The report praises the military's investigative and judicial systems, ignoring essential flaws in their operation. To date, only one soldier who participated in Operation Cast Lead has been prosecuted - for stealing a credit card. B'Tselem again urges Isr

B'Tselem has written urgently to the judge advocate general demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the firing of phosphorus shells at the UNWRA compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. This is a p

Fidaa Heji was diagnosed in 2007 with lymphoma. On 23 Sept. '09, her physicians referred her to treatment in Israel, and her family submitted an urgent request to enter Israel. On 11 Nov. '09, she died, two weeks before her 18th birthday. Four days later,

Immediately after Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip ended last year, B'Tselem gave video cameras to 15 young Gazan students and asked them to document everyday life around them. Each volunteer chose his or her personal viewpoint. The results are on ai

Ahmad 'Asfur, 19, was wounded during Operation Cast Lead and submitted a request to enter Israel for medical treatment that is unavailable in Gaza. On 25 Nov. '09, he was summoned to Erez Crossing, where he was arrested and taken to jail rather than to ho

List of Military Police investigations of which B'Tselem is aware that were opened in 2009 relating to suspected offenses committed by security forces during Operation Cast Lead.

On 27 Dec. '09, a year since Operation Cast Lead began, B'Tselem is launching a public campaign calling on the Israeli government to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, which is drastically harming 1.5 million residents.

'Imad a-Natur, 17, has worked for two years in Rafah tunnels used for smuggling goods from Egypt. A-Natur's father is ill, and he left school to support his parents and seven siblings. He lives in constant fear because of the dangers involved in working i

Berlanty 'Azzam, 22, was just two months shy of completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Bethlehem University when stopped by soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint and expelled to the Gaza Strip. The petition filed on her behalf by Gish

Issa Misac, a Christian resident of Gaza, and his fiancee, a resident of Bethlehem, planned to marry in April '09, yet Israel refuses to allow them to unite in either place.

When 'Abd al-Karim al-'Atal, an 18-year-old Gazan, requested to enter Israel for medical treatment, he was arrested and interrogated by the ISA. His testimony indicates that the interrogators used unlawful methods and tried to force him to become a collab

The Military Police are investigating some 21 incidents from Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. However, these investigations address specific incidents and will not address larger policy questions. They will also not examine the responsibility of civ

The Military Police are investigating some 21 incidents from Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. However, these investigations address specific incidents and will not address larger policy questions. They will also not examine the responsibility of civ

Alaa Abu Sultan relates how her husband, Muhammad, was detained two years ago at a checkpoint in Nablus and deported to Gaza, even though he had been living in Tulkarm since 1996. He has not seen his family since.

B'Tselem is persistently advocating for Israel to implement the principal recommendation of the Goldstone report and mount an independent investigation into suspicions that Israeli forces breached international humanitarian law in Operation Cast Lead.

With the publication of the Goldstone Committee report today, human rights organizations in Israel are studying the report and its conclusions, and they call upon the Israeli Government to take the report seriously and to refrain from automatically reject

B'Tselem releases comprehensive casualty figures from the three-week operation. The enormous toll on civilians - including the death of 320 minors - requires serious introspection on the part of the military, the government, and Israeli society as a whole

Ten Israeli human rights and social change organizations have written to the prime minister protesting the government's attack on "Breaking the Silence", which escalated with the government's attempt to thwart funding for the group.

In the coming weeks, B'Tselem will publish a list of Palestinian fatalities in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, based on months of research.

While the military has attacked the credibility of soldiers' testimonies regarding Operation Cast Lead, it has failed to open a single serious investigation into events detailed by Palestinian witnesses to B'Tselem.

To mark the two years of closure that Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip, Israeli human rights organizations have released a new online film with the message "Lift the closure - give life a chance".

Prominent Israeli human rights organizations have called upon the EU to link the upgrade of its relations with Israel to respect for human rights and the rule of law, in light of the 9th EU-Israel Association Council meeting held this week.

