Through Women’s Eyes

8/13/2019 Through Womens Eyes

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GENDERSPECIFICREPORTONTHELATESTISrELI OFFENSIVE


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CONTENTS

Inroducion

Female Vicims o Israeli Atacks

Applicable Legal Framework

Rules Governing the Conduct of Hostilities

Te Principle of DistinctionTe Direc argeing o Civilians

Case Study 1: Ibtisam Al-Astal

Case Study 2: Wafaa Abu Amra

Case Study 3:ahreer Salman

Direc argeing and Desrucion o Civilian Objecs

Desrucion o Homes, Reconsrucion o Lives: TeImpac o he Loss o Ones Home

Case Study 4: Salah Family

Case Study 5 Hijazi Family

Case Study 6: Arafat Family

Case Study 7: A-Naassasra Family

Indiscriminae Atacks

Case Study 8:Abu Zour Family

Case Study 9: Eseifan Family

Case Study 10: Nabahin Family

Insufficien Precauions in Atacks

Case Study 11: Sabah Eskafi

Case Study 12: Nawal Abdul Aal

Female Vicims o Pillars o Deense

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INTRODUCTION

Less han our years afer he Israeli offensive, codenamed Operaion CasLead (2008-9), Israel launched anoher large-scale offensive on he Gaza Sripcodenamed Operaion Pillar o Deence. Alhough he 8-day offensive wasshorer in period and did no expand o a ground invasion, he atacks had adevasaing impac on he civilian people o he Gaza Srip. Available evidenceindicaes ha war crimes were widespread, including: he direc argeing o

civilians and civilian objecs; indiscriminae and disproporionae atacks;and a ailure o ake all necessary precauions in atack o proec he civilianpopulaion, and in he choice o mehods and means o warare. For eigh days,he people o Gaza were he arge o Israeli atacks rom land, sea, and air, and

were subjeced o excessive use o miliary power.

Fieldworkers working wih he Palesinian Cenre or Human Righs (PCHR)carried ou exensive invesigaions o atacks boh hroughou and aferhe offensive, and documened violaions o inernaional human righsand humaniarian law. Te findings o hese invesigaions indicae ha 171Palesinians, including 102 civilians, were killed by Israeli orces. 35 children,14 women, and 3 journaliss were among hose civilians killed. A urher 648Palesinians were wounded, including 213 children, 92 women and 12 journaliss.Israeli orces carried ou 1,350 airsrikes, in which 1,400 missiles were launched.61 houses were compleely desroyed, while hundreds o oher houses susaineddamage ranging rom severe o parial.1

However, he impac o he Israeli offensive exceeds he above-lised figuresand numbers or each number indicaes human lives ha have been direcly orindirecly affeced by he brual offensive. Tis impac can hardly fi in saisicsand figures. Is indicaors are seen in he ways in which civilians can carry ou

wih heir lives afer going hrough such a raumaizing experience where heirlives were under consan hrea, he mechanisms o coming o erms wih hegrave losses o human lie, he persisence o rebuild homes and reconsruc lives.In Gaza, ew monhs afer he declaraion o ceasefire on 22nd December 2012,

he rubble o shatered buildings doted along a main road, in he middle o ahighly populaed reugee camp, in a neighbourhood, in a arm or a greenhouseare sark reminders o sories o shatered lives. Ye, lie in Gaza coninues. Andpeople are orced o engage in a sruggle or survival.

In he afermah o he rauma o war, when heir lives were under consanhrea, he people o Gaza are atemping o carry on wih heir lives. Many mus

1. These gures refer to injuries ranging from moderate to serious. They do not include minorinjuries, such as broken bones, cuts, bruises, smoke inhalation, shock, etc.


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ry o come o erms wih grie, learn o live wih injury, or atemp o rebuildheir homes and reconsruc heir lives.

Women accouned or approximaely 12% o he persons killed or injured duringhe laes Israeli offensive. However, he overall impac o he offensive on womenin he Gaza Srip has been severe. Women experienced physical insecuriy andear or heir lives and he lives o heir amilies, resuling in high levels o sressand long-erm psychological rauma. Tey el unable o proec heir amilymembers, especially heir children, which had a deep impac on women. Families

were ragmened due o he deliberae desrucion o homes and shelers, andwomen bore much o he burden. Women also endured displacemen as a resulo home demoliions, he ear o a ground invasion, and direc hreas againscerain areas, delivered hrough he disribuion o leafles which were droppedrom Israeli F16s.

In 2009, he Palesinian Cenre or Human Righs (PCHR) issued a repor,Trough Womens Eyes, which explored he gender-specific impac o OperaionCas Lead, as well as he closure o he Gaza Srip, on women. Trough WomensEyes II is a ollow-up o he ormer repor, and invesigaes he effecs oOperaion Pillar o Deence on women. I ollows a similar srucure, conainingnarraive accouns rom emale vicims or heir relaives, and oulining he legalramework under which each case was sudied. Beginning immediaely afer hedeclaraion o he ceasefire, beween November 2012 and January 2013, PCHRconduced a number o inerviews. Te resuling repor presens case sudies o12 women who were direc or indirec vicims o he laes Israeli offensive. Teyinclude he wives, mohers, and daughers o civilians who were killed, male and

emale relaives o women who were killed, and women who suffered long-erminjuries.

Te inerviews ormed he basis o hese narraive accouns, and hus read aswomen narraive which reflecs he exen o he impac o heir loss physically,psychologically, and socially, ways by which women cope wih such losses andraumas o a warime, and how hey piece heir lives ogeher afer some o heirlives have been devasaed due o such requen atacks. Each narraive includeshe inerviewees recollecion o he 8 days o he offensive, and offers an insigh

ino he deerioraion inflicing he lives o hose women boh during hose daysand afermah.

radiionally in Palesinian sociey men ulfil he role o breadwinners andfinancial providers or he amily, while women are usually expeced o ac as caregivers, ha is o ake care o he children and organise he household. However,in recen imes hese radiional roles have been parially deconsruced hroughgender-role awareness, high levels o educaion and employabiliy wihin

Palesinian sociey, and also by he heavier financial burden placed on amilieswhich means ha women have become responsible or boh amilial roles: ha ocareaker and breadwinner. Te occupaion, as a resul, has had a lasing influenceon womens saus in he Palesinian sociey. In addiion, due o he pariarchal


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naure o Palesinian sociey, women in he Gaza Srip already vicims o peace-ime discriminaion - are paricularly subjeced o marginalizaion, povery, andsuffering brough abou as a resul o armed conflic and occupaion.

According o he Domesic Violence Survey in he Palesinian Sociey conducedby he Palesinian Cenral Bureau o Saisics (PCBS) in 2011, around 37% opreviously and currenly married women have been he subjec o a leas oneorm o violence eiher physical, sexual or psychological. While he percenageo repored acs o violence agains women in he Wes Bank has reached around

29.9% o he oal emale populaion, he percenage was significanly higher inhe Gaza Srip where 51.1% o women have been subjeced o a orm o violence

by heir husbands. Due o he increased rae o unemploymen as a resul o heongoing closure on he Gaza Srip, women have o endure economic deprivaionand povery. rapped in siuaions o economic insabiliy hey may become

vicims o violence a he hands o heir unemployed husbands. Unable oprovide or heir amilies, heir husbands eel unable o perorm wha is perceivedas heir radiional role as breadwinners. As a resul hese men grow moreaggressive which more ofen han no leads o domesic violence. Teir eelingso helplessness and lack o conrol over ones own desiny is compounded byhe requen and sudden large-scale Israeli atacks on he Gaza Srip where hepopulaion, children in paricular, are he subjecs o severe violence.

In addiion, women subjeced o violence as a resul o armed conflic andoccupaion also have o endure social marginalizaion and discriminaion. TePalesinian culural radiion perceives women as mainly dependen on malemembers o he amily. Women do no enjoy ull independence in Palesine which

means i is excepionally difficul or women o live alone afer heir husband oramily pariarch dies. In hese insances, widows are orced o reurn o heir ownamily home or o re-marry. Under he curren legal sysem in he Gaza Srip, a

widow may reain cusody o her children, as long as she does no remarry. I shedoes, cusody o he children would rever o he husbands amily.2

For women in Gaza, war does no end once he las bulle is fired. Womeninerviewed or his repor highligh he exen o he suffering infliced on he

women o he Gaza Srip and he coninuous devasaing consequences and

difficulies which ace hem and heir amilies as a resul o requen Israeli atacksand he ongoing closure o he Gaza Srip.

2. This modication in the Personal Status law was passed by the government of Gaza on 5

January 2009. Before the modication, women lost custody of the children when the childrenreach the ages of 9 for a boy and 11 for a girl.


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STRUCTURE OF THE REPORTTrough Womens Eyes II has been divided ino our secions, each correlaingo a serious violaion o inernaional humaniarian law (IHL) or human righslaw: he direc argeing o civilians, he direc argeing and desrucion ocivilian objecs, indiscriminae atacks, and insufficien precauions in atacks.Tis srucure which ollows he srucure o he ormer repor was chosen inorder o reflec he exen o he crimes commited by Israeli orces hroughouhe course o he laes Israeli offensive (Pillar o Deence). Tose classificaionshowever are no disinc as in many insances he atacks documened herein

violaed numerous principles o IHL.

FEMALE VICTIMS OF ISrELI AtACKS

Despie he proecion afforded o women (as civilians) under he InernaionalHumaniarian Law, many women have are sill subjec o he numerous Israeliatacks on he Gaza Srip, wheher direcly or indirecly in grave violaions o heGeneva convenions.

Female Deaths by Year, Gaza Strip and West BankSeptember 2000 31 December 2011

Year Gaza Srip Wes Bank

2000 0 4

2001 3 122002 20 30

2003 15 5

2004 8 4

2005 1 3

2006 31 6

2007 4 0

2008 17 0

2009 101 0

2010 1 0

2011 2 1


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From he beginning o he Second Iniada in 2000 unil he end o 2011 286women were killed by Israeli atacks consiuing around 5.5% o he oalnumber o civilian vicims. During his reporing period, 69 women were killedand 77 injured in he Wes Bank while 217 were killed and 1428 women wereinjured in he Gaza Srip.3

In he early years o he Second Iniada he majoriy o emale vicims o Israeliatacks were in he Wes Bank, however, pos 2003 his rend shifed, andsignificanly more women have subsequenly died in he Gaza Srip.

