Occupying army kills 18 civilians in the shelling of Beit Hanoun

Report, PCHR, 8 November 2006

In a Form of Systematic Massive Killing, IOF Kill 18 Palestinian Civilians, Including 8 Children and 6 Women, and Wound 55 Others in Beit Hanoun

"In a serious escalation in crimes they commit in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), on Wednesday morning, 8 November 2006, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shelled a residential area in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, killing 18 Palestinian civilians, including 17 members of the al-'Athamna family, and wounding 55 others. Most of the victims were sleeping in their homes when the attack took place. IOF fired at least 10 artillery shells at the area. This crime has come only one day after the IOF redeployment from the town, following a 7-day incursion, during which IOF committed a series of crimes. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by IOF since the beginning of the military campaign against Beit Hanoun has increased to 76, mostly civilians, including 17 children and 9 women. In addition, at least 250 others have been wounded.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 05:20 on Wednesday, 8 November 2006, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east and north of Beit Hanoun, fired at least 10 artillery shells at a residential area in the northeast of the town. A number of these shells hit two apartment buildings belonging to the heirs of 'Abdullah al-'Athamna. As a result 16 members of the family were killed, and dozens of other were wounded. A number of neighbors, mostly relatives of the family, rushed to rescue the family. Immediately, IOF fired a number of shells at the area. As a result, a member of the al-'Athamna family and another civilian were killed. In addition, at least 10 civilians, mostly members of the al-'Athamna family, were wounded.

Those killed by this attack are:

1. Fatema Ahmed al-'Athamna, 70;

2. Sanaa' Ahmed al-'Athamna, 30;

3. Ne'ma Ahmed al-'Athamna, 55;

4. Mas'oud 'Abdullah al-'Athamna, 55;

5. Sabah Mohammed al-'Athamna, 45;

6. Sameer Mas'oud al-'Athamna, 23;

7. Fatema Mas'oud al-'Athamna, 16;

8. 'Arafat Sa'ad al-'Athamna, 17;

9. Mahdi Sa'ad al-'Athamna, 13;

10. Mohammed Sa'ad al-'Athamna, 14;

11. Sa'ad Majdi al-'Athamna, 8;

12. Mahmoud Amjad al-'Athamna, 12;

13. Malak Sameer al-'Athamna, 4;

14. Maisaa' Ramzi al-'Athamna, 4;

15. Nihad Mohammed al-'Athamna, 33;

16. Mohammed Ramadan al-'Athamna, 28;

17. Manal Mohammed al-'Athamna, 35; and

18. Saqer Mohammed 'Edwan, 45."