wer plant, thus interrupting electricity supply all over the Strip, and severely disturbing agriculture, health and transportation sectors.

According to Al Mezan's investigations, at approximately 4.15pm on 7 May 2008, the IOF destroyed with explosives the entrance of Majdi Al-Daghma's house in Abasan Al Jadida village in the town of Khan Younis. The explosion killed 33-year-old Wafa Al-Daghma at the sight of her three children. Wafa was standing behind her house's door when soldiers detonated the door and destroyed it. As a result, she died from shrapnel wounds to her face and different parts of the body. According to an affidavit taken from 12-year-old Samira Majdi Al-Daghma, the IOF stormed into the house after the explosion, and showed no concern about the killing of her mother. They did not provide any first aid to the injured mother, covered her body with a carpet, and detained the three children in a room until 11pm that same day. Ambulances were able to collect the mother's body only after the IOF pulled out from the area.

In another attack, at approximately 1am, on 7 May 2008, the IOF penetrated 1,200 meters deep into Abasan Al-Jadida village, which is adjacent to the border line, in eastern Khan Younis. During this incursion, the IOF killed two Palestinians, injured 20 others, including a woman and a child. They also detained 60 others, destroyed seven homes completely and several other homes partially. They also razed large areas of agricultural land and destroyed four poultry farms.

On 8 May 2008, in two different attacks, the IOF bombarded two police installations in Rafah and Khan Younis, killing five policemen.

In a separate context, the IOF continues to tighten the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, preventing the entry of fuel into it; particularly the industrial fuel used for operating the power plant in Gaza. This has caused suspension of electricity on the Gaza Strip. The fuel crisis exacerbates the problems faced by the agricultural and transportation sectors, and threatens to halt the work of the health facilities, making more imminent the spark of a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.

Al Mezan Center renews its condemnation of the IOF's escalating aggression which constitutes a grave breach of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights norms. Al Mezan emphasizes that the international community's silence encourages Israel to commit more crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Al Mezan reiterates its calls upon the International community to take urgent actions to provide effective protection for civilians in the Gaza Strip, and put an end to the Israeli violations, which mount to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also calls on the international community to intervene to lift Israel's blockade of Gaza, and bring to an end the illegal collective punishment of civilians.

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