On the third day of the assault on the Gaza Strip that began on 9 May 2023, Israel escalates its military attacks on densely populated areas, targeting houses and terrorizing civilians. Al Mezan’s documentation shows that since 9 May, 25 Palestinians were killed, including six children and four women, and 76 others were injured, including 24 children and 14 women. In addition, eight homes were entirely destroyed, and tens of others were damaged.[1]

Below are the main Israeli attacks against the Gaza Strip that took place on 10 May and up to 1 p.m. on 11 May, based on Al Mezan's initial documentation:

• At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 10 May 2023, an Israeli drone fired a missile at two people standing on a farmland in the village of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis City, injuring them in various parts of their bodies. Both were rushed to the European Gaza Hospital. At around 1:00 p.m. on the same day, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Mohammed Youssef Abu Taima, 23. Three hours later, at around 4:00 p.m., Alaa Maher Abu Taima, 28, was pronounced dead. They were both residents of the village of Abasan al-Kabira.
• At approximately 2:00 p.m. the same day, a projectile hit the house of Ahmed Mohammed al-Shbaki, 51, in the Qlibo area in the North Gaza District, killing him and seriously wounding his wife, Yousra Othman al-Shbaki, 50. There was property damage to the house as well as to neighbouring houses.
• At approximately 3:15 p.m. the same day, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a group of people in the Abu Halawa area, in the village of al-Shouka, east of Rafah City, killing two: Ayman Karam Saidam, 26, a resident of al-Barazil neighborhood in Rafah, and Alam al-Din Samir Abdulaziz, 23, a resident of al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah. Two other people were injured.
• At approximately 3:45 p. m. the same day, a projectile hit the house of Jawdat Fathi Elayyan, 48, in the al-Sahaba neighborhood of Gaza City, killing two children: Layan Bilal Mdoukh, 8, and Yazan Jawdat Elayyan, 16, and injuring 12 others, including two children and two women. There was also material damage to neighboring houses.
• At approximately 8:50 p.m. the same day, an Israeli drone fired a missile at the three-story house of Ziad Mousa al-Agha, 54, in the village of al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Younis City, where four families of 18 people live, including four women and ten children. Ten minutes later, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at the house, completely destroying it. No injuries were reported in the attack.
• At approximately 9:40 p.m. the same day, Israeli warplanes launched two missiles at the two-story house of Mohammed Sadi al-Masri, 67, in the al-Shaima area in north Beit Lahiya, North Gaza District. Four families of 20 individuals lived in this house, including eight children and five women. The attack completely destroyed the house and caused property damage to nearby houses. Israeli forces called one of al-Masri’s family neighbors to inform him about their intention to strike the house and fired a drone missile five minutes before totally destroying it.
• At approximately 1:20 a.m. on Thursday, 11 May 2023, Israeli warplanes launched three missiles at an apartment on the fifth floor of a residential building in Hamad City housing complex in Khan Younis City, killing three people: the Islamic Jihad leader Ali Hassan Ghali, 50, his brother Mahmoud, 33, and Mahmoud Walid Abdeljawad, 26, and injuring seven, including three women and a child. The attack caused severe damage to the apartment and neighboring apartments.
• At approximately 1:55 a.m. the same day, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at an uninhabited old house in the village of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, completely destroying it, with no injuries reported.

We also note with grave concern that, in parallel to its assault, Israel further tightened its unlawful closure measures by completely closing Gaza crossings, thereby preventing the entry of basic necessities and humanitarian supplies into the Strip and denying medical patients access to hospitals outside Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that by closing the Erez crossing, Israeli authorities prevented 292 patients (mostly cancer patients) and their companions, in addition to 15 life-saving cases, from leaving Gaza to receive treatment in hospitals in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Israel between 9-10 May.

Moreover, the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company warned of the impact of Israel’s closure of the Karem Shalom crossing and the ban on the entry of fuel on the work of the Gaza Power Plant, which could cease its operation completely. It also warned of the serious impact of power shortage on vital facilities such as hospitals, wastewater pumps, treatment plants, drinkable water wells, water desalination plants, and other service facilities.

Al Mezan reiterates its condemnation of Israel’s ongoing military offensive against the Gaza Strip and the targeting of civilians and civilian objects, conducted in clear violation of the principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law. Al Mezan asserts that the willful and systematic killing of civilians and the destruction of their property constitute war crimes whose perpetrators must be investigated and held accountable.

As more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza are enduring the third day of Israel’s aggression, Al Mezan calls on the international community to put pressure on Israel to immediately stop its military attack on the Strip, re-open the crossings, lift the illegal closure and blockade, and provide protection for Palestinian civilians. As long as the international community continues to fail to condemn Israel's ongoing violations of international law and to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable, Israeli officials will continue to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity at the expense of the Palestinian people unabated.

[1] Figures as of 1 p.m. (Gaza time) on 11 May 2023.