At 5:55pm on Monday, 25 March 2019, Israeli military aircrafts launched intensive airstrikes on various areas in the Gaza Strip. The attacks continued until throughout Tuesday and, by the morning, totaled 23 airstrikes in which 72 missiles were fired. Three of these missiles were fired at residential buildings and other private and public structures. They also hit 13 security sites and empty fields. Several areas in the east of the Gaza Strip were bombarded by artillery.
Targeted properties were substantially damaged, and two persons were injured. The renewed cycle of violence spread fear among the population.
Documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights shows that at 6:40pm on Monday, Al-Multazem Company for Insurance, located at the ground floor of the three-story Al-Ghazali building, was struck by five missiles. The building is situated opposite to Gaza's municipal park in the center of Gaza City. A residential building in the vicinity, which is owned by Al-Ghazali family, was also targeted. The two buildings are on a space of 662 square meters and are comprised of 10 apartments housing six families, a total of 29 persons including 19 children and five women. The two buildings and the company were brought to the ground. Nearby buildings were also damaged in the Israeli airstrikes.
At approximately 7:20pm on the same day, Israeli aircraft bombarded the office of the internal security apparatus "Qasr Al-Hakem", located in west Gaza City. In the same area, the Hassouna residential building was also hit by eight missiles. The building, which is built on a space of 300 square meters and comprising eight apartments across its four stories, was completely destroyed. Nine families, of 41 persons-of them 25 children and nine women, were displaced in the attack. Neighboring houses suffered damage, too.
At 8:20pm, the office of Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniya, was bombarded by four missiles. Located behind Al-Swaidi Clinic on the Al-Naser Street in northwest Description: Description: http://www.mezan.org/uploads/images/mid/1553596641999.jpgGaza City, the office was completely destroyed, and one person was injured. Tens of nearby houses as well as the office of the Palestinian Association for Development and Reconstruction "PADR" were damaged in the airstrikes.
At 6:55pm, Israeli drones attacked a group of persons in Tal Al-Mintar area in Al-Shujayya neighborhood in east Gaza City. One person was wounded in different parts of his body by shrapnel.
At 9:50pm, Israeli aircrafts fired two missiles into the fishermen haven in the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The attack resulted in destruction of two boats of Palestinian naval police and caused damage to seven boats of fishermen as well as to fishing equipment of more fishermen working from the haven.
Al Mezan condemns the renewed Israeli attacks on civilian properties in the Gaza Strip and warns against any escalation of this violence. Previous rounds of bombardment show that a consistent pattern of non-compliance by international law have caused flagrant violations against civilians and civilian objects and resulted in severe humanitarian suffering. Al Mezan stresses that the international community must honor its moral and legal obligations towards the civilian population in Gaza, especially amid the alarming deterioration of living conditions for them.
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