Te dramaic rise in he number o women killed in he Gaza Srip in 2008-2009was due o he 22-day Israeli offensive codenamed Operaion Cas Lead. In hisincursion 118 women were killed by Israeli occupaion orces while 825 wereinjured. 2012 winessed anoher dramaic rise in he number o emale vicimsafer Israel launched anoher brual miliary operaion codenamed OperaionPillar o Deence, where 14 women were killed and 92 ohers injured.

Female Deaths by Area, Pillars of Defence(14 - 22 November 2012)

According o invesigaions and ollow-up sudies conduced by he PalesinianCenre or Human Righs (PCHR), he majoriy o women killed in he atacks

were killed eiher inside or around houses which were argeed by Israeliwarplanes. On 17 November 2012, or example, Israeli warplanes launched a

missile a he al-Deeb amily home in he al-Shujaiya neighbourhood o GazaCiy. As a resul, Sadiya al-Deeb (62) was killed while ending o her poulry inhe yard. On he same day, IOF launched a missile a al-uffah Police Saion.Tis atack resuled in he complee desrucion o he police saion and alsoa neighbouring house belonging o he Abdel Al amily. Nawal Abdel Al (53)

was killed while in he building. On he 18h o November 2012, 10 memberso he al-Dalu amily were killed, including 6 women, due o he Israeli missile

3. Figures documented in PCHR annual report of 2011.


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bombardmen o he amilys 3-sorey house. On he same day,3

members ohe Abu Zour amily, 2 o whom were women, as a resul o he Israeli missilebombardmen o a neighbouring house.

Female vicims o he laes Israeli offensive were no jus killed or marredphysically. Many had o endure he psychological rauma o winessing heiramily members be killed or wounded. Tose whose homes were parially oroally desroyed had o suffer homelessness and displacemen. Tousands oamilies living in he Gaza Srip were orced o evacuae heir homes afer Israeli

warplanes dropped leafles ordering residens o some o Gazas mos populaedneighbourhoods o leave and move o he ciy cenre. Te cenre o Gaza Ciyhowever was also consanly being bombed. Tere was no sae haven in he GazaSrip however many women were orced o make he difficul and someimes liedeciding decision o leave heir homes. A number o amilies fled o UNRWAschools or sheler and proecion however living condiions in hese shelers

were very difficul. Tese circumsances lef affeced women and heir amiliescoping wih severe psychological sress and rauma. In addiion, as a resul o IOFairsrikes argeing civilian properies and he resuling desrucion o civilianhomes and livelihoods, women have suffered huge economic deprivaions andimpoverishmen.On he occasion o he Inernaional Day or he Eliminaion o Violenceagains Women, PCHR released an open call o he Inernaional communiyo offer proecion o Palesinian civilians, specifically women. PCHR requessha he inernaional communiy ulfils is moral and legal obligaions, hemos imporan o which are offering proecion o civilians and enorcing he

occupying power o respec human righs.

PCHR believes ha many o he human righs violaions commited by IOFduring he laes Israeli offensive, codenamed Pillars o Deence were similaro hose carried ou during Operaion Cas Lead. Te impuniy Israeli soldiersenjoy and he ailure o he inernaional communiy o persecue hem orheir war crimes has resuled in an increased number o civilian vicims and warcrimes.

PCHR sresses he proecions given by IHL o women who, as civilians, do noparicipae direcly in he hosiliies. IHL also offers women special proecion asespecially vulnerable persons in imes o armed conflics.


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INTERNATIONAL LAWDuring inernaional armed conflics, such as he recen Israeli miliary offensiveon he Gaza Srip, women are afforded proecion under IHL, includinghe Fourh Geneva Convenion o 1949. Women also remain proeced byinernaional human righs law, noably he Convenion on he Eliminaion o

All Forms o Discriminaion agains Women, he Inernaional Covenan onCivil and Poliical Righs, and he Inernaional Covenan on Economic, Socialand Culural Righs.

IHL provides general proecion or women as persons no direcly paricipaingin hosiliies, and special proecion as persons who are especially vulnerablein imes o war. As he majoriy o women in he Gaza Srip are civilians, hey

benefi rom all he proecions exended o proeced persons under cusomaryIHL, and he Fourh Geneva Convenion. IHL saeguards he basic principles ohumane reamen including respec or lie and physical and moral inegriy

while orbidding, iner alia, wilul killing, coercion, collecive penalies, reprisals,

and he desrucion o objecs indispensable o he survival o he civilianpopulaion.

Alhough he Sae o Israel has no raified he Saue o he InernaionalCriminal Cour (ICC), i is used as a poin o reerence in his repor. Te Saueconains he single mos comprehensive definiion o war crimes, all o whichconsiue violaions o cusomary inernaional law and as such are universallyprohibied.

IHL is he principal legal ramework hrough which he offensive on he GazaSrip mus be analysed however, he proecions afforded by inernaional humanrighs law remain relevan during imes o war. While cerain human righsprovisions may be displaced by he more specific requiremens o IHL, humanrighs remain applicable a all imes; hey are paricular relevan in he afermaho he offensive, as civilians sruggle o rebuild heir lives, and o resore he basicelemens o human digniy.


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Applicable Legal FamewokTe siuaion beween he Sae o Israel and he Palesinians is one oinernaional armed conflic and belligeren occupaion. As such, he applicable

bodies o inernaional IHL include he our Geneva Convenions o 1949,4he Hague Regulaions o 1907, and cusomary IHL. Te Addiional Proocolso he Geneva Convenions are also relevan. Alhough he Sae o Israel hasno raified he Proocols, hey were inended o expound upon he provisionscodified in he Fourh Geneva Convenion, paricularly as hese relae o he

principle o disincion, and he conduc o hosiliies. As such, hey are oprimary inerpreive relevance.

As a Sae Pary o he major inernaional human righs law reaies includinghe Inernaional Covenan on Civil and Poliical Righs,5 he InernaionalCovenan on Economic, Social and Culural Righs,6 he Convenion on heEliminaion o all Forms o Discriminaion Agains Women, and he Convenionon he Righs o he Child (CRC)7 Israel is also bound by is human righs

law obligaions. In is Advisory Opinion on he Legal Consequences o heConsrucion o a Wall in he Occupied Palesinian erriory, he InernaionalCour o Jusice confirmed he exraerriorial applicaion o he ICCPR, heICESCR, and he CRC wih respec o Israels acions in he occupied Palesinianerriory.8

Rules Govening he Conduc of Hosiliies

Combaans and Miliary Objecives Non-Combaans and Civilian Objecs

IHL aims o limi he suffering caused by war and requires ha civilians bekep ouside o hosiliies as ar as possible. Consequenly, IHL esablishes adisincion beween combaans and non-combaans.9

Combaans are all hose who direcly paricipae in hosiliies and all hose whoare eniled o do so. Members o an armed pary o he conflic, including armed

resisance groups, are hus considered combaans.

4. Israels date of ratication.

5. The State of Israel ratied the ICCPR on 3 Jan., 1992.

6. The State of Israel ratied the ICESCR on 3 Jan., 1992.

7. The State of Israel ratied the CRC on 2 Nov., 1992.

8. Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,

Advisory

Opinion, 2004 I.C. J. 136 ( July 9) ion of a Wall in

9. Rule 1, Jean-Marie Henckaerts & Louise Doswald-Beck, Customary InternationalHumanitarian Law,

Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross.


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Simply defined, proeced persons are all non-combaans.

10

Te caegory oproeced persons includes, iner alia, he civilian populaion, medics, civil deenceunis, police officers, and combaans who have laid down heir arms or been placedhors de comba. Cusomary IHL confirms ha all non-combaans enjoy generalimmuniy, hey may no be made he objec o an atack,11and all possible measuresmus be aken o ensure heir proecion. IHL requires ha, in case o doubwheher a person is a civilian, ha person shall be considered o be a civilian.12

Civilian Objecs are all non-miliary objecives.13Miliary objecives, as defined

in Aricle 52(2) o Addiional Proocol I, are hose objecs which by heirnaure, locaion, purpose or use make an effecive conribuion o miliaryacion and whose oal or parial desrucion, capure or neuralizaion, in hecircumsances ruling a he ime, offers a definie miliary advanage.

IHL requires ha, in case o doub wheher an objec which is normallydedicaed o civilian purposes is being used o make an effecive conribuiono miliary acion, i shall be presumed no o be so used.14An osensibly civilianobjec mus be presumed o be civilian.

Te Principle o Disincion

In order o ensure he proecion o non-combaans, he principle o disincionhas been esablished as he cornersone o IHL. Cusomary IHL requires ha[]he paries o he conflic mus a all imes disinguish beween civilians andcombaans. Atacks may only be direced agains combaans. Atacks mus no

be direced agains civilians.15

Equally, []he paries o he conflic mus a allimes disinguish beween civilian objecs and miliary objecives. Atacks mayonly be direced agains miliary objecives. Atacks mus no be direced againscivilian objecs.16

10. Rule 5, Jean-Marie Henckaerts & Louise Doswald-Beck, Customary International

Humanitarian Law,



Humanitarian Law, Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross.

12. Article 50(1), Additional Protocol I.


Humanitarian Law,


Article 52(3), Additional Protocol I. Opinion, 2004 I.C. J. 136 ( July 9) ion of a Wall in


Humanitarian Law,

Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross., see Article 48 Additional Protocol

I. Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross.

16. Rule 7, Jean-Marie Henckaerts & Louise Doswald-Beck, Customary InternationalHumanitarian Law,

Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross..