On 4 January, the army shelled farm area in which a number of families lived. Testimony given to B'Tselem indicates that families fled from their homes, waving white flags, but they were fired upon, and Raya and Majda Abu Hajaj, mother and daughter, were

According to the UN, Israel destroyed 3,500 homes in Operation Cast Lead. Some of the displaced persons now live in tents, in harsh conditions. Participants in B'Tselem's video project documented life in one encampment.

B'Tselem demands that the army stop all use of white phosphorous in Gaza, and that its use in Operation Cast Lead be thoroughly investigated. The conclusions of a recent army inquiry into the matter are completely divorced from the effects suffered in the

On 22 April, the results of the Israeli military's internal investigations of Operation Cast Lead were published, indicating that dozens of innocent civilians were killed due to what the army referred to as "rare mishaps." In response, B'Tselem pointed ou

B'Tselem welcomes the appointment of the jurist Richard Goldstone to head the fact-finding mission, called for by the UN Human Rights Council, to investigate the recent fighting in Gaza. Particularly welcome is the delegation's mandate, which covers viola

B'Tselem has joined ARTE to continue the award-winning internet documentary series on the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel. B'Tselem injected into the project attention to International Humanitarian Law.

Ghada Abu Halima, 21, a Gazan mother of two, died on 29 March. Abu Halima was wounded and 5 of her relatives, among them 4 children, were killed, when the military shelled their house with white phosphorus during "Operation Cast Lead". In her testimony of

Israeli human rights organizations: The speedy closing of the investigation into soldiers' testimonies of events during "Operation Cast Lead" raises suspicions that the sole purpose of opening the investigation was to clear the military of all blame for i

Saturday, 21.3.09, marked 1,000 days since Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was taken hostage. Hamas must release him unconditionally.

Israeli human rights organizations repeated their demand that the Attorney General hold an independent investigation of the army's conduct during operation "Cast Lead". The call followed chilling testimonies of soldiers concerning the killing of Palestini

B'Tselem has petitioned the High Court of Justice to require Israel to permit staff members of the organization to enter the Gaza Strip to investigate the human rights and humanitarian situation in the area following the hostilities.

Israel continues to obstruct independent investigations into allegations of laws of war violations by the Israel and Hamas by preventing Human Rights Watch and B'Tselem researchers from entering Gaza.

Pensioner 'Izzat Kasab told B'Tselem that on 7 Jan. soldiers took over his home, beat family members and arrested him along with three sons. Kasab, who has a heart condition, said he was held for over a week under harsh conditions, without his medication.

On 4 Jan. '09, the entire al-Kafarneh family was injured when their house was shelled, in Beit Hanun. 3-year-old Wiam died of shrapnel wounds the next day. After the family left the house, the army demolished it.

B'Tselem issued a position paper detailing the guidelines of the necessary Israeli investigation of its conduct during the operation in Gaza. B'Tselem's initial survey of the military operation calls into question Israeli statements that the military acte

25 members of the a-Shteiwi family, 12 of them children, were besieged in their home with shelling going on outside for over a week. When they were evacuated, the army demolished the house.

On 12 Jan. '09, soldiers called residents of the Khuza'a neighborhood, in the Gaza Strip, to leave their homes. When Rawhiya a-Najar stepped out of her house waving a white flag, soldiers shot her and then a young woman who tried to help her. A-Najar rema

On 28 Jan. seven Israeli human rights organizations appealed to the Military Judge Advocate General and to the Attorney General concerning the appalling conditions in which Palestinians arrested during the fighting in Gaza were held, and the humiliating a

During the fighting in Gaza Israeli human rights groups worked together to inform the Israeli public of the impact on civilians. Upon the declaration of the cease-fire, we have stopped the daily updates. The organizations will continue to use the Blog to

