after Al Mezan, in collaboration with Israeli NGO Physicians for Human Rights, contacted the Israeli Army and provided clearance for his passage. According to Riziq: “IOF ordered the taxi to stop and drive back, but opened fire at the taxi and shot its wheels”. They had to wait until 4pm when the checkpoint was open for two hours and crossed it to Rafah so that they can travel to Egypt.

At approximately 1:40pm today IOF fired at homes in Al Mahkama Street in Jabalia and killed a 17-year-old girl. She was identified as Islam Nadir Dwidar. She was killed from a live bullet in the head and was injured when she was at her home.

Medical sources informed Al Mezan that IOF denied an ambulance’s access to the town of Beit Hanoun at approximately 12:30pm. The ambulance carried medicines and blood and was denied access in spite of a prior security clearance by IOF. Until 6:30pm, the ambulance has not yet been allowed into the town.

Palestinian 4-year-old boy, Lu’ay Ayman An Najjar, was killed by IOF in the village of Khza’a in the south of the Gaza Strip. He was near his home when he was hit in the head. Eyewitnesses said Israeli bulldozers entered the area and started leveling land when the shooting occurred. This raises the toll of Palestinians to 77 since the IOF attack on Gaza started at 10pm on Tuesday 28 September 2004.

Relevant international statements

On 3 October 2004, the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Anan, called on the Government of Israel to halt its military incursions into the Gaza Strip. The UNSG spokesman said that Mr. Anan said that the Israeli military incursions “have led to the deaths of scores of Palestinians, among them many civilians, including children”. He also called on the Palestinian Authority to “take action to halt the firing of rockets against Israeli targets by Palestinian militants” and reminded both sides to this conflict that they have a legal obligation to protect all civilians.

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting Monday afternoon to discuss the Israeli military operation in North Gaza area. Sources in the UN said that Algeria requested the meeting Sunday by a request from the Arab League. Israel’s ambassador to the UN described the resolution as one-sided while the United States said it would veto it.

The Palestinian Refugees Federation in the EU countries condemned what it said the Israeli systematic state terrorism and war crimes IOF perpetrated in North Gaza.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Jean Ubaid, criticized the international inaction regarding the Israeli massacres in North Gaza. He called the United Nations and the international community to motivate a just settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Relevant Palestinian and Israeli statements

Arab Knesset member, Ahmad Al Tibi, described the Israeli forces acts in North gaza as ‘crimes against humanity’. He condemned Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians and added that Israel has killed 792 children since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000.

Physicians For Human Rights – Israel issued a press release today and expressed its deep concern about the deterioration of health conditions in North Gaza and, especially, about the high number of Palestinian children who have been injured by the Israeli army. The organization added that dozens of Palestinians, including children have been killed and injured from Israeli fire. It criticized the restrictions imposed on ambulance movement and the damage of schools and homes in the area.

The Israeli Army’s Chief of General Staff, Moshe Yaalon, said today that his army “will continue this operation for as long as we need.” He claimed that most of the casualties at the Palestinian side were ‘terrorists’.

Al Mezan Statement

Al Mezan Center for Human Right gravely condemns Israel’s continued collective punishment of Palestinian civilians in the OPT, and especially in the North Gaza area. The center emphasizes that IOF committed violations, and continue, serious violations of human rights is this area, especially the arbitrary shelling and bombardment of residential areas, the use of excessive and disproportionate force, the obstruction of ambulance and humanitarian teams movement and, he destruction of homes and private properties. Such acts breach the International Humanitarian Law and human rights standards and necessitate urgent action by the international community.

The Center believes that the failure of the international community to effectively intervene has only urged Israel to continue its breach of international law. Al Mezan calls for urgent international community to protect Palestinian civilians in the OPT and to put an end to its collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, especially as the humanitarian situation of tens of thousands of civilians is deteriorating rapidly.

Al Mezan calls upon the United Nations Security Council to condemn the Israeli breaches of the international law and to initiate investigations in the IOF’s violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip.