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Te principle o disincion proecs non-combaans and civilian objecs in wokey ways: firs, civilians and civilian objecs may no be direcly atacked,17andsecond, precauions mus be aken when launching an atack in order o sparenon-combaans

17. Rule 1, Rule 7 Jean-Marie Henckaerts & Louise Doswald-Beck, Customary International HumanitarianLaw, Volume I: Rules, International Committee of the Red Cross..


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THE DIRECT TARGETING OFCIVILIANS

Te prohibiion on direcly argeing civilians orms an essenial componen ocusomary IHL;18violaions o his rule are war crimes, as codified in Aricles8(2)(b)(i)o he Saue o he ICC.

Wilul killing inenional deah resuling rom aul or omission is a grave

breach o he Geneva Convenions. 19

IHL requires ha, in case o doub wheher a person is a civilian, ha personshall be considered o be a civilian.20

18.Rule 1, Jean-Marie Henckaerts & Louise Doswald-Beck, Customary

International Humanitarian Law,


19.Wilful killing is recognized as a crime in Article 8(2)(a)(i) of the Statute of

the ICC.

20.Article 50(1) Additional Protocol I.


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Case Sudy 1:Ibisam Al-Asal

When we lose someone very precious, liegoes on. Lie does no sop or anyone. Ihave o be srong or my children. I have omove on wih my lie or my own children.Sadness is always here and memorieslinger, bu lie mus go on.

Ibisam Al-Asal, wie o Ibrahim Al-Asal

According o PCHR repors, on 18November 2012 Sunday a approximaely08:20, an Israeli warplane fired a missile a 2Palesinian civilians, a man and his nephew,

who were walking owards heir agriculuralland in he al-Saar al-Gharbi area, norhweso Khan Yunis. Te wo civilians, IbrahimMohammed Suleiman Al-Asal (48) andOmar Mahmoud Mohammed Al-Asal (14), were killed insanly.

On Monday, 14 January 2013, PCHR inerviewed Ibrahim Al-Asals wie, Ibisam

Al-Asal (47) a her home in he al-Saar al-Gharbi region, norhwes o KhanYounis were she now resides wih her six children. Afer losing her husband, he

only breadwinner o he amily, responsibiliy or providing or her six children,he younges o whom is 4 years old, ress solely on Ibisam.

Ibisam narraes he evens o he day her husbandwas killed by Israeli warplanes, During heoffensive, hearing a consan barrage o bombingbecame he norm. We would wake up and sleepo he sound o bombing. Early he morning ohe inciden, I asked my daugher o prepare us

breakas on he elecric sove while we sill hadelecriciy. During he offensive, i was imperaiveha we raioned our limied ood supplies. Welived on a die o cooked beans and canned ood aswe didn know how long he war would las. Tamorning Ibrahim had his breakas wih us, saidgoodbye o me and lef he house.

Te airsrike ook place en minues afer helef. I insincively ran ouside screaming as iwas unusual o have an airsrike in our area. Ourneighbourhoo had remained relaively calm

Interviewee(s)

Ibisam Al-Asal

Date of Incident

18 November 2012

Location

Al-Saar al-Gharbi area in he

norhwes o Khan Younis

VictimsIbrahim Al-Asal, 48, husband,killedOmar Al-Asal, 14, cousin,killed.

Violations of International

law include

Wilful killing:grave breach oGeneva ConvenionsDirec argeing o Civilians

Aricle 8(2) (b) (i) Saue o ICC

Ibisam Al-Asal wih her wo daughers Iman and Islam.


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during he offensive. I believe ha Ibrahim and Omar were probably he firswo killed in he area.

Ibisam highlighs he indiscriminae naure o he Israeli airsrikes. Deahs andinjuries as a resul o he consan bombing did no differeniae beween civiliansand non-civilians, children, women or he aged. Everyone was a possible arge.Despie he grave loss o her husband who was killed while walking in he sree,Ibisam is sill hankul ha she did no lose more amily members during heconflic. Her daugher who was accompanying her aher could have been killed

in he atack. My 4-year old daugher, Islam, ollowed her aher. She wen wihhim o his uncles house where he lef her. However, her 14-year old cousin Omarollowed him and was killed in he same atack. I my daugher had been wih heraher, she would have been killed as well. Ibrahim and Omar were killed on he

way o heir agriculural land in al-Saar al-Gharbi.

Even as PCHR conduced he inerview wih Ibisam wo monhs afer heceasefire, here was sill a noiceable miliary presence in he air wih Israeli warplanes parolling he sky above. Everyone in he sree knew ha he child andmy husband were insanly killed. I didn. I presumed i was only Omar who had

been killed. I insised on going o see his moher o offer my condolences. Uponreurning home, my in-laws came o inorm me o my husbands deah. My sonhen came and lied o me claiming ha Ibrahim was merely injured. My litledaugher sared screaming.

Siting in her mohers lap and aware ha he conversaion was abou herdeceased aher, 4-year old Islam began o cry. Ibisam explained, Islam was very

close o her aher. Ibrahim used o ake her or rides on his moorcycle aroundhe ouside o he house every day. His absence has lef a large void in her lie.

When hey se up he chairs a our home in order o begin he uneral riualsand o receive condolences a home, my daugher Islam was conused. Usually, iis only on happy occasions, like birhdays or wedding paries, ha we se up hechairs in he yard. She sared asking everyone, Do we have a wedding oday?and when she saw people coming, she asked, Is i my ahers birhday oday?

Beore his deah, Ibrahim worked as a porer in a governmenal school. Teincome he used o ge rom his job didn suffice he needs o our amilyexplains Ibisam, o obain his salary now, I have been asked o provide severalidenificaion papers. Currenly, virually he only economic relie or our amilyis he money we receive rom Ibrahims pension.

Ibtisams eldest son, Basel (22) is a university student, studying managementin the Open University. In order to pay for his education he must work as

well as study. My son also works to support the family. He studies in auniversity that allows for distance learning and open education. He cannotgo to university regularly because of his work. Sometimes, I look at himand think he is now a non-married father of eight. He now carries all the


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responsibilities of his father. He ries o, a leas.I eel very responsible or his predicamen. I sill have responsibiliy owards mychildren however i is my eldes son who is bears he brun o he responsibiliynow, especially financially. He has o provide or his own brohers and sisers.I can do so litle abou i as my role is a home, raising he children. I hink hepresence o my son has alleviaed a lo o my suffering, bu I eel very agiaed

waching him ake he place o his aher. Hes oo young or such responsibiliy.

Te presence o a male figure in he amily has somewha relieved Ibisam o her

economic woes. However, an unpredicable uure hreaens any possibiliy osocial and economic securiy or Ibisam and her amily. I am very hankul hamy son is old enough o shoulder his responsibiliy. Ta has been a relie, buI keep hinking i we are secure oday, we migh no be omorrow. I am sill veryconcerned abou our predicamen.

Despie he relie aciliaed by he presence and aid o her eldes son, Ibisam issill hauned by he memories o her deceased husband, I hink abou him all ohe ime. Te care and suppor my son provides he amily does no compensaeor he loss o my husband. His absence has lef a grea void in our lives. Nomomen passes wihou remembering Ibrahim and he 24 years we sharedogeher. He never offended me in any way possible. Te day he died, I los hemos precious hing in my lie.

I sill eel ha he is sill alive. I believe ha hes merely absen and shall reurna any momen. I have a habi o keeping Ibrahims share whenever I cook mealsor he amily. One day, I did wha I usually do and apporioned his share . When

I saw my child eaing i, I asked her, Why are you eaing your ahers share?Conused, she replied, Faher is dead.

Tis generaion is aware o wha is going on around hem. Tey have winessedIsraeli atacks or oo long and have los many loved ones as a resul. Tey know

wha i means o lose a paren in a bombing.

Tey have been born o a siuaion where hey are made o acknowledge hecauses o heir loss. As a resul, hey are orced o be poliical. You canno lie o

hem and ell hem heir aher is merely gone and will come back. His phoo isposed on sree corners like he hundreds o oher picures o maryrs plaseredon he walls o Gaza Ciy. Tey know ha he was killed by an Israeli bomb.

Despie he grie o losing a husband, he subsequen new responsibiliies placedon her and her amily, and he ear o uure economic hardship, Ibisam hasremained ligh heared or he sake o her children. Asked how she manages odo so despie he difficulies she aces on a daily basis, Ibisam answers, Yes, we

were araid during he offensive. We would someimes be aken by surprise bya sudden explosion. However, we needed o reain as normal a lie as possible.When we iniially heard bombing we would eel errified, bu wihin minues, wewould go abou our daily chores like nohing had happened.


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My children are also a comor. Assudens, hey are very high achievers

who have memorized large secions ohe Quran. I ry o emulae heir aherspassion or educaion by coninuing oencourage heir ineres in academia andlearning.

Ibisam did no complee secondaryschool however, she is very keen onher childrens educaion, in paricularher daughers. During he inerview,Ibisams daugher produces herschool cerificae which includes anappreciaion leter, acknowledging herhigh scholasic achievemens. Ibisamlooked a he cerificae and saed, Tisis he rui o our paience.

When we lose someone very precious,lie goes on. Lie does no sop oranyone. I have o be srong or my

children. I have o move on wih my lie or my own children. Sadness is alwayshere and memories linger, bu lie mus go on.


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Case Sudy 2 :Wafaa Abu Ama

I hough Ahmed migh have been injured buI never believed he could have been killed. Icould no olerae he idea o his deah. He mushave been saved or my sake. Deah is a ac wechoose no o believe.

Now, because Im a widow, Im he subjeco piy as sociey does no believe I can handlehings anymore because o he absence o

Ahmed. Tis is how our sociey perceiveswidowed or divorced women. Tas why Idecided ha I needed o work.

Waaa Abu Amra (35,) wie o Ahmed AbuAmra.

According o PCHR invesigaions, on Sunday 18 November 2012, aapproximaely 21:00, an Israeli warplane fired a missile a a moorcycle ravellingnear he al-Maliya inersecion in he wes o Gaza Ciy. Te missile insanlykilled he vehicles 2 civilian passengers: Nabeel Ahmed Ouda Abu Amra (28)and Ahmed Mohammed Abu Amra (40).