Gaza: Yesterday 95 bodies were dug up from the ruins. As of today, at least 1,300 killed, of them at least 410 children and 104 women. Over 5,320 injured, of them over 350 severely injured (Palestinian Ministry of Health figures). Israel: 3 civilians and

According to testimonies given to B'Tselem, on 3 January, soldiers called to 'Atiya a-Samuni to come out of his house, in a-Zeitun, Gaza City. When he approached the door, soldiers opened fire, killing him. The soldiers continued firing, wounding a number

Gaza: at least 1,205 killed, of them at least 410 children and 100 women. Over 5,320 injured, of them over 350 severely injured (Palestinian Ministry of Health figures). Israel: 3 civilians and 10 soldiers killed. Over 84 civilians injured, of them 4 seve

A farmer from the Huza'ah village was killed this morning (18 Jan.) by Israeli gunfire while working his land, some 400 meters from the Israeli border. His brother. A witness told B'Tselem that in spite of the ceasefire, the soldiers opened fire without w

On 11 January, tanks shelled the Hamuda family home in Gaza City, killing a toddler and wounding his mother and brother. The father's testimony indicates that during the long wait for the shelling to stop and rescue teams to arrive, the brother died of hi

Gaza: at least 1,033 killed, of them at least 335 children and 98 women. Over 4,850 injured, of them over 450 severely injured (Palestinian Ministry of Health figures). Israel: 3 civilians and 10 soldiers killed. Over 82 civilians injured, of them 4 sever

Continuation of the fighting will bring more death and destruction. Innocent civilians, among them large numbers of children, will be killed and wounded. According to media reports, both sides have already agreed to the principle of a ceasefire. Under the

On 4 January, soldiers ordered all residents of the 'Abd Rabbo neighborhood, east of Gaza City, to leave their homes. Only a few families, having ill or disabled people, were allowed to remain

Gaza: at least 970 killed, of them at least 300 children and 76 women. Over 4,400 injured, of them over 450 severely injured (Palestinian Ministry of Health figures). Israel: 3 civilians and 10 soldiers killed. Over 82 civilians injured, of them 4 severel

In a press conference held today in Jerusalem, 9 Israeli human rights organizations called on the government and army to respect the laws of war and stop disproportionate harm to civilians. According to media reports and testimonies of Gazans, military fo

On 7 Jan., Lu'ai Subuh, 10 years old, walked home with some family members and friends to bring essential items to the school in which his family was sheltering. As he waited in the street with his friends, the three were hit by a bombing. One of the chil

According to a report to B'Tselem from a Palestinian who is under siege with his family in the southeastern part of the Gaza Strip, a fifty-year-old woman from his family was shot when she exited the house while waving a white flag.

On 6 Jan., the Dib family sat in their trying to bake bread, as the bakeries had run out. A shell struck their home, which is next to UNRWA's al-Fakhura school, killing nine members of the family.

On 4 Jan., the Israeli army shelled a home in Beit Lahiya. Ghadah Abu Halima told B'Tselem that the house went up in flames and five of its occupants burned to death, four of them children. As the wounded survivors made their way to hospital, soldiers fir

Gaza: at least 900 killed, of them at least 270 children and 95 women. Over 4,200 injured, of them over 400 severely injured (Palestinian Ministry of Health figures). Israel: 3 civilians and 7 soldiers killed. Over 82 civilians injured, of them 4 severely

Various reports indicate that the Israeli army is using phosphorous in the Gaza Strip. This weapon causes severe burns and is capable of igniting fires. Its use in a crowded area such as the Gaza Strip is illegal.

On the morning of the first day of Israeli bombing of Gaza, 'Abd a-Shaf'i was arrested by police on suspicion of selling cigarettes on the street. A short while later, Israel bombed the police station, killing a-Shaf'i.

An army investigation has concluded that the harm caused to civilians in the UNRWA school bombing on 4 Jan. resulted from the use of an imprecise weapon. B'Tselem demands that the army prohibit use of this weapon in the Gaza Strip.

