Press Releases
11 October 2023
Short Link:
Date: 11 October 2023
On the fifth consecutive day, Israel has persisted in its military offensive on the Gaza Strip, employing immense destructive firepower. The Israeli military have launched airstrikes which have brought about the devastation of complete residential neighborhoods, streets and infrastructure and mass killings of the inhabitants of those neighborhoods. Civilians and civilian infrastructure have been deliberately targeted.
As a result of the escalating intensity of airstrikes, moving, as they do, from one location to another, there is no safe refuge in Gaza. The Israeli bombardment has caused substantial damage to shelters; even those sites designated by international law for special protection to ensure the safety of civilians have been targeted. The relentless wave of hundreds of airstrikes has resulted in significant killings and injuries among the civilian population, with many still trapped beneath the rubble, beyond the reach of search and rescue teams.
According to the Ministry of Health, as at 14:00 p.m. on 11 October 2023, some 1,100 Palestinians, including 326 children, have been killed in Israel’s military attacks. The number of injuries has reached 5,339, with 60% of those being children and women. These numbers will inevitably rise, as dozens of people are still trapped under the rubble. Furthermore, Israeli airstrikes have led to the destruction of thousands of homes and private and public buildings.
Evidence from the ground, including photos and video, show the emission of white smoke coinciding with Israeli shells being directed at specific neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip, suggesting that white phosphorus may have been used. More investigation will determine. The potential use of white phosphorus and other internationally banned ammunition and weaponry by the Israeli military within densely populated civilian areas, as well as other aspects of the current offensive, will require the scrutiny of an international inquiry.
The following highlights the most severe Israeli attacks carried out in Gaza between midday on 10 October and midday on 11 October 2023, as monitored and documented jointly by Al-Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights:
According to United Nations estimates, more than 200,000 people have been internally displaced, with over 137,000 seeking shelter in more than 80 UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip.
Human rights organizations continue to receive complaints from many people in shelters regarding the lack of services, including bedding and food. An urgent response from the UN is required to ensure the provision of basic needs for the survival of the people.
Furthermore, the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza was severely damaged due to airstrikes in the surrounding area. The international UN staff in Gaza moved to another building within the same compound. UNRWA has reported direct and collateral damage to at least 18 of its facilities, including schools sheltering displaced civilians. Additionally, nine UNRWA staff members and 30 students have been killed since the beginning of the Israeli offensive.
Palestinian human rights organizations warn of a looming humanitarian catastrophe that will impact the lives of around 2.3 million citizens in the Gaza Strip. The complete closure imposed by Israel will lead to a total power outage within hours, due to the depletion of fuel supplies and the shutdown of Gaza’s sole power plant. Shockingly, Israel, since the beginning of the offensive, has terminated the supply of (120) megawatts of electricity to Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli forces have targeted nine healthcare facilities, including seven governmental hospitals, destroyed 15 ambulances, and killed six medical personnel while injuring 16 others.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq, and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights express their absolute condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression and the atrocities inflicted upon civilians, alongside the widespread and systematic destruction of civilian property - actions constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. We warn that the intensified assaults by the Israeli military in densely populated areas, coupled with the total closure and the disruption of essential services, including power, water, food, and medical supplies, represent a threat to the lives of the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
Therefore, we reiterate our calls on the international community, especially the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, for urgent and effective intervention, coupled with tangible measures to bring about a cessation of the killing and the employment of starvation as a weapon of war, thereby averting a looming humanitarian crisis. The international community must also exert pressure on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law, provide international protection for civilians, and guarantee the unimpeded distribution of medical, relief, and fuel supplies, mitigating the precipitous deterioration of the humanitarian situation on the ground. Furthermore, we call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in accordance with the Rome Statute, to investigate Israeli crimes, especially indiscriminately and disproportionately targeting civilian homes and killing entire families, and to prosecute and hold accountable every individual who has carried out or ordered the commission of these crimes.
End.
For media inquiries, please contact: advocacy@mezan.org
For 63 consecutive days, Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, arresting Palestinians, forcing them to strip naked, and using other degrading methods
As Israel’s genocidal campaign continues in Gaza for the 58th consecutive day, mass killings, forced displacement, and widespread destruction persist
As the death toll in Gaza exceeds 10,000 in a month, Palestinian organizations call for an immediate end to Israel’s genocidal warfare against Palestinians
Palestinian CSO Send a Letter to the UN High Commissioner Calling for Ceasefire, and Stress on the Root Causes
Urgent international intervention is needed to protect Palestinians in northern Gaza