Gaza: Mother, two children killed by Israeli bomb

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

On the evening of Saturday, 8 July 2006, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian woman and two of her children, and injured another five members of the same family, when an IOF plane dropped a bomb close to their house located to the east of the Sheja'iya area of Gaza City. This crime is a continuation of a series of war crimes that have been perpetrated by IOF in the Gaza Strip over the past two weeks. Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip are paying the price of the war launched by IOF, which has led to the killing and injury of a large number of civilians. The total number of Palestinians killed by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) since 25 June 2006 is now at fifty-two. In addition, more than a hundred and forty have been injured, many of them seriously.

PCHR's preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 19:50 on Saturday, 8 July 2006, an IOF plane fired one bomb that fell near the house belonging to Farid Hajjaj, located near Obeid Petrol Station at the end of Mansour Street, east of Sheja'iya in the eastern part of Gaza City. The house is located 800 meters from the border with Israel. The bomb shrapnel spread to the area and inside the house. As a result, Farid's wife and two of his children were killed. Five other family members were injured. The family was sitting in the garden of the house when the bomb hit. Medical sources indicated that the three dead family members had been hit by shrapnel at very close range. The conditions of the injured are described as moderate to serious. The dead family members are:

- Ammouna Yousef Hajjaj (42);
- Rawan Farid Hajjaj (6); and
- Mohammad Farid Hajjaj (20)

After the incident, an IOF spokesman confirmed that IOF planes had dropped one bomb near Al-Muntar (Karni) crossing (near the house) in an attempted targeting of a Palestinian militant. It is noted that IOF have been conducting an incursion in the area since the early morning hours of Saturday (8 July 2006), and are conducting a wide military operation in the area. Read more