On 7 Jan., the Israeli air force gave families in Rafah a few hours' warning before bombing the residential area. The residents rushed to flee their homes, taking few belongings with them.

The 'Arafat family fled their home under bombing and took shelter with relatives. The next day, that house was bombed and caught fire, as the family escaped to an UNWRA school.

Israeli human rights groups have launched a blog supplying ongoing updates about the harm caused to civilians as part of the fighting in the Gaza Strip and Southern Israel.

On the first day of the attack on Gaza, Khaled al-Astal rode his bike to see a place that had been bombed. As he drew near, more missiles were fired into the crowd that had gathered, killing him instantly.

In the last few hours, B'Tselem learned of civilians who are trapped in several places in the Gaza Strip, all under the army's control. B'Tselem demands that the army immediately allow ambulances to evacuate the dead and wounded and to enable civilians to

On 3 January, naval ships and tanks bombed a-Dawaida, in central Gaza Strip, forcing the Abu Dahruj family to flee their home.

On 6 Jan., the Israeli army bombed the a-Daiyah home in the center of Gaza City, killing 21 men, women and children from a single family.

On 2 January, children from the al-Astal family were playing in the street. A bombardment from the air hit three of them, killing them on the spot.

On 5 Jan., the Israeli army bombed the center of the al-Bureij refugee camp. Jihad Abu-Jabarah, a disabled pensioner, was killed in his home with two of his sons.

The family, parents and their two infant children, flee again and again from the bombing and shelling, unable to find a safe place.

On 4.1.09, soldiers ordered the extended a-Samuni family to gather in one building. The next morning, as some members tried to leave the building, it was shelled and dozens were killed and injured

On 4 Jan., when the Israeli army began shelling a residential area in central Gaza, the Sukar family fled their home and took nothing with them. They are now taking shelter in an UNRWA school, under harsh conditions.

On 1 January, the residential area in which the Abu al-Haj family lives, in al-Maghraqeh, Gaza Strip, was bombed. The family fled from their home, taking nothing with them, and found refuge in a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The al-'Ayadi family lives in an agricultural area in which a number of families reside. When the hostilities began, the family gathered in one house. On Saturday night, the house was shelled. Since then, the family, eight of whom were lightly injured in

On 28 December, eight members of the 'Abasi family, fearing the bombing, went to sleep in the same room. The father, Iyad al-'Abasi, awoke in the hospital, where he learned that three of his children -Sidqi, 5, Muhammad, 10, and Ahmad, 11 - had been kille

On 4 January, a medical team was fired at while evacuating wounded people in Beit Lahiya. A paramedic and one of the wounded people were killed.

On 4 January, soldiers opened fire from a tank toward a passenger taxi outside Gaza City. The four children in the taxi witnessed their mother and another woman killed.

As bombs and missiles fall around them, the 'Assaliyeh family are forced to stay inside with their home with dwindling food and water. supplies.

A-Nasalah family was in their home when near-by structure was bombed a number of times. A-Moaz, 2.5 years old and Eyon, 16, were killed.

B'Tselem has received a report that several wounded Palestinians are currently trapped in buildings shelled on Saturday night by the army, together with the bodies of their relatives.

The al-Masri family hardly dare leave the house and live on bread and tea.

On 27 Dec., Jaber Abu Hweij was urgently called home from work by a neighbor. He arrived to find his house destroyed and family members wounded or killed.

On 27 Dec., Ahmad and Maryam Sinwar, aged three and six, stepped out of their home to feed chickens in the yard. Before they reached the coop, the house was hit by the bombing of a nearby building. Ahmad was killed.

On 1 Jan. '09, the Israeli army killed four women and eleven children when it bombed the house of Nizar Rayan, a senior Hamas official, in the Jabalya refugee camp. Such extensive loss of civilian life constitutes a grave breach of international humanitar

On 27 Dec. '08, the Israeli army bombed a police building next to the central market of Deir al-Balah. Merchants and vendors were killed, as well as a seven-year-old child.

