IOF offensive continues, killing a Palestinian child and injuring two, and damaging a metal factory

IOF have intensified their offensive on the Gaza Strip with arbitrarily shelling of areas in the northeastern border.
Israeli gun ships shelled the beach while military airplanes bombarded a metal factory in Gaza City.
At approximately 12.
50am on April 18th, according to Al Mezan investigations, Israeli airplanes fired a missile at a metal factory in Al Zeitoun area in Gaza City, causing serious damage to the factory which is owned by Moussa Al Bana, 58, from Al Toffah neighborhood of Gaza City.
On April 17th at approximately 8.
20pm, Israeli gun ships in east Jabalia shelled around10 missiles 100 meters east of houses in Al Sheikh Zayed town, killing Mamdouh Obaid, 15, and injuring Amar Abu Al Kas, 15, who suffered wounds to his body, and Mohammad Abu Tabaq, 15, wounded in his left leg, while they were playing in a yard close to their houses.
At approximately 6.
40pm on the same day, IOF artillery shelled around 23 missiles on land adjacent to houses in Al Aqawasmeh area in north of Beit Lahia.
No causalities were reported, however, missiles hit drainage basins which could cause environmental disaster if water were to leak out of the basins, which are separated from houses by blocks.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the IOF navy, aerial and land shelling operations which target civilians and civil facilities and illegal under international law.
Al Mezan reiterates that the imposed siege and closure of the Gaza Strip targets people's sources of livelihood, and constitutes a form of collective punishment that harms Palestinians and destroys their economy.
Al Mezan expresses its deep concern over the shelling of drainage basins located in Um-Nasr village in northern Beit Lahia which threatens the occurrence of a disaster in the region.
Further, Al Mezan confirms that such actions are considered war crimes according to international law, most notably the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War which compels the High Contracting Parties to the Convention to bring to justice the perpetrators of such actions.
Thus, Al Mezan calls upon the International Community to undertake its legal and ethical duties, and immediately intervene to halt IOF war crimes, in particular the ongoing arbitrary shelling in the Gaza Strip, and in particular the northeastern border.
Al Mezan emphasizes the importance of the international community in taking the initiative and ensuring the occupying power respects international law whist dealing with Palestinian civilians as an introductory phase to ending the occupation of the OPT.
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