On 26 December 2012 PCHR inerviewed he wie o Ahmed, Waaa Abu Amra(35), in her house in Remal Quarer, Gaza Ciy. During our visi Waaa was sill

wihin he Iddah21period, ollowing he deah o her husband.

Married or over 10 years, Waaa is now a widow and single moher o hreechildren: Mahmoud 10, Hamed 8, and Lamees 5. Waaa was financiallydependen on her husband who beore his deah had been promoed rom aeaching Posiion in he English deparmen o be he head o Public Affairs in

Al-Azhar Religious Insiue, Gaza.

When requesed o narrae he deails o ha day her husband Ahmed died,

Ahmed Abu Amra

21.Iddah: Waiting period following a womans divorce or the death of her husband, during which

she may not remarry. The specic length of time may vary. For divorced women, this period

typically lasts three menstrual cycles. If a woman is pregnant, the period will last until the birth

of her child. `asDuring the iddah, a husband must continue to provide maintenance payments

(nafaqa) and a divorce is considered revocable for the duration of the iddah period. For widows,

the iddah lasts four months and ten days. There is no iddah period if the woman is still a virgin.


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Waaa heaved a sigh, nodded and sared wih her las memories o Ahmedbeore he inciden, On Sunday 18 December 2012, Ahmed was a home whenhis cousin Nabil visied and asked him o accompany him or a visi o one oheir relaives. Tey sayed a heir cousins or a while. On heir reurn home,

Ahmed was direcly argeed by a missile and killed alongside his cousin Nabil..

Ta day he had advised some amily members o say a our house or heduraion o he war, as our house is buil o concree and hereore saer hanoher homes owned by our relaives. I agreed as I was very araid and I would

have appreciaed he company. Afer his conversaion, I made him promiseno o go ou because o he danger ouside. He promised me ha he wouldnhowever merely a ew hours laer Nabil arrived a our door and requesed he joinhim o visi amily.

I pleaded or him no o go, bu he did no respond o me. In order o disrache children rom he bombing he go heir drawing noes and asked me o keephem busy drawing while he was gone. He old me he would reurn in a ewminues.

Afer he lef, I became hyserical. I couldn undersand why he had lef hehouse a his ime. I sared rebuking mysel or allowing him o go ou and orno rying harder o keep him inside he house. Ta was beore I heard he newsabou his deah.

W hen I heard he sound o he explosion ha killed Ahmed and Nabil, I screamedhis name. I el somehing bad had happened and immediaely panicked. In an

effor o calm me my son atemped o console me by saing ha his aher wasa Nabils house. I urned on he V on a news channel and read he news abouhe killing o wo people in al El Hawa afer he las bombing. I didn know

wha o do. Ta evening bombs ell rom everywhere: air and sea, i was errible.I was numb and didn know wha o do. I only had enough credi on my phoneor one call, so I called Nabils wie. When she answered she was screaming andcrying as she had already been inormed ha her husband had been killed. Ahis sage, Ahmed had no been confirmed among he dead as he had no beencarrying his ID a he ime o he atack. Nabils wie said she was errified as she

has heard he name o her husband on he radio. I ried o comor her.

I was exremely worried over Ahmed. Nabils wie comored me by saingha she hadn heard his name on he radio. I hough he may have been injured

bu I never hough i possible he could have been killed and could no oleraehe idea o his deah. He mus have been spared or my sake. Deah is a ac wechoose no o believe.

As news o his deah sared o surace, riends and amily sared calling. I oldhem i couldn be Ahmed and couldn undersand wha was happening. In myhear I knew i was rue, bu I couldn sand he hough o losing him. My son,hen, read he name o his aher on he news. Afer I urned off he V I have


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no memory o he ensuing evens..All I recall was my rembling and hearingAhmed and Nabils names called rom ouside my house. I opened he windowand asked abou Nabil. I didn wan o ask abou Ahmed as I didn wan o geconfirmaion ha he was dead.

Ta nigh, I kep looking a my phone, hinking ha I migh ge a call ellingme he wasn dead. Unorunaely my uncle evenually called and confirmed ha

Ahmeds body was in he hospial. Even afer hearing his, I kep repeaing omysel ha i migh no be him. When hey asked me o bring a phoo or him

so ha hey would make him posers, I shoued a hem: Ahmed is no dead.

I saw his body in he hospial he nex morning and finally couldn deny ianymore. I chose no o see he severiy o his injuries as I waned o rememberhim he way he was. I spoke o him and asked him how could he leave me his way?

Some members o my amily come o check on me and o keep me companyevery now and again as hey don wan me saying alone. However, heres aeeling inside o me ha Im lonely no mater how many people are around.

He was a grea husband. I lived wih him or around 10 years and he waseveryhing o me. He never hur me in any way. He was also very atached o hekids. He encouraged and helped hem wih heir sudies as well as reaing hemkindly. I has been very hard or me fill he void his deah has lef.

As a moher, my duy owards my children could no wai unil I had finishedgrieving or my husband. Tey needed me o help hem wih heir sudies or

exams. During his period I was receiving condolences, and as a resul was veryweak and sad, bu I had o be srong or he kids. I used o cry all nigh and washmy ace in he morning so as o be smiling and happy once he children woke up.

Ahmeds children are very aware o heir ahers absence. Every ime hey openheir books, hey are aced wih heir ahers name. He encouraged hem o dospors. I ask hem o hink ha hes ravelling, bu hey say i he was so we wouldhave been able o call him.

While my children have been severely psychologically affeced by he offensive,hey have been given psychological reamen o deal wih he raumas hey haveendured. I also wen o a reamen session o overcome my own depressionand psychological issues resuling rom he deah o Ahmed and o consul wihhe docor wih regard o my children. My eldes son, Mahmoud, suffers romnumerous issues including a lack o desire o sudy, insomnia, as well as everyime someone leaves he house he hinks he/she migh die. He does no sleepunless holding my hand, and he ries o ac like his aher. My litle girl also shows

signs o psychological issues. Afer he deah o her aher she received a eddybear as a gif which she now clings o all he ime, and calls Baba (aher).

I don wan my kids o see heir moher as a weak helpless widow who does


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nohing in her lie excep grieve and si a home. I reuse o le people look a mewih piy. I wan o work and dedicae all my ime o my job and my children.

My childrens welare akes precedence now. Tey are he mos imporan hingin my lie. I am no really imporan now. For me, I consider ha everyhing endedon 18 November 2012. ime sopped on ha day. My house is ull o memorieshowever due o my day o day responsibiliies I have no had a chance o si aloneand decide on wha I should do and how Im going o move on wih my lie.

I sill reuse o believe he realiy o wha has happened however, I mus besrong or my kids. I sill canno orge he memories o Ahmed. Te hur I eelis only geting harder o bear. He was my lie. He used o ake care o everyhing,even he shopping or he kids and he grocery. We only had o ask or somehing,and i would be here he nex day. People say Im a srong woman. I hope o gesronger wih ime.

During he war, I would only play he caroon channel on V or he children.Afer sunse, when he bombings inensified, I made a poin o cooking hemswee hings. I waned hem o eel sae, bu I couldn proec hem.

Waaa has a Hisory Diploma and has been promised a posiion a he Insiue whereher husband used o work. Currenly, Waaa has o rebuild her lie as a working,single moher. For her, obaining a lie o independency will no be easy however sheis deermined o ace boh her own ears and her ear regarding socieys percepiono her as a widow. Waaa explains, he communiy around you makes you eel hayoure nohing afer he deah o your husband. Unlike my sisers, I reused o marry

he radiional way, a an early age. I believe ha a man is very imporan in a womanslie, bu I do also believe ha i is imporan or women o have an independence romher husband. Women are also srong even wih he absence o a husband. Someimes,when Ahmed was alive, I would see him very rarely because o his work, bu lie usedo go on and I managed. Bu now, because Im a widow, Im he subjec o piy as heyhink ha I canno handle hings anymore. Tis is how our sociey perceives womenwheher hey are widowed or divorced. Tas why I decided ha I needed o work.

As a widow, whose husband was recenly killed in he laes offensive, Waaa now

aces a batle alone agains bureaucracy on a daily basis. Now, I am aced wiha murderous rouine and bureaucracy ha does no even care abou my eelings.When I received he papers ha caegorised me as a widow, I was orn How doesmy ideniy card no longer carry his name? Tey insis on killing him.

Ahmed and Nabil were direcly argeed by an Israeli warplane. Given iscapabiliy, i is reasonable o assume ha he operaor could have idenified hewo as civilians. PCHR believes ha Ahmed and Nabil were direcly argeed,

in violaion o he undamenal norms o IHL. As such, PCHR believe hahis atack consiues he crime o wilul killing, a grave breach o he GenevaConvenions. I is also a war crime, as defined in Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) o he Saueo he ICC.


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Case Sudy 3 :Tahee SalmanShe wanted to provide her children with a good education. She used to say that shewould love to have her own house and to design it in her own way, but death was closerthan her dreams. Sohad Salman, ahreers sister-in-Law

According o PCHR repors, on he evening o Friday 16 November 2012,Israeli orces launched 47 airsrikes, argeingagriculural plos, open areas, a house, and agarden. As a resul o hese atacks, 2 Palesiniancivilians, including 1 woman, were killed, while64 civilians, including 27 children, 12 womenand a member o a Palesinian armed group,

were wounded. A noon on Friday, 2 civilianswere killed when an Israeli warplane atacked anumber o civilians who were in he garden o ahouse belonging o Ghazi Abed Salman on BeiLahia main road. Te vicims were idenifiedas: ahreer Ziad Salman (22) and Mohammedalal Saad Salman (27).

