Published: 20:00 Gaza Time (+2 GMT)  The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) attacked more civilians in Gaza today; including media workers.
Contrary to the reports of an imminent ceasefire, IOF dropped leaflets instructing people to evacuate their homes in many areas around the Gaza Strip in anticipation of a ground invasion; including densely populated neighborhoods.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are expected to evacuate under continuing bombardment.
Thousands of people have preferred to remain in their houses instead of going to the few shelters, which have been provided by UNRWA in its schools.
Memories of IOF’s attacks on evacuating civilians and shelters during Operation Cast Lead in January 2009 remain in people’s minds.
  Meanwhile, thenumber of victims of IOF attacks on Gaza continued to rise today, 20 November 2012.
Al Mezan’s monitoring indicates that between 14 November 2012 andthe time this press release was issued at 8 pm on 20 November 2012, at least 129Palestinians have been killed in IOF attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Of those, 24were children and 12 women.
Another 901 people were injured, including 293 children and 148 women.
At least 756 houses have also been damaged or destroyed, including 57 that were destroyed completely; including 44 houses that were directly attacked.
Of those 44 houses, 32 were deliberately targeted by direct IOF attacks using the roof-knocking tactic.
Another 156 houses sustained serious damages.
Moreover, IOF attacks caused varying damages to 5 health centres, 29 schools, 2 universities, 13 NGO offices, 21 mosques, 10 media offices, 6 industrial plants, 67 commercial stores, 1 UNRWA food distribution Centre, 6 ministry offices, 12 police/security stations, 2 banks, 28 vehicles, and one youth club.
  At approximately 8:44 pm, IOF warplanes fired a missile targeting Mohammed Abu Aisheh, 24, who is the manager of educational program at the Al Quds Satellite Channel, and Hasan Al-Ustaz, 22, in the town of Deir Al Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip.
The two were killed in the attack.
  At approximately 5:45 pm today, IOF warplanes fired a missile at HossamSalameh, 30, and Mahmoud Al-Komi, 29, as they drove near the Shifa Tower east of Gaza city.
The two were killed in the attack.
  Al Mezan notes that the IOF intensified artillery shelling along the border fence between Gaza and Israel and from warships today, especially between 7:20 pm and 9:30 pm.
An artillery shell fired by the IOF at 7:40 pm hit an apartment in the An-Nada Towers in BeitHanoun town, north of the Gaza Strip and injured one person.
Another shell fired at 7:55 pm by IOF exploded neat a mosque in the town of BeitLahiya.
No casualties or injuries were reported in this attack.
  Al Mezan’s initial field reports indicate that at approximately 3:30 pm today IOF warplanes fired two missiles at two cars as they were near Al-Mustaqbal youth club in Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood in the west of Gaza city.
Four people were killed in this attack; including Salah and SubhiDoghmosh; 29-year-old twin brothers, SubhiDoghmosh, 30, and Tariq Hjeeleh, 40.
Al Mezan’s field workers were not able to verify this case sufficiently by the time this press release was issued, as more cases were mounting in Gaza city.
  Al Mezan Cetntre for Human Rights strongly condemns the IOF aggression on Gaza, which is becoming more violent as times passes.
Al Mezan also deplores the failure of international community to fulfil its obligations despite the reports about the grave violations of international law committed in Gaza for the seventh straight day; including direct, frequently deliberate, attacks on houses and other civilian targets, and the forced displacement of civilians following the dropping of leaflets ordering hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes.
  Al Mezan calls on the United Nations agencies to secure safe shelters for civilians.
International community is expected to express strong condemnation of the attacks on, and displacement of, civilians in Gaza, and to insist on their protection.
Unless effective international intervention is made urgently in Gaza to secure respect for international law, the situation of Palestinian civilians is only expected to be graver.
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