The Kashku family was warming themselves around a bon-fire in their yard due to the power failure. Ibtehal, the 8-year-old girl, went up to her aunt's apartment to get tea, when the house was bombed. Ibtehal and her aunt were killed and the house was dest

Samirah Bau'lusha, 36, lost 5 of her daughters when her house was destroyed after the Israeli Air Force bombed a mosque next door. Four of her other children were also hurt during the attack. According to Ba'aloosha, many houses near by were damaged as a

The owner of the truck bombed by the Israeli Air Force on Salah a-Din street in Gaza on Monday claims the truck was carrying oxygen canisters, not Grad rockets. The Israeli army published drone footage of the bombing.

Statements by officials suggest that Israel is defining anything connected to Hamas as a military target. This approach violates the principle of distinction between civilian objects and military targets that is fundamental to international humanitarian l

Since 27 Dec., Israel has been bombing targets in Gaza that it claims are linked to Hamas. Since the assault began, the international media have reported 383 Palestinian casualties, more than 30 of whom are minors. 3 Israeli civilians have been killed by

In light of the recent escalation in violence around the Gaza Strip, and the firing of rockets towards Israeli communities, B'Tselem has repeated its demand that all parties to the hostilities prevent the harming of civilians. The rules of war obligate al

The life of Yasser Sweisi, 11, depends on a respirator. The frequent blackouts resulting from the siege on Gaza forced his parents to buy a generator. When the fuel needed to operate the generator runs out, they use a manual respirator.

A year ago, Sonia Rasaras, a resident of the West Bank, took her children to visit her ailing father in the Gaza Strip. Since then, Israel has prevented her from returning home. As a result, her disabled 18-month-old daughter cannot receive medical treatm

Since 5 November, Israel has sharply reduced the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip. The action, carried out in response to rocket fire into Israel, constitutes collective punishment, which is forbidden and aggravates the already harsh humani

On 10 Sept. '08, seven Gazan fishermen were sailing in the zone permitted for fishing by the Israeli army. With no advance warning, an Israeli naval vessel rammed into their boat and sailed over it. The severe damage to the boat left the fishermen unemplo

On 5 Oct. '08, two fishermen sailed from Rafah in a rowboat. One of them, Muhammad Musleh, told B'Tselem that an Israeli navy boat fired at them without warning, although they were in the zone permitted for fishing by the army. Musleh was severely injured

Over the past year, Israel has escalated its policy of separating the populations of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The separation regime splits families, puts thousands at risk of expulsion to the Gaza Strip and turns Palestinians into "illegal aliens

Since Israel tightened the siege on Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians have been unable to attend their studies outside it. This denies individuals' right to education and impedes the development of Palestinian society as a whole.

Human rights organizations have petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow Gaza Strip residents to visit their relatives being held in prisons and in detention in Israel. The prohibition on visits, which has been in effect for the past year, infringes

The health situation in the Gaza Strip has been steadily deteriorating since Israel tightened its siege on the area in June 2007. The closure of all entrances and exits from Gaza has barred patients from receiving treatments unavailable within Gaza and ha

Samira a-Daghmeh, 13, told B'Tselem that soldiers blew up the door to the family's home in the Gaza Strip while her mother and siblings were inside, killing her mother. Soldiers stayed in the home for several hours without evacuating her to a hospital, an

B'Tselem repeated its call to the Israeli army's Judge Advocate General to open a Military Police investigation into the death of five members of the Abu Me'tiq family in Beit Hanun on 28 April.

B'Tselem's investigation indicates that an Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at armed Palestinians, the second of which landed about one meter from the gate of the Abu Me'tiq family's house.

Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana'a was killed by a Flechette shell. B'Tselem demands that the Israeli Army's Judge Advocate General order the immediate cessation of the use of this prohibited weapon in the Gaza Strip, and open a criminal investigation of the

According to B'Tselem figures, from 27 February to the afternoon of 3 March, 106 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip. Contrary to the Chief of Staff's contention that ninety percent were armed, at least fifty-four of the dead (twenty-five of them m

On 7 February 2008, soldiers fired a missile that landed in the yard of an agricultural school in Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip. In his testimony to B'Tselem, one of the school's students described how the missile, which struck at the beginning o

B'Tselem decries the High Court's decision allowing reduction in the supply of electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip.

Although the toppling of the fence at the Egyptian border temporarily eased the stranglehold, the million and a half residents of Gaza still depend almost entirely on importation of goods, fuel, and electricity through crossings controlled by Israel. The

The Palestinian Electric Company has had to shut down Gaza's power station after it ran out of industrial diesel. Last week, Israel's stopped all fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Following the cutback, which began in October, the Gaza power station had to severely cut back the supply of electricity, impairing electricity supply to residents and vital facilities.

In the Cabinet meeting, the Head of the ISA said that Israel has killed 1,000 terrorists in the Gaza Strip in the past two years. The total number of Palestinians killed in this period is actually 816, and this includes 152 minors as well as many women an

Sha'ban Abu 'Obeid needs a pacemaker. In 2006, on his way back to Gaza after tests at an Israeli hospital, the ISA stopped him at Erez Crossing and demanded that he collaborate. When he refused, the ISA official responded: "May God help you enter Israel a

The Court postponed by two weeks its decision regarding power cuts to the Gaza Strip. However, the court did not intervene regarding the reduction of fuel supplied, although this decision constitutes a collective punishment of the civilian population.

The two children require monthly treatment at Hadassah Hospital. Since September 2007, Israel has refused both parents entry permits into Israel. Unable to reach treatment, the children's condition has deteriorated.

Na'el al-Kurdi, 21, died yesterday in Gaza. On 8 November, Physicians for Human Rights petitioned the High Court to allow him and 10 other patients requiring urgent treatment to enter Israel or go abroad. The court ordered the state to respond within seve

Doctors at Hadassah said the Toddlers had to come to the hospital monthly to receive follow-up treatment for their cystic fibrosis, but Israel repeatedly causes difficulties, and in October refused to grant entry permits for an accompanying parent.

Abu Taha tried for 10 days to cross into Israel for emergency treatment; yesterday he finally crossed but died a few hours later.

Human rights organizations filed a petition against Israel's illegal decision to cut off vital electricity and fuel supply to Gaza as a collective punishment measure.

Seven Israeli human rights organizations jointly warn that yesterday's Cabinet decision to limit the electricity and fuel supply to the Gaza Strip and to further restrict movement in and out of Gaza will exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis there.

The groups call on Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the European Union, and Egypt , to immediately open Gaza 's borders to passenger traffic, irrespective of their political agenda concerning Hamas.

Since Hamas took over power in the Gaza Strip, the area has been placed under siege by Israel. Except for exceptional cases, Israel does not permit movement of people or goods between Israel and Gaza. As a result, the economic crisis in the Gaza Strip has

Eight Israeli human rights organizations sent an urgent message to Israel's Defense Minister demanding that he enable people and goods to move in and out of the Gaza Strip. This must include those seeking asylum in the West Bank, the sick and wounded who

Between October 2006 and May 2007, 163 people have been killed in fighting between armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip. Fifty-one people died in the month of May alone. B'Tselem calls on the armed groups to respect the rules of international humani

Israel continues to control central areas in the lives of Gaza's residents. The restrictions it imposes over foreign trade, and the inadequate functioning of the Karni crossing paralyze Gaza's Economy.