On Sunday 2 December 2012, PCHR visiedhe home o he vicim, ahreer Salman, and

was shown he exac spo where boh she andher cousin Mohammed were direcly argeedby he same airsrike. Te remains o he missile

ahreer Salman , 22.Mohammed alal Saad Salman (27)

Sohad Salman (19) ahreers siser-in-law

Interviewees

Sohad Salman (19) ahreerssiser-in-law

Date of Incident:

16 November 2012

Location:

Bei Lahia main road

Victims:

ahreer Ziad Salman (22)Killed.Mohammed alal SaadSalman (27) Cousin, Killed.


law include:

Willul killing:grave breach oGeneva ConvenionsDirec argeing o Civilians:

Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) Saue o ICC


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were sill lying on he ground beside a damaged car; spos o blood were spreadalong he chickens den where he vicims were eeding he birds a he ime ohe airsrike. ahreer lived in an exended amily home wih her inlaws. Tere,PCHR inerviewed ahreers siser-in-law, Sohad Salman (19), who resides inhe same amily home where ahreer lived and who was presen a he ime ohe airsrike. Sohad narraed he evens o he day, I was Friday around noonand we were cooking. ahreer was preparing ood wih us. My oher siser-in-law and I wen inside o prepare he ood or lunch. ahreer had ollowed herhusband Jamal ouside o he yard. Tey were checking he chickens den when

we heard he missile.

When we wen ou, smoke and dus were everywhere. I was an awul scene,and we sared screaming. We ound heir bodies lying in he yard. ahreer had

been killed immediaely while her husband Jamal had been seriously injured.Mohammed was also killed. We immediaely called or an ambulance howeverhey were very slow o arrive. Due o he delay, we carried heir bodies on ohe sree and sopped passing cars, asking or a lif o he hospial. One o hechildren was also injured as well as ahreers son (2.5 years old). ahreers18-monh daugher also suffered minor injuries.

Te Salman amily are an example o how he ear o consan bombing has ledo he ragmenaion and displacemen o amilies living in he Gaza Srip. Sohadexplains, During he war, we were errified. We kep hough consanly abouevacuaing he house as we did no eel sae. During he dayime, my aher-in-lawused o gaher us in he house, bu a nigh we used o go and sleep a our relaives

I was an unorgetable day. My moher-in-law and I sill expec ahreer o comeback a any second. We someimes ry o convince ourselves ha she is merely visiingamily visi and she will be back soon. We canno believe ha his has happened.

Beore he inciden, we were saying wih our amilies as normal. My aunwaned us o gaher or a Friday meal. We were making bread when a around9:30 he elecriciy wen off. We couldn bake on he aboon because we wereerrified hey migh arge any smoke coming rom he yard like in he previousoffensive our years ago. ahreer was errified when we sared working wih a

small fire. She urged us o work as quickly as possible.

ahreers children did no leave her side or a minue during he aggression.Minues beore he airsrike, she ook he children inside he house, and henshe ollowed her husband ouside o he yard. When he airsrike happened, hehouses windows and roo shatered which rained glass down upon my amily. Weheard my aun screaming rom ouside. As I wen ou, I heard someone say Yourchildren were killed. I immediaely panicked and sared running around he

yard looking or he children. When he smoke and dus cleared we saw bodiesscatered on he ground. ahreer had shrapnel lodged in her head, her cloheswere orn and her body was horribly injured. While we knew immediaely shehad los her lie, we had a vain hope she was sill alive. ahreers husband was also


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hi in he somach, he legs and he arms. He sill suffers serious injuries.

We didn wan o move heir bodies because we migh hur hem, bu becauseo he delay wih he arrival o he ambulance we moved hem by car o hehospial. Tey were also araid because o he danger o an Israeli assaul. Afermidday, nobody would walk in he sree.

We winessed he mos awul days. While preparing ood we were errified. Weused o hide inside our houses when he airsrikes inensified. Wih he consan

news abou people geting killed in heir own yards, I eared or my children. As Icouldn preven my daugher rom playing ouside in he yard, I had o send hero my amily home because I believed i was saer.

Afer ahreer was killed we were oo errified o say in he amily home. Weresored o shelering wih relaives or he duraion o he war. We lef he houseimmediaely and everyhing in i behind. Te amily was separae and displacedo various homes. Some resored o relaives while ohers o neighbours houses.

ahreer was living in a room in he amily house wih 3 amilies o in laws. Iwas no hard o speculae on he economic deprivaion she had o wihsandwhile living as he wie o an unemployed husband. Te enire exended amilyeconomically depends on an in-law who works in he governmenal policeservices. He suppors his brohers and heir amilies wih a wage o around17.000 shekels a monh (around 450$). Tis insufficien income has lef someo he amilies in deb. ahreers husband, hus, was no financially sable. He

was barely able o manage he needs o his children. Tese children are now lef

moherless. When PCHR held he inerview wih ahreers amily, her husbandJamal who was seriously injured by he same airsrike was receiving reamenin one o he hospials in Egyp. ahreers children, 3 year old Obeida and 18monh old Ghazal, were being moved beween he houses o heir moher andahers amilies. Teir grandahers are now heir main careakers.

ahreers children wih heir grandaher.


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Jamal waned was building a new aparmen on he upper floor o he amilyhouse as he was no saisfied residing in a shared room. He waned o build abigger space or ahreer and he children. He was very happy wih he progresso he consrucion o he upper floor. He used o collec he ruins o desroyedand shelled buildings in he neighbourhood o build her he house. ahreer also

waned an independen lie and o provide her children wih a good educaion.She used o say ha she would love o have her own house and o design i on herown, bu deah was closer han hose dreams.

Te willul killing o civilians is a grave breach o he Geneva Convenions, and awar crime as defined in Aricle 8(2)(a)(i) o he Saue o he ICC.

Te direc argeing and murder o civilians amouns o he crime o willul killing,a grave breach o he Geneva Convenions, i is also a war crime, as codified in

Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) o he Saue o he ICC. Te direc argeing o a civilianobjec is a war crime as defined in Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) o he Saue o he ICC.


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DIRECT TARGETING ANDDESTRUCTION OF CIVILIAN OBJECTS:Te prohibiion on direcly argeing civilian objecs consiues a undamenalcomponen o cusomary IHL; violaions are war crimes, as codified in Aricle8(2)(b)(ii) o he Saue o he ICC.

Te exensive desrucion o propery no jusified by miliary necessiy is a gravebreach o he Geneva Convenions. Significan in his regard is he InernaionalCriminal ribunal or he ormer Yugoslavias finding in Blaskic, where he courheld ha he noion o exensive is evaluaed according o he acs o he case a single ac, such as he desrucion o a hospial, may suffice o characerize anoffence under his coun.

IHL requires ha, in case o doub wheher an objec which is normally dedicaed

o civilian purposes, such as places o worship, a house or oher dwelling or aschool, is being used o make an effecive conribuion o miliary acion, i shallbe presumed no o be so used.

Desrucion o Homes, Reconsrucion o lives: Shatered homes: Shatered lives

Te impact of the loss of ones home:

Te exensive desrucion o propery was a prominen eaure o he laes

Israeli offensive where civilian objecs were direc arges o Israeli warplanes.According o PCHR ollow-up invesigaions, 61 civilian houses were direclyargeed by Israeli warplanes during he las offensive. Te consan bombinghowever, led o he complee desrucion o 126 houses, and 191 building unis

which were he homes o 216 amilies. 160 houses in which 329 amilies residewere parially desroyed.

In mos cases, amilies did no receive any warning beore heir houses were direclybombed by F16s. Homes, hus, were demolished upon he heads o is civilian

residens, mosly leading o a loss o human lives residing saely a home. Women,along wih heir amilies had o go hrough experiences o lie and deah where heyhad o endure hours o being enrapped wihin he rubble o heir own homes.

Te alleged warning echnique Israeli occupaion orces someimes used o warn civilianswas by firing a knock missile owards he house afer which residens are expeced o leavehe house beore F16s carry ou anoher airsrike ha leads o he desrucion o he wholehouse. Tis missile, however, has he power o penerae hrough he roos o wo floorsand can lead o serious injuries and someimes o he deah o civilians. Tose missiles caneasily kill when direced a he civilian populaion who are ofen residing saely in heirhomes. Tis leads o a sae o panic and conusion amongs women as hey are orcedo decide wha o do. Should hey leave he house or say, especially considering ha


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here was no guaraneed saey ouside o he house? Women also had o decide whichbelongings o ake in he shor ime hey are given beore heir whole propery collapses.Many women had o endure waching heir own house being bombed beore heir eyes.

Wheher issued a warning or no, amilies were evenually displaced in a imeo consan shelling and bombing. Te loss o ones own secure house indicaedhe womens eelings o umos insecuriy as he amilys only sae sheler would

be levelled o he ground leaving amilies boh as reugees and displaced in heirown home and neighbourhoods. For anyone, he loss o ones home is very

painul, bu Palesinian women end o inves all heir resources in heir homes.Te loss o he home does no only consiue an economic problem, bu hesymbolism o heir home in a pariarchal sociey is beyond any moneary value.For hose women, he end o he offensive was no he end o he sruggle, hey

were now aced wih he ask o rebuilding heir desroyed homes and piecingogeher heir shatered lives Wih he lack o any susainable income, especiallyin amilies ha have already los heir breadwinners during he offensive,rebuilding ones house is an exreme financial burden. Women become evenurher raumaized by he ear o economic loss and impoverishmen resulingrom losing ones home and propery. As a resul many become mainly aiddependen, damaging wha sel eseem and sense o independence hey have lef.

Te indiscriminae Israeli atacks included civilian objecs including healh,culural, relie, indusrial, and agriculural properies. Te desrucion causeddisrupion in various secors o he Gaza Srip including ha o educaion. 33UN schools, 55 governmenal schools, and 4 privae schools were severelydesroyed as a resul o indiscriminae atacks. wo days afer he Egypian

brokered cease-fire, ens o housands o school children headed back o schoolin Gaza o he shatered buildings ha were once heir classrooms, which hensmelled o powder, dus and rubble, afer experiencing eigh days o aggression.

Some people los heir only source o livelihood, especially armersApproximaely 243.300 dunums o agriculural land were oally or pariallydesroyed. Tese lands consiued he only source o income and livelihood ohundreds o amilies whose main income depends on agriculural land.