List of Palestinians who were killed by IOF since the beginning of the incursion

1. Tawfeeq Muhammad Ash Shrafi; 24 years, Jabalia camp
2. Ahmad Ibrahim Madi; 17 years, Jabalia camp
3. Said Muhammad Abi Al Aish; 14 years, Jabalia camp
4. Mus’ab Mahmud Al Barad’I; 21 years, Gaza City
5. Fathi Ahmad Abu Sawaween; 23 years, Gaza City
6. Khalil Khalil Naji; 27 years, Gaza City
7. Usama Muhammad Al Bursh; 21 years, Jabalia town
8. Abdul hai An Najjar; 24 years, Jabalia camp
9. Ra’fat Rafeeq Jaballah; 25 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
10. Sufyan Abu Al Jidyan; 33 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
11. Hamza Asaad Ahmad; 27 years, Beit Lahia
12. Muhammad Yousif Al Habel; 65 years, Beit Lahia
13. Muhammad Al Ja’beer; 18 years, Jabalia camp
14. Hazim Hussein Farajallah; 24 years, Jabalia camp
15. Atif Jamal Al Ashqar; 27 years, Beit Lahia
16. Muhammad Jamil Al Ustath; 25 years, Jabalia, Al Karama
17. Muhammad Abdul Salam Shalha; 16 years, Jabalia camp
18. Muhammad raafat Al Rifi; 19 years, Gaza City
19. Yihia Akram Hammad; 17 years, Beit Lahia
20. Tamir Abdul Aziz Abu Shakyan; 14 years, Jabalia camp
21. Mus’ab Mahmud Jum’a; 22 years,
22. Hussam Ghunaim; 19 years,
23. Abdullah Abu Udeh; 16 years, Gaza City
24. Arafat Bilal Yasin; 24 years, Gaza City
25. Muhammad Abu Hasira; 25 years, Gaza City
26. Diyaa ad-Din Al Kahlout; 17 years, Gaza City
27. Mahmud Abu Al Jidyan; 23 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
28. Mutaz Abdul Malik At Taluli; 14 years, Jabalia camp
29. Muhammad Khalid raihan; 14 years, Jabalia camp
30. Ziyad Ala’ Shams; 14 years, Gaza City
31. Mahmud Al Madhoun; 17 years, Jabalia camp
32. Sultan Said Al Bishawi; 14 years, Gaza City
33. Nidal Said Al Bishawi; 16 years, Gaza City
34. Mahmud Muhammad Al Hashash; 62 years, Rafah
35. Mahmud Abu Tyour; 10 years, Khan Younis
36. Mahmoud Umran; 77 years, Khan Younis
37. Tariq Abdullah Zaqout; 17 years, Jabalia camp
38. Ahmad Adnan al Bura’I; 16 years, Gaza City
39. Iyad Zaqout; 31 years, Beit Lahia
40. Jihad Mahmud Abu Al Jbeen; 26 years, Jabalia camp
41. Mostafa Hammash; 21 years, Jabalia camp
42. Nidal Muhammad Matar; 29 years, Jabalia camp
43. Wasim Mustafa Natil; 18 years, Jabalia camp
44. Ibrahim Ali Asaliya; 26 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
45. Hani Said Mushtaha ; 17 years, Gaza City
46. Jadallah Ahmed Abu Skheela; 27 years, Jabalia camp
47. Miqbel Khzeiq; 26 years, Gaza City
48. Ibrahim Mamud Abu Al Qumsan; 21 years, Jabalia camp
49. Muhammad Rafiq Salem; 20 years, Beit Lahia
50. Fathi Abdul Rahman Afana; 45 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
51. Eid Muhammad Afana ; 36 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
52. Ibrahim Hasan Hamdan; 43 years, Jabalia, Tel Az Zaatar
53. Wahid Talal Abdul Rahman; 25 years, Jabalia Refugee Camp
54. Yaser Muhammad Abu Ghbaiyd; 20 years, Jabalia Refugee Camp
55. Imad Muhammad Al Mansi; 27 years, Gaza City
56. Muhammad Mousa Al Shami; 22 years, Jabalia camp
57. Abdul Mun’em Ihsan Abu Baker; 20 years, Gaza City
58. Yaser Mustafah Dahalan; 21 years, Jabalia camp
59. Mahdai Jamal Mushtaha; 30 years, Gaza City
60. Khaled Al Amriti; 28 years, Gaza City
61. Musbah Hussein Al Rantisi; 20 years, Jabalia camp
62. Rami Akram Quddas; 22 years, Jabalia camp
63. Muhammad Ibrahim Al Shrafi; 22 years, Jabalia camp
64. Ra’id Abu Wadi; 36 years, Jabalia camp
65. Fadi Farid Az Za’anin; 23 years, Beit Hanun
66. Maher Jamil Zaqout; 29 years, Jabalia camp
67. Nidal Mohsen Al Madhoun; 13 years, Jabalia camp
68. Muhammad Diyab An Najjar; 13 years, Jabalia camp
69. Saber Ibrahim Asaliya; 13 years, Jabalia camp
70. Faris Omar Al Habel; 21 years, Beit Lahia
71. Romel Muhammad Al Barawi; 20 years, Beit Lahia
72. Ismail Ibrahim Qahman; 21 years, Beit Lahia
73. Muhammad Saber Al Baba 23 years, Beit Lahia
74. Muhammad Mousa Al Hissi; 27 years, Jabalia camp
75. Ramzi Shehda Hasaballa; 20 years, Jabalia camp
76. Asma’ Nader Dwidar; 17 years, Jabalia camp
77. Lu’ay Ayman An Najjar; 4 years, Khan Younis

Due to the Israeli incursion in North Gaza and to the presence of IOF tanks 150 meters from its office, which incurs serous dangers on the center’s office and the safety of its staff, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights was forced to close its main office in Jabalia camp. The Center receives the cases who need intervention in person or by telephone in its Gaza office in Izzadin Al Qassam St., tel/fax: +970 (0)8 2820447/2.

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