Israel's assault on Gaza: The final toll
The Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has now published (PDF, in Arabic) its final tally of the human cost of last winter's Israeli assault on Gaza.
The English version is expected to be out next week.
The report is titled "Targeted Civilians". The Palestine News Network today published a digest, in English, of PCHR's main findings today:
- According to PCHR's documentation, 1,419 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip. This number includes 1,167 non-combatants (82.2%) and 252 resistance activists (17.8%). The non-combatants include civilians and civil police officers who were not involved in hostilities, the protected persons of international humanitarian law. Investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that 918 civilians were killed (64.7% of the total number of victims). The civilian victims include 318 children (22.4 % of the total number of victims and 34.7% of the number of civilian victims) and 111 women (7.8% of the total number of victims and 12.1% of the number of civilian victims). According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 5,300 Palestinian were wounded during the offensive. This number includes at least 1,600 children (30%) and 830 women (15.6%); at least 2,430 children and women were wounded, 45.6% of the total wounded.
According to PCHR's documentation, IOF completely destroyed 2,114 houses (2864 housing units) affecting 3,314 families (19,592 individuals). They also partially destroyed 3,242 houses, (5,014 housing units) affecting 5,470 families (32,250 individuals). A further 16,000 houses at least sustained various degrees of damages as a result of bombardment and destruction, including the burning of dozens of houses in different areas. Approximately 51,453 individuals were made homeless.
The latest offensive was the most violent, brutal and bloodiest since the beginning of Israeli occupation in 1967.
EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended.
There is no way that Israel's trading relationship with the European Union should be even considered for any upgrade until there is a clear explanation from the Israeli government as to why over 300 defenseless children and 100 of their mothers were brutally killed by a heavily-armed IDF in December/ January last, in Gaza.
On the contrary, unless satisfactory evidence is forthcoming that would explain such an atrocity, then moves should be instigated to immediately SUSPEND ALL BILATERAL TRADING LINKS between the EU and Israel.
The European Union must not ignore such a gross violation of human rights which is in DIRECT CONTRAVENTION of the specific provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to which the government of Israel is a signatory.