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Case Sudy 4: Salah Family

One moment you are sleeping peacefully,the next you are buried under the rubble of

your own home. Safaa El Madhoun (23)daughter of Fayza Salah

I was conscious. I could hardly breathe, andI felt death was close so I started repeatingprayers. I repeated it tens of times, every timethinking that it should be the last time beforemy life was over, and before Im buried undermy own home. Safaa El Madhoun (23)

Fayza Ahmed Mahmoud Salah (53) @PCHR

On 17 November 2012,PCHR repored Israeliwarplanes fired 3 missiles a ahouse belonging o SuleimanAbdul Hamid Salah nearal-Khulaa Mosque inJabalya own. Te house wasdesroyed wih is residensrapped inside. 31 civilians,including 12 children and

7 women, were wounded.Te wounded include 10residens o he house.Addiionally, dozens onearby houses were heavilydamaged.

On Sunday 2 December2012, PCHR inerviewed

Fayza Ahmed MahmoudSalah, (53) in her renedhouse in Jabalya. Fayza is amoher o seven and also agrandmoher. A he imeo he atack, mos o herexended amily members,including he amilies o her

wo married daughers Saa(23) and Fama (21), werepresen in he house. A he

Interviewees:

Fayza Ahmed Mahmoud Salah (53) moherSaaa El Madhoun (23) daugher

Date of Incident:

17 November 2012

Location:

Near Khulaa Mosque in Jabalya own, Norh Gaza,Palesine

Victims:

10 members o he Salah exended amilyFayza Ahmed Mahmoud Salah (53) moher, injuredSaaa El Madhoun (23) daugher, injuredFama Salah (21) daugher, injuredZakariya Salah (18) son, injuredMohammed Salah (13) son, injuredLina Ghabboun (2) granddaugher, injuredMohammed Ghaboun (3) grandson, injured

Shaha El Madhoun (4) granddaugher, injuredAmr El Madhoun (1) grandson, injuredSuliman Salah (60) aher, injuredViolations of International law include:

Direct Targeting of Civilians:Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) Saue o ICCDirec argeing Civilian

Object:

Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) Saue o ICC


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ime, he building was shelering hree amilies o 12 members, mosly womenand children.

Fayza explains how her house was hough o as a sae sheler or her daughers,My daugher Saaa had been saying wih me in he ground floor or a while. Myoher daugher Fama came or a visi wih her wo children ha day and decidedo say over. Fama has wo children one o whom is a 2-year girl who was abouo celebrae her second birhday. She celebraed i a he hospial.

Te house had wo floors. We perormed our Fajr prayer and hen my daugherprepared us breakas wih ea o eed he litle kids. We were all presen in hesame room excep or my husband. We were sill in bed, bu we were all awakealking when bombs sared shaking he house. I was around 5:50 a.m. and hesrees were all empy. People came along o help rescue us. Mos o us wereinjured, some o us criically, added Fayza.

Saaa, Fayzas 23-year old daugher, narraing he deails o he ime she spenunder he rubble, rapped in a lie and deah siuaion under he wreckage oher own home, saed I was he las o en people o be lifed rom beneah herubble. Te whole roo had collapsed on my leg. Te rescue process was ooerrible o recall. Tey waned o ge me ou by pulling me by my hands bu Iknew ha his would have urher damaged my limbs. I shoued a hem o breakhe wall over my legs.

Afer pausing or a ew seconds o gaher her houghs Saaa coninues, Onemomen you are sleeping peaceully, he nex you are buried under he rubble

o your own home. Under he rubble, I was conscious he whole ime. I couldsee i all happening. I was suffocaing. I sayed under he rubble or abou 25minues. A he ime I was incapable o gauging how long I was rapped, bu hais wha I was old afer I was rescued. I could hardly breahe, and I el deah was

very close, so I sared repeaing some prayers. I repeaed i ens o imes, everyime hinking ha i would be he las ime beore my lie ended, and beore Im

buried under my own home. Righ now, I sill canno believe I am siting here inron o you.

Saaa, a moher o wo children, 4-year old Shaha, and 1-year old Amr, had noknowledge o wheher her children were alive afer he airsrike. All she couldremember was ha her children were siting close o her a he ime o he atack.I didn hink abou anyone hen. I hough ha my children were all buriedunder he rubble as well. Tey brough me my son when I was a he hospial.My daugher was a home. She had a broken arm. All I hough abou under herubble was he hea o he fire. I expeced ha i I didn die o suffocaion, Id dieas a resul o he fire raging hrough he wreckage.

We were bombed by 3 successive airsrikes rom an F16. Te firs rocke hi hewall and window o he house. Boh shatered and were blown ino he sree. Wewere so errified ha we were abou o jump rom he firs floor in an atemp o


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save ourselves, bu we did no have ime o. Te second and he hird missiles hihe home immediaely aferwards. Te rockes were aser han us. Tere was noime or us o run or our lives and save ourselves. I am sill hankul ha we wereresiding on he firs floor as he ground floor was levelled o he earh. We wouldhave been crushed.

I had lived on he ground floor or he previous our monhs while my ownhouse was under consrucion. When my siser came o say over, she insisedha I come upsairs as she waned company. I prepared dinner in my fla on

he ground floor and wen upsairs. en minues beore he airsrike I wendownsairs o make some ea and o bring some clohes or he litle kids: enminues beore he house was compleely desroyed.

Te firs minues under he rubble, I could eel my daugher somewherenear. I could eel people rying o rescue her. When I was ou, I wasn awareha I was he las one o be lifed ou o he rubble. I hough my kids were sillunderneah he wreckage. I sared shouing, Please save my children. Tey wererigh beneah me. I was suffocaing, bu I poined o where hey were. An exra

bulldozer was brough o lif wha was beneah, bu nohing was ound. I henreceived a call rom he hospial saying ha my children were ok. Tey had beenaken o Kamal Odwans hospial. I couldn believe my eyes when hey broughhem o me alive.

My daugher does no remember a hing. She is our years old and she cannoremember anyhing ha happened. She migh have been unconscious. WheneverI ask her abou he cause o her broken hand, she says she doesn know.

Saaas son, Amr El Madhoun (1) @PCHR


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Fayza adds, Some o he children can clearly remember he evens o ha day.My granddaugher, 4-year-old Shaha, recalls a nighmare scenario under herubble, I awoke rom sleeping. I was dark and here were rocks all over me. I kepshouing a moher bu she didn respond. My 13 year old broher Mohammednow ears going o he nearby supermarke when is dark. During he war, he

was clung o me all he ime and would ollow me around whenever here was anairsrike. He would someimes scream hyserically afer an airsrike.

Besides he psychological rauma infliced on he children as a resul o he atack,

Fayzas husband was also severely injured. Despie her own injuries, Fayza has oprovide he necessary medical care ha her husband needs due o his injury.

As her husband is now incapable o work due o his disabiliies, Fayza is alsocrippled by her ear o financial difficulies ha migh hreaen he uure o heramily.

We sill don know how well manage o rebuild he house. We usually dependon aid in such circumsances. Las ime, we were graned some money by heUN. We did he consrucion ourselves. Fayza explained.

Fayza has menioned no reason why a home shelering a amily whose residenswere mosly women and children would be argeed. We did no expec o beargeed oherwise, my daugher would never have lef her own house. Fama

was errified o say on her own wih her kids during he offensive. She neededcompany, so she came over. Te house was hi direcly wihou any previous

warning. Tis is a residenial area. I does no even have any empy lands romwhich rockes could be fired.

Tis is he ourh ime he Salah Familys house has been he subjec o Israeliairsrikes. Te airsrikes have eiher direcly argeed he house resuling in iscomplee desrucion or were direced a a nearby building resuling in parialdesrucion o he house. Fayza explains, Te firs ime he house was desroyed

was abou eigh years ago as a neighbours house was argeed and our housewas parially desroyed as a resul. Te second ime was seven years ago, and iwas compleely desroyed by direc airsrikes which Israel claimed as a misakeashey were argeing a neigbours house and no ours. Te hird was during he

Israeli offensive in 2008-2009 when he house was also compleely desroyed.Tereore his is he ourh ime or us o rebuild he house which we already hadonly recenly been reconsruced less han 18 monhs ago.

When he house was oally desroyed seven years ago, we were noified byhe neighbours ha Israel was planning o arge heir house, so hey asked allhe neighbours o evacuae heir houses as well. We evacuaed, and when wecame back, our house had been levelled o he ground. Our neighbours house,

which had been hreaened wih demoliion, was no damaged. I was only ourhouse ha had been compleely desroyed as a resul o he airsrike, which Israelsubsequenly claimed was a misake explained Saaa.


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Despie he severe emoional rauma ha he Salah amily women have had oendure afer being rescued rom under he rubble o heir own home, he challengeo holding he amily ogeher, rebuilding he house, providing psychologicalsuppor or he children and challenging he financial obsacles ha migh resulrom he loss o heir home and he injury o heir main breadwinner lies ahead.

Te Salah amily home was hi repeaedly by Israeli warplanes. Even i here hadbeen resisance aciviy in he area, a ac which winesses have denied, Israeliorces were under an obligaion o spare civilians. Teir home was no being used

by he resisance, and was a civilian objec. As a resul o he repeaed argeing ohe house, which was hi by F16 on our separae occasions, PCHR believe hahe house was direcly argeed, a violaion o he principle o disincion, and a

war crime, as codified in Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) o he Saue o he ICC.

PCHR believes ha he direc argeing o a civilian objec, resuling in he deahor injury o civilian inhabians, consiues he crime o willul killing, a grave

breach o he Geneva Convenions. I could reasonably be expeced ha atackinga civilianhouse would resul in he injury or deah o is civilian inhabians.

Te ruins o he Salah house @PCHR


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Case Sudy 5: Nou HijaziTere was no warning. We were direcly argeed,

Four years ago, when my big broher Mohammed was killed in an Israeliatack, my moher was 5-monhs pregnan. When she gave birh o a baby boy,she called him Mohammed afer his broher. 4-year old Mohammed was killedin his offensive.

