The IOF Systematic destruction of civilian houses in the Gaza Strip continues.
A house has been shelled in khan Younis, by IOF, without giving its residents a sufficient time to evacuate it.
Two Palestinians have been killed and three others wounded as a result.
The total number of houses destroyed since the IOF began informing Palestinians by telephone of the imminent shelling of their homes has reached 19.
Further, these measures have resulted in severe damages in tens of adjacent house, and hundreds of civilians have been made homeless.
In addition, IOF entered southeast Beit Hanoun town, and detained 23 Palestinians, and continued to level targeted areas in the town.
According to the center's field investigations, On 16 August 2006, at approximately1:00 am, the IOF informed Abd Al Hadi Hasan Sha'at that they wound shell his house in 5 minutes.
The house is owned by his father, Hasan Sha'at, and comprising of 3 floors, each one consists of two apartments.
15 minutes later, the IOF shelled the house, totally destroying it and damaging 5 adjacent houses.
Hasan Ridwan Sha'at, 69, and his son Ibrahim Hasan Sha'at, 49 were killed as a result of the shelling.
Further, Abd Ar Rahman Hasan Sha'at, 35, Abdullah Nizar Abu taha, 29, and Mohammed Solaiman Sha'at, 31, were reported injured.
The building houses 6 families, a total of 35 individuals, including 18 children.
Simultaneously, 40 military vehicles entered the area located southeast Beit Hanoun town, and were stationed near the borderlines.
At approximately 4:30 am, these forces moved forward the areas eastern the industrial area in Beit Hanoun, and maintained control over these areas, and started bulldozing lands under extensive firing from machineguns.
At approximately 6:00, these forces ordered, though loudspeakers, all youths to get out of their houses, and gather in the area, and then detained 23 of them.
Al Mezan strongly condemns the ongoing IOF offensive against residential buildings and highlights the fact that the IOF intend to inflict as much material and human loss as possible among Palestinian civilians and their property, as they do not give sufficient time for residents to evacuate their houses and collect their belongings, and also to notify their neighbor of the shelling.
Al Mezan also confirms that informing residents to evacuate a block of 6 apartments in 5 minutes shows Israeli intent and deliberate nature of IOF killings of Palestinian civilians.
Al Mezan emphasizes that the IOF are committing war crimes which constitute flagrant violations to the texts of international humanitarian and human rights law.
Al Mezan is gravely concerned about the continuation of the silence of the international community in the light of ongoing Israeli violations of Palestinians' human rights.
Thus, Al Mezan retreats the following demands: The international community, notably the High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention, to immediately intervene to halt Israeli war crimes, provide protection to Palestinian civilians in the OPT, and bring to justice the perpetrators and those who ordered these crimes The European Union to take serious steps against continuation of Israeli systematic crimes against Palestinians, and re-examine partnership agreements with Israel according to the standards of the EU The UN Human Rights Council to end its silence and take serious steps towards halting Human Rights violations in the OPT End