The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is keeping a tally of palestinian Arab fatalities and injuries during Operation Shield and Arrow. And even though they are utterly anti-Israel – or perhaps because they are – their statistics are telling.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue their widescale aggression on the Gaza Strip, which began at dawn on Tuesday, 09 May 2023. After the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued its press release, IOF warplanes conducted dozens of airstrikes on residential houses, agricultural lands, sites of the Palestinian armed groups, and others. As a result, 17 Palestinians, including 2 children and 4 women, were killed, and 45 others, including 11 children and 11 women, were wounded while two houses and an apartment were destroyed after directly targeting them by IOF. Thus, the death toll during the Israeli aggression has risen to 25, including 13 civilians: 6 children and 4 women, while 63 injuries were reported, including 15 children and 15 women.
PCHR is still investigating certain incidents as preliminary investigations indicate casualties fell after homemade rockets had fallen in three incidents, during which 3 civilians, including 2 children, were killed and 26 others were wounded, including 7 children and 5 women.
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On 09 May 2023, Wael Muhammad Sabri al-Agha (34), and Saed Jawad ‘Abd Farwana (28), members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed, and two other Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a civilian car in al-Qarara, northeast of Khan Yunis.
On 10 May 2023, the bombing escalated against agricultural lands, sites of Palestinian armed groups, and houses. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, including 3 civilians: 2 were children. PCHR is still investigating the nature of the missile that killed them and injured 36 others, including 8 women and 10 children.
The two Palestinians killed and identified as Muhammad Yousef Abu Ta’ima (23) and ‘Alaa Maher Abu Ta’ima (28), who were members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed in an airstrike that targeted them in an agricultural field in ‘Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, Ayman Karam Saidam (26) and ‘Alam Al-Dein Sameer ‘Abdul-‘Aziz (23), who were members of the Palestinian armed groups, were killed, and 2 others were wounded as a result of an Israeli airstrike on an agricultural land in Al-Shokah village, east of Rafah. In addition, 8 Palestinians, including 3 children and 3 women, were wounded in an airstrike on an agricultural land near residential houses in Al-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
Also, Ahmed Mohammed al-Shebaki (50) was killed and his wife Yusra Othman al-Shebaki (50) was seriously injured after a missile fell on their house in Qleibo area in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade missile.
Moreover, Yazan Jawdat ‘Eliyan (16) and Layan Belal Mohammed Modawikh (8) were killed and 12 others, including 2 children and 2 women, were injured after a missile fell on a 5-storey house on al-Sahaba Street in Gaza City. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade missile.
In addition, 13 Palestinians were injured, including 2 women and 5 children; one seriously injured, after a missile fell on a house in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip. PCHR is still investigating the incident, as initial information raises suspicion that it might be a homemade missile.
Meanwhile, IOF warplanes launched at least 2 missiles at a 3-storey house in al-Qarara area, northeast of Khan Yunis. As a result, the house was destroyed and 4 families of 20, including children and women, were displaced. It should be noted that one of the area residents received a call to evacuate the nearby houses.
Moreover, IOF warplanes launched 2 missiles at a 3-sotrey house of 3 residential apartments in Beit Lahia, completely destroying it and rendering 4 families of 16, including 4 women and 8 children, homeless. It is worth noting that the house’s owner received a call from IOF only 40 minutes before targeting the house telling him to evacuate.
On 11 May 2023, 3 Palestinians, including 2 brothers; one of them a commander of Al-Quds Brigades, were killed and 7 other civilians, including a girl and 3 women; one was pregnant, were injured after IOF warplanes fired 3 missiles at a residential apartment on the 5th floor of a building in Hamad Residential Compound, west of Khan Yunis. Those killed were identified as: ‘Ali Hasan Ghali (50), member of al-Quds Brigades’ Military Council and head of the rocket launching unit; his brother Mahmoud (23); and their relative Mahmoud Waleed Mohammed ‘Abdul Jawaad (26). All of them were in the targeted apartment, while the other injuries were reported in nearby apartments. IOF announced that IOF and Shin Bet (Shabak) killed in a joint targeted operation the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket launching force in the Gaza Strip.
While this is a little hard to decipher and the numbers do not exactly add up, the following seem to be the conclusions one can draw from their statistics:
- Of 25 killed, almost half (12) were combatants aka terrorists
- Of the 13 non-combatants killed, 3 (23%) were probably killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets, and a further 3 may also have been, meaning 46% may have killed by their own
- Of the 6 children killed, 2 (33%) were probably killed by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets, and a further 2 may also have been, meaning 66% may have been killed by their own
- Of the 63 people injured, 26 (41%) were probably injured by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets, and a further 36 (57%) may also have been, meaning almost all may have been injured by their own
- Of the 15 children and 15 women said to be have been injured, all but 3 children and 3 women may have been injured by misfired Islamic Jihad rockets
- Israel has been warning civilians to evacuate before striking the areas, so some of the civilian deaths and injuries in Israeli strikes could have possibly been avoided (but it is not clear whether anyone ignored the warnings)
These statistics – from an anti-Israel organization no less – are damning. The question is is anyone paying attention?