Nour Hijazi (19) @PCHR

4-year old Mohammed and 2-year-old Suhaib

On Monday 19 November a approximaely 19:20, an Israeli warplane fired amissile a a house belonging o Fuad Khalil Hijazi( 46) in he norh o Jabalya.Te house was desroyed and Hijazi and his 2 children, 4-year old Mohammedand 2-year-old Suhaib, were killed.28 civilians, including 7 residens o he house,

were also injured.

On Tursday, 6 December 2012, PCHR inerviewed Nour Fouad Hijazi (19) a

Interviewees

Nour Hijazi (19) daugherMusaa Hijazi (20) sonDae o Inciden:Monday 19 November 2012

Location:

Norh o Jabalya, block 8

Victims:

Fuad Khalil Hijazi, (46) aher, killed.Suhaib Hijazi (2) son, killed.Mohammed Hijazi (4) son, kil led.Amna Hijazi (46) moher, injured.Musaa Hijazi (20) son, injured.Ashra Hijazi (17) son, injured.Osama Hijazi (13) son, injured.Mosaab Hijazi (2) son, injured.Sondos Hijazi (10) daugher, injured.

Nour Hijazi (19) daugher, injured.Suhaib Hijazi (2) son, killed.Mohammed Hijazi (4) son, kil led.

Violations of International law include:

Willul killing:grave breach o Geneva ConvenionsDirec argeing o Civilians:Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) Saue o ICCDirec argeing Civilian Objec:

Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) Saue o ICC

Nour Hijazi, 19.


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heir newly rened house in Jabalya. Te amily has rened he house afer heirhouse was oally levelled o he ground by he Israeli airsrike. When PCHRinerviewed her, Nour was lying on her bed unable o move due o an injury inher spine.

Nour was advised by he docors o coninue o lie on her back or wo monhswih as litle movemen as possible. She was released rom he hospial our daysafer her arrival despie her need or consan medical care.

Afer he deah o her aher and he absence o her moher, who has beenreceiving medical reamen a an Egypian hospial due o her severe injuriesNour, he only woman and he eldes siser in he amily, was expeced o lookafer he amily and help keep hem ogeher. However, due o her serious injury,she can do litle in suppor o her own brohers and sisers.

Speaking o her injury, Nour old PCHR, I was old ha I will have o wai orwo monhs moving a all. Afer his wo monh period has ended, I shall usea wheel chair. I shall ake a long ime beore I sar walking again. I have wo

broken bones in my back which means I am incapable o even siting asi is oopainul.

For a 19-year old high school suden, he atack was a disrupion o one ohe mos imporan academic years in Nours lie as i was he year beore hergraduaion and had he opporuniy o gain her access o universiy. However,

wih her curren injury, he consequen povery ha migh be hreaening heamily afer he deah o heir aher, and wih he loss o heir only sheler, i

is hard o know wheher Nour shall be able o overcome hese obsacles andmanage o coninue wih her sudies o ulfill her dream o becoming a eacher.

Narraing he evens o wha happened he day o he atack was difficul orNour. She could no ariculae he deails o how heir lie used o be beore heaggression. Normal Nour kep repeaing when asked how days passed in hoseabnormal days o he offensive. She did no elaborae on wha normal mean norhow a lie under consan bombing could ever be described as normal. I seemsha compared o he how lie looks or Nour now, lie even under he consan

hrea o deah was considered normal.

Nour sared narraing he deails o he atack, My moher, my brohers, mysiser and I were siting in he room. My aher was in he saloon wih Suhaiband Mohammed. We were waching he live broadcas o he airsrikes on V.Tere was a sudden ligh. Seconds laer, he whole house ell over our heads. Iell unconscious. I was laer old ha I had been ound by he neighbours on heirroo, having been hrown here by he orce o he explosion. I spen he nex

our days in hospial.

Te Hijazi amily, which consised o 10 members including Nours aher, hermoher, six brohers and a siser, were all presen a home when he airsrike


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shook heir home. Nours aher and her wo brohers Suhaib and Mohammedwere killed insanly in he atack. Te res o he amily members who werein he room were all injured. Nours moher was badly injured. Tere was no

warning . We were direcly argeed, Nour added.

Nour and her moher were he mos seriously injured. 2-year old Mosaab washrown ou o he house. He was ound walking and crying in he sree afer hehome was desroyed. Ashra had bruises over his head, eyes, and ches. He wasin he same room as his moher.

My moher was in a coma. She was ranserred o Egyp righ away. We only oldher abou he loss o Mohammed, Suhaib and aher wo days ago. Beore ha,

we weren able o alk o her as she was unconscious. We used o conac herhrough my aun. Bu when she improved, we could finally alk o her. She usedo ask abou Mohamed, Mosaab, and Suhaib, because she was very atached ohem as hey are her younges children. We couldn ell her he ruh righ away.She cried a lo when she learned wha had happened o hem, bu hen she wasseadas as usual.

Tis is no he firs ime or he Hijazi amily o be he direc vicims o Israeliindiscriminae atacks. Tey have been he vicims o a previous ragedy haclaimed he lie o heir son Mohammed in 2008.

Mohammed was our big broher. He was 17 when he was killed. My moher waspsychologically orn by his deah. I ook her quie a while o ge over he grie olosing her firs son.

On 1 March 2008, Mohammed was walking in he company o some riends inhe sree when he was killed by a direc airsrike. Four years ago, when my big

broher Mohammed was killed in an Israeli atack, my moher was 5-monhspregnan. When she gave birh o a baby boy, she called him Mohammed aferhis broher. 4-year old Mohammed was killed in his offensive.

Mohammeds deah was a differen sory. When he died in 2008, we misookhim or one o his riends, anoher child called Mohammed Abu Salama, who

was presen in he Inensive care-uni. We hough he child in he hospial wasmy broher. His ace did look like Mohammed and because o he severe bruisesin his ace, we could no ideniy him. We kep visiing him a he hospial andmy moher sayed a his side or around 13 days beore we discovered i was noMohammed. We ound ou aferwards ha Mohammed had died immediaelyin he atack bu ha his body was no idenifiable as i had been ound in pars.I was only when he child in he ICU sared o ge beter ha we realisedha i wasn Mohammed. We didn have an opporuniy o say goodbye o

Mohammed. When my moher gave birh she named he baby in honour o hereldes son Mohammed. Now boh Mohammeds have been killed.


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Musaa Hijazi (20) on he wreckage o his demolished house in Jabalia @PCHR

Te house belonging o he Hijazi amily was wholly desroyed rendering heamily homeless. Te whole house was desroyed. I sill canno ell wha sor o

bombs hey used agains us. Te amily had been living in he house or only a yearafer moving away rom heir exended amily house. We bough his house onlya year ago. Beore ha we used o live in he amily house which was oo small. Weneeded a bigger space. Afer 22 years, my aher finally managed o save enoughmoney o buy a bigger house. Now, he house has been compleely desroyed. Teamily currenly lives in a rened house in Jabalya Reugee camp. Musaa (20) heeldes son in he amily, has urned ino is only supporer afer he deah o hisaher. Te children are now dependen on boh amily members and aid.

Climbing he wreckage o wha was once his home, Musaa poins ou wherehe was siting beore he atack and he locaion rom which he was lifed romunder he rubble. Afer he airsrike, I was conscious o he dus and he heavy

bricks o cemen over my body. I sared suffocaing. Minues laer, when I couldno longer breahe, I was lifed ou jus in ime by he medics. I ook he medicsover an hour o ideniy where Mohammed, Suhaib and aher were, and whenhey were lifed rom under he rubble , hey reained no signs o lie.

Showing PCHR he remains o he belongings o his home, a broken bike, ashatered baby bed, orn pans, Musaa recalled par o he phone conversaion

wih his moher ha morning. When my moher called his morning, she oldme ha i any journaliss ask me why hey had bombed he house, I shouldanswer, Because litle Mohammed and Suhaib were firing rockes.

Te Hijazi amily home lies in he mid o a reugee camp which is a highlypopulaed civilian area. Even i here was resisance aciviy in he area and hereis no evidence o any, Israeli orces were under an obligaion o spare civilians.

Teir home was no being used by he resisance, and was a civilian objec.PCHR believes ha he house was direcly argeed, a violaion o he principleo disincion, and a war crime, as codified in Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) o he Saue ohe ICC. Given he locaion o he Hijazi amily home, and he lack o resisance


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aciviy in he area, PCHR believe ha he desrucion o heir home cannohave been jusified by miliary necessiy.

PCHR believe ha he direc argeing o a civilian objec, resuling in he deaho civilian inhabians, consiues he crime o wilul killing, a grave breach o heGeneva Convenions. I could reasonably be expeced ha atacking a civilianhouse would resul in he injury or deah o is civilian inhabians.

Te direc argeing o he children is a violaion o cusomary IHL, and a war

crime, as codified in Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) o he Saue o he ICC.


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Case Sudy 6:Neseen Aafa:

My children are possessed by ear. I don know how I am going o help hemmove on wih heir lives. Nesreen Araa (27) Moher o Ronan.

I am surrounded by ears. I eel ha everyhing around me could crumble aany second jus like everyhing ell over our heads he firs ime.

Nesreen Araa (27)

Interviewees

Nesreen Araa (27)

Date of Incident:

14 November 2012

Location:

Al-Zaioun neighborhood inhe eas o Gaza Ciy

Victims:

Ronan Araa (5) daugher,killed.Violaions o Inernaional law

include:

Willul killing:Grave breach o GenevaConvenionsDirec argeing o Civilians:Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) Saue oICCDirec argeing CivilianObjec:Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) Saue oICC

According o PCHR repors, on 14 November

2012, an Israeli warplane fired 3 missiles aa house belonging o Salah Jalal Araa in al-Zaioun neighbourhood in he eas o GazaCiy. Te house and a neighbouring one

belonging o Araas broher were desroyed.One o Araas children, 5-year-old Ronan,

was killed and anoher wo children and wowomen were wounded.