In January 2007, 'Imad Farhat took his four-and-a-half-year-old son to Egypt for medical tests. On their way home to the Gaza Strip, Rafah Crossing was closed and they had to stay in Egypt eight more days, with barely enough money to cover living expenses

On 7 Dec, 06, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that "Since June, more than 400 members of terrorist organizations have been killed." According to B'Tselem's, from 26 June, to 15 November, the IDF has killed 387 Palestinians. More than half of them, inclu

In response to the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, nine Israeli human rights organizations issued an unprecedented joint call to the international community to ensure that Israel respects the basic human rights of Gaza residents, and to ens

On October 30, Israel 's Prime Minister told the Knesset Security and Foreign Affairs Committee that in the past three months, the Israeli military has killed 300 "terrorists" in the Gaza Strip in its war against terror groups.

The report, titled "An Act of Vengeance", shows that most residents of the Gaza Strip continue to be cut off from electricity half of every day, with wide-ranging, adverse affects.

Reports indicate that Gaza's only crossing has been closed in order to to put pressure on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. B'Tselem wrote to the Defense Minister demanding that he end this illegal policy.

The Israeli air force bombed a residential building in Gaza city before dawn on July 12, killing a couple and 7 of their children, the youngest a 4-year old boy. The IDF stated that the building was a hideout for senior operatives of the Hamas military wi

The Israeli Air Force is intentionally causing supersonic booms over Gaza in order to harass the population. This means, which is particularly harming children, is a form of collective punishment, outlawed by international humanitarian law.

Israel has the right to all legal measures to free the abducted soldier, however, it must refrain from using measures which contravene International Humanitarian Law.

On 21 June 2006 The Israeli Air Force fired missiles again into a residential neighborhood in the Gaza Strip. The missile fire, which hit a home in Khan Yunis, killed a 35 year old woman, Fatmeh Ahmad, and her brother Zachariya Ahmad, 48, and injured 11

The Israeli airforce fired missiles into a residential area in northern Gaza city. The missiles killed 11 Palestinians, ten of them civilian passersby. Two children were among those killed.

Israel's missile and artillery fire at targets in the Gaza Strip is taking a heavy toll in deaths and injuries of Palestinian civilians who take no part in the fighting.

The circumstances of the incident raise the grave suspicion that the attack was disproportionate. Attacks of this kind are defined as a war crime.

Israel continues to assert decisive control over many aspects of life in Gaza, and therefore bears the legal obligation to respect the rights of Gaza residents.

Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations petitioned the High Court, demanding that the army revoke the order that reduces the safety zone of shells fired into the Gaza Strip to only 100 meters from civilians.

The harm to the Ghiben house, the death of Hadil and the injury to the rest of the household are the direct result of the reduction of the "safety zone" and Israel's policy to fire into residential areas

Three bystanders were killed in an israeli air force attack in Gaza, all of them minors. B'Tselem requested the Judge Advocate General to order a Military Police investigation into the attack, which may be a war crime.

Since the disengagement from the Gaza Strip was completed, in September 2005, IDF soldiers have killed nine unarmed Palestinian civilians who were in the area of the Gaza perimeter fence. Five minors, including an eight-year old child, were among the nine

An o rder to open fire at any person present in a particular area in the northern Gaza Strip, if indeed given, is a flagrant breach of International Humanitarian Law.

One Big Prison, a report by B'Tselem and HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual, argues that even after disengagement, the government cannot avoid its responsibility for Palestinians living in Gaza.

Evacuation of the settlements is necessary to rectify the human rights violations and breaches of international law.

Hundreds of the Palestinian residents of Al-Mawasi have been waiting for days at the Tufah checkpoint, to return to their homes.

For the past four and a half years, Israel has severely restricted freedom of movement to and from the Gaza Strip. These restrictions further strangled the Gaza Strip, so much so that the area resembles one gigantic prison.

For the past four and a half years, Israel has severely restricted freedom of movement to and from the Gaza Strip. These restrictions further strangled the Gaza Strip, so much so that the area resembles one gigantic prison. The report warns against Israel

On 10 February 2005, Ha'aretz reported that the IDF decided to freeze its plan to dig a trench and demolish houses.