On Tuesday March 16, 2004, Israeli tanks entered into the Zeitun neighborhood, southern Gaza city, under helicopter cover, to demolish the branch building of the Al Aqsa Public University and raze additional cultivated land in the area.
According to Al Mezan's fieldwork investigations, about 15 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles entered the area at approximately 2:30 am and opened intensive fire before leveling 15 dunams of agricultural land, owned by Nahid Al Rayis.
They also broke into three homes and proceeded to searched them.
Before withdrawing from the area, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) mined and destroyed annex buildings of the Al Aqsa University.
Three people were injured in this attack and the nearby primary school building was severely damaged.
This constitutes a new episode of Israel's systematic targeting of Palestinian education sector.
According to sources in the Palestinian Ministry of Education, numerous education facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the IOF since the beginning of the current Intifada, with an estimated loss of USD 10 million.
In addition, 646 students and teachers have been killed by IOF, 1,239 arrested, and 4,324 injured between September 28, 2000 and December 31, 2003.
In addition, 489 schools were affected by IOF measures of collective punishment.
This includes 282 schools that were damaged or partly destroyed, 9 schools closed on a permanent basis, 3 of which were turned into Israeli military posts_en, and 1,289 schools closed temporarily.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights emphasizes Israel's continuous violations of the Public International Law and the International Humanitarian Law, by targeting civilian objects breaches its obligations, which constitute war crimes.
The Center therefore condemns the aforementioned acts and calls upon the International Community to immediately intervene and protect Palestinian civilians and their property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) through ensuring respect of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilians persons in Times of War and human rights standards.
Al Mezan also appeals the High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention further investigate Israel's incompliance and serious breaches of the Convention.