The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacked the town of Al Zahraa, destroyed dozens of homes and ordered the residents to evacuate their homes.
They blew up residential buildings and destroyed the police station in the town.
At approximately 7 pm Saturday 25 October, 2003, the IOF shelled three residential buildings in the town, which is located in the south of Gaza city.
At the same time, they closed the sea road, the only road connecting the middle and north of the Gaza Strip.
At around 8:40 pm, these forces mined and destroyed the police station before they ordered the residents of the town to evacuate it.
the residents of more than 400 homes were forced to move southwards to the nearby Al Nuseirat camp.
It is worth mentioning that there are no hotels the middle area of the Strip.
Prior to their withdrawal from the town at about 2:35 am, the IOF mined and destroyed the three residential buildings- each has 13 stories with 4 apartments each.
The buildings were completely destroyed and the explosions caused serious damage to seven adjacent homes.
Additionally, three people were wounded from bullets and shrapnel.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns this crime and emphasizes the fact that it comes in harmony with Israel’s systematic policy of collective punishment and home destruction in the Occupies Palestinian Territories (OPT).
Such practices proved to have dangerous reflections on civilians well-being and safety, and to violate Palestinians’ human rights.
The Center calls for urgent international intervention to protect Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
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