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 these circumstances, they must immediately stop the fighting.
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 children died and Lu'ai lost his eyesight.
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 forces are wantonly using lethal force, thus far killing hundreds of civilians and wreaking damage to infrastructure.
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 severely injured, not including those treated for shock, and 71 soldiers injured, of them one in critical condition.
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 fired at them.
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 injured, not including those treated for shock, and 61 soldiers injured, of them one in critical condition.
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.
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.
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.
Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has acted in a coordinated and deliberate manner to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip, committing genocide against its residents. In light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the public statements made by Israeli decision-makers, and the international community’s failure to take effective action, there is a serious risk that the Israeli regime will expand the genocide to other areas under its control—first and foremost, the West Bank.
B’Tselem calls on the Israeli public and the international community to use every tool available under international law to bring an immediate end to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.