July

July 23, 2014: Ahmed Mohammed Qdieh, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers who initiated a ground invasion into Khuza’a, a small town of about 10,000 residents, located east of the city of Khan Younis, not far from the border with Israel.

The Israeli forces reportedly warned the residents to leave the area, but many residents were trapped, as the town was under heavy shelling by Israeli forces.

Israeli air strikes hit many civilian homes and destroyed the local mosque; dozens of people were reportedly killed during the ground invasion.

Dr. Kamal Mohammed Qdieh, 40, Ahmad’s brother who is also a doctor in the village, said that more than 200 residents took refuge in his clinic thinking that it would be a safe place, but the situation became very difficult with heavy bombings.

The Palestinians taking shelter in the clinic took the decision to all go out together with white flags.

Hundreds of people left the area with them, around 8:00am, carrying white flags, and walking toward the main entrance of the town. Once they reached the main entrance, they were exposed to intense fire from the Israeli army; some people were injured.

The Israeli soldiers told them that they did not have permission to leave the town – so they decided to return to the clinic.

Around 6:30pm, two missiles were fired from drones at the garden of the house that hosts the clinic, resulting in many injuries and Ahmed’s death.

The next day, July 24th, Rami Ra’ed Qdeih, 18, was killed by an Israeli shell at around 9 in the morning, when people tried to evacuate the clinic after it was targeted with a drone strike.

The fleeing Palestinians were then met by an Israeli tank that allowed them to pass, but the soldiers later fired a missile, seriously wounding Anas Hatem Qdeih, 7, who died from his wounds after the soldiers held an ambulance at a checkpoint, although the wounded child was just three minutes away from the hospital.

The Palestinians continued to walk while carrying white flags, and met another tank where the soldiers told them to sit down, but they continued walking.

Three kilometers later, the army targeted a motorcycle behind them, killing three other family members, identified as Ismail Hassan Qdeih, 55, Nafez Salman Qdeih, 45, and his daughter Dawlat Nafez Qdeih, 20.

Ahmad was from Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis. Source: IMEMC, Mezan Center For Human Rights

July 23, 2014: Helmi Mohammad Abu Rjela, 67, was killed by Israeli soldiers who fired three missiles at his home, east of Khuza’a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, completely destroying it, and also killing his son, Abbas, 19, and daughter, Nahed, 38.

Helmi was buried under the rubble of his house amidst extensive Israeli bombardment and ground invasions into the Gaza Strip, during “Operation Defensive Shield” Israeli war, and the soldiers refused to allow Palestinian medics and rescue teams into the area.

The extensive Israeli bombardment destroyed dozens of homes, and his body was found under the rubble on August 3, while his son’s corpse was found on August 11.

His neighbors managed to rescue his wife, Siham, 57, and their daughter, Nahed, 38, but were unable to transfer them out of the town until the next day, due to the Israeli ground invasion. Nahed, was referred to a hospital in Egypt four days after the attack, but died from her serious wounds, on August 04, 2014.

The extensive Israeli bombardment and shelling into various parts of the Gaza Strip, led to the death of at least 62 Palestinians that day alone. Helmi was from Khan Younis. Source: Mezan Center for Human Rights