Palestinian medical sources in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the
Gaza Strip, reported that one resident died of wounds sustained in the
town last Wednesday after the Israeli army shelled civilian houses in
Beit Hanoun killing twenty residents, including eight children.
The source identified the resident as Basil Abdul-Hadi Al Kafarna, 26.
Dozens of residents were injured in the shelling to the civilian area. Fourteen of the killed residents are family members.
Casualties of the Beit Hanoun Israeli shelling are civilians including eight children
Saed Bannoura – IMEMC, November, 8, 2006, 13:49
Twenty Palestinians were killed and at least forty were injured after the Israeli army shelled a civilian area in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Eight of the killed are children, all of the casualties are family members and relatives.
All of the killed residents are civilians, they were sleeping in their homes when the Israeli army shelled the civilian area.
The bodies of the casualties were severely mutilated as a result of the shelling, while the injured residents were sent to four hospitals across the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Israel claimed that the shelling was not intended to hit the civilian houses, although initial sources claimed that the target was an areas where Qassam homemade shells are fired into Israeli areas.
Israel's Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni , “expressed regret for the deaths”.
A senior Israeli military source confirmed that the army fired twelve shells and that the artillery fire was intended to hit an area half a kilometer from the houses of Beit Hanoun.
The source stated that “so far it is unclear whether this is a human error or a technical error”, and added that the main assumption now is that the artillery unit was given wrong coordinates.
Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that the Israel Army Forces Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, appointed Major General Meir Kalifi to head an investigation into the shelling.
The shelling to the civilian area continued for 15 minutes.
The IMEMC received the following list from the Palestinian News Agency, WAFA;
All of them are civilians, including children and infants
1. Malak Samir Al Athamna, 1 year-old.
2. Maisa' Ramzi Al Thamna, 3 year-old.
3. Fatima Al Athamna, 5 year-old.
4. Sa'ady Majdi Abu Amsha, 8 year-old.
5. Mahmoud Amjad Al Athamna, 12 year-old.
6. Mahdi Sa'ad Al Athamna, 13 year-old.
7. Mohammad Sa'ad Al Athamna, 14 year-old.
8. Arafat Sa'ad Al Athamna, 17 year-old.
9. Nihad Al Athamna, 23.
10. Samir Mahmoud Al Athamna, 23.
11. Mohammad Ramadan Al Athamna, 24.
12. Sana' Ahmad Al Athamna, 30.
13. Manal Ahmad Al Athamna, 33.
14. Deema Majdi Al Athamna.
15. Ala' Al Athamna.
16. Saqer Mohammad Adwan, 45.
17. Sabah Al Athamna, 45.
18. Masoud Abdullah Al Athamna, 55.
19. Ni'ma Ahmad Al Athamna, 57.
20. Fatima Ahmad Al Athamna, 70.
At least forty residents were injured, some seriously as a result of the Israeli shelling to the civilian area.