On 17 December 2012, PCHR inerviewed Nesreen Araa (27), moher ohe child who was also killed in he atack. Nesreen is a moher o hree: Jalal(8), Maria (10), and Ronan (5). Te children were all presen a he ime o heatack ha insanly killed Ronan.

Ronan was one o he firs child vicims o he offensive and he Araa amilywere amongs he firs civilians o be direcly argeed by Israeli warplanes in hefirs day o he offensive. Te unexpeced atack on he amily ook place on arelaively calm day, beore he exensive bombing all around he Gaza Srip had

begun, so beore her house was argeed by Israeli warplanes, Nesreen had beengoing abou her normal aciviies as a moher.

Nesreen Araa (27) @PCHR Ronan Araa (5)


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Narraing o PCHR he evens o he day o he atack, Nesreen began, On heday i sared we had guess visiing. I was relaively calm ha day when all oa sudden, mosques sared declaring he assassinaion o Al-Jaabari. Our guess

waned o leave as hey el hings were no sae anymore. I was saying goodbyeo hem when I heard he firs missile hiting he plo nex o he house. I was juscrossing o he Saloon when he house sared alling over our heads. I saw he

bricks alling apar and I was suddenly under he rubble. My head was he onlypar ha saw he ligh bu he res o my body was covered wih he bricks andhe wreckage o he house.

I could no see my son Jalal, bu I could only hear his voice crying, Moher,Im suffocaing. Help me. His ading voice kep repeaing. His aun Eman wasable o lif hersel up and wen looking or him, bu she couldn see him eiher.He was compleely buried. Maria was hrown o one o he holes creaed byhe missile bu she was ok. I wasn able o move, neiher was Jalal. We werecalling on Ronan bu she didn uter a word. We couldn hear her voice. I waslifed rom under he rubble in minues, hen hey go Jalal ou. Boh o us wereimmediaely ranserred o hospial, bu hey spen abou 30 minues looking orRonan beore hey could find her. She was dead.

Te second missile has direclyhi he house o he Araa amily

where, according o Nesreen,only children and women werepresen. Tere were five peoplein he house a he ime o he

atack. Te hree kids, Eman,heir aun and I. Te housecould no have been a possiblearge. My house is surrounded

by empy plos and orangeorchards and I didn hear anyrockes fired rom where I live.Beore he missile hi he plo,here was no sign o a coming

offensive. We were he secondamily argeed afer Jaabari.Beore he atack, children wereplaying around he house, and

we el worried as he Israeli warplanes sared inensiying is fligh over heGaza Srip. We asked hem o ge in he house or ear o srikes.

No only does Nesreen have o deal wih he loss o her litle daugher bu she also

has o suppor wo more children who have been hroughan inensely raumaicexperience, Jalal was in shock or a week aferwards. He sopped speaking oanyone nor did he respond o our calls or a week. Even now, he sill asks me,W hy couldn hey ge Ronan ou alive and why are we sill alive while she isn?


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Afer a week, I ried o alk o him. I ried o make him speak o me, and I askedhim why he wasn alking o me anymore. He would look a me and ell meha i is because I did no ge Ronan ou o he rubble. He sill accuses me ono rying hard o ge her ou. He is improving hough. He sayed a home or along ime as he reused o reurn o school. I atemped o alleviae some o hissress by giving him some massage sessions so ha he could relax and relieve heinensiy o he ear.

He is sill in ear, however. Every day a sunse, he same ime he house was

argeed, Jalal and Maria cling o me and hey don allow me o leave hem alone.Tey are sill araid and canno orge ha day added Nesreen.

Maria was exremely atached o her litle siser. She sill alks o her picures,cries and asks he figure o Ronan in he picures or orgiveness. Now, everyime hey ea somehing she used o like, hey sar crying. Tey blame me orno rescuing her rom he rubble, especially Jalal. He used o ignore me. I oldhim ha I couldn have saved her because I was also rapped.

For Nesreen, he rauma she aced did no end wih he pain o losing a daugheron he firs day o he aggression, she sill had o show soic seadasness beoreher own children or he nex 7 days o he offensive. She had o provide comoror her hem during imes o consan shelling and o ace he ear o losinganoher lie or desrucion o ye anoher home. During he offensive, he amily

were displaced rom heir own home afer heir house was compleely shelled.Tey were orced o ake sheler in anoher relaives home, a house which hey

believed would be saer.

During he offensive, wih missiles consanly alling, my children el ha heywere being argeed and ha hey would be buried under he rubble again. Now,hey can even bear he sound o hunder. Yeserday, when i was raining, heyclung o me and sared crying. My children are possessed by ear. I don knowhow I am going o help hem move on wih heir lives.

I am no beter han he children. I don hink I can live normally any more. Iam shrouded wih ears. I eel ha everyhing around me could crumble a any

second jus like everyhing ell over our heads he firs ime. I am orn inside buI canno show how I eel o my children. I am sill errified. I eel ha war is goingo break ou again a any second. A neighbours house may ge argeed again. Inhis circumsance our house could easily also be desroyed again. I eel ha myhouse is going o be shelled again. I am errified or my amily, my husband andhe kids. I eel I migh lose hem.

Afer he shelling o heir house which was compleely desroyed as a resul o he

atack, he amily have been shatered and have had o resor o living in a closerelaives house or sheler beore hey were able o ren a new house. Nesreencan no longer imagine he idea o rebuilding he house or living in he area anylonger. Is a newly buil house. Weve only been living here or 10 monhs.


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We had been living wih he amily o my husband beore. I ook me a while oadjus o he place, bu now I canno hink o going back.

I don like his new house. I canno say alone here. My husband eiher sayswih me or when hes a work, my moher comes o say over. I used o say homealone. Now, I canno say alone. I eel saer when someone is around.

Ronan was a lovely kid. She was ull o lie and always smiling. She used o repeaall wha shed learn back in he kindergaren or me.

Tey brough her o me, dead. When I enered he hospial, I wasn expecingshed be killed. My broher was rying o comor me so he lied o me saying hahe saw her breahing and ha she was fine. Afer a while, hey could no longer lieo me and old me she had been killed.

When I hear Ronans name spoken, I eel helpless. Las Tursday 12 Decemberwas her birhday. She would have urned 6. Now Im pregnan. I was pregnanwhen he house was desroyed. Te rubble was all over me, bu Im sill pregnan.Ronan used o sing me, Moma is bringing us a baby when I old her I wasexpecing. Now, were bringing a new lie o our shatered lives.


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Case Sudy 7:Al Nassasa Family

I el errified. I el somehing migh happen. I el ha I was a possible argeevery second even when wha I was carrying was only bread Rana Nasasra(21) daugher.

Sakher Nassasra @PCHR Lama Nassasra (3) @PCHR

Interviewees

Rana Nassasra (21) daugher.Amani Nassasra (37) sep-moher.

Date of Incident:

20 November 2012

Location:

Naser Neighbourhood, Raah,Souh o Gaza

Victims:

Ahmed awfiq al-Nassasra (17)son, killedMohammed (19) son, killed.Amani Nassasra (37) sep-moher, injured.Sakher Nassasra (5) son, injured.Lama Nassasra, daugher,injured.


law include:

Willul killing:Grave breach o GenevaConvenionsDirec argeing o Civilians:Aricle 8(2)(b)(i) Saue o ICCDirec argeing Civilian

Object:

Aricle 8(2)(b)(ii) Saue oICC

Amani Nassasra (37) @PCHR

Amani Nassasra wih her wo daughers @PCHR


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According o PCHR repors, a approximaely 22:00 on uesday, 20 November2012, an Israeli warplane fired a missile a a in-rooed house belonging o awfiqMamdouh al-Nassasra (50) in he al-Nasser neighbourhood, norh o Raah. Tehouse was desroyed, and 2 members o he amily, including 1 child, were killed:

Ahmed awfiq al-Nassasra (17); and his broher Mohammed (19). Te oher 9members o he amily, including 3 women and 5 children, were wounded.On uesday 17 January 2013, PCHR visied he house in which he wholeNassasra amily had been displaced afer he oal desrucion o heir home.Currenly residing a a relaives house surrounded by empy agriculural land,

he amily o around 11 members have o be crammed ino a house ha conainsnone o heir belongings as all have been oally damaged by he airsrike.

Te house does no provide a proper environmen or healhy children, lealone children who were seriously injured by he atack and who are in need oconsan medical suppor. When PCHR visied he amily, one o he children,Sakher (5), was lying on a matress in he yard proeced rom he burning sun

by a in-roo. Te boy was unable o move due o his injury. Afer he airsrike,Sakher had o undergo several surgeries including a splenecomy. He also suffersrom inernal injuries in his righ lung and his ee, in addiion o arachnoidhemorrhage and broken legs. Beore he was ranserred o a hospial in Egypor medical reamen, i was hard o believe ha he boy would walk again. Hespen abou a monh receiving medical reamen and undergoing surgery beorehe was able o reurn home. His home, however, has been compleely levelleddue o he airsrike. He hus spends mos o his day lying on ha matress wihno proper care aciliies.

Also in he yard anoher child confined o a wheelchair afer being severelyinjured in he atack wached us approach. Afer he atack, Lama (3) nealry hado have her legs ampuaed; however, docors were finally able o connec henerves saving her legs in he las minue. A he ime o he inerview, Lamas legssill had plainum rods in hem, and she was sill unable o move.

Te Nassasra amily consiss o 13 members o whom he oldes is 21 years oldand he younges is 18 monhs old. Te whole amily were presen a home a heime o he atack. Mos o hem were already asleep when he F16 missile hi he

house. Where heir house once sood now consiss o a large craer. Te homewas direcly argeed while all is residens were asleep inside.

PCHR inerviewed Rana Nassasra (21) he eldes siser in he Nassasra amilywho only susained minor injuries in he atack. Rana narraes, On he day ohe atack we were visiing our grandahers house which is siuaed almos 15minues rom our home. Ta day my uncle called, concerned over how inensivehe Israeli warplanes aciviy was so we headed back home. I old Mohammed

how errified I el bec

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