A Palestinian Family Survives a Stray Rocket Launched by Palestinian Gunmen

against Israeli Targets

At approximately 18:30 on Wednesday, 8 February 2006, an armed Palestinian

group launched a locally made rocket from Beit Lahia town in the northern

Gaza Strip at an Israeli target. The rocket went astray and hit a house

belonging to Saber Mohammed 'Abdul Dayem, nearly 300 meters from the

launching site. Fire broke out in the house and members of the family were

terrified. The rocket hit the southern part of the 3-storey house, where 10

people live. The rocket exploded inside the living room and burnt the

furniture. Members of the family survived, as none were in the room at the

time.

This incident is not the first of its kind. On 2 August 2005, Palestinian

armed groups launched 3 locally made rockets at Israeli targets. One of

these rockets went astray and hit a house belonging to the family of

al-Ashqar in the east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip.

'Adnan Mustafa al-Ashqar, 50, and his son Yasser, 6, were killed and 9 other

civilians, including 5 children, were injured.

PCHR has repeatedly warned of launching locally made rockets at Israeli

targets from inside populated areas. Such attacks have endangered the lives

of both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

PCHR strongly condemns such acts, which endanger civilian lives. PCHR also

reminds the Palestinian resistance groups of their responsibilities with

regard to protection of civilians in keeping with international law. PCHR

calls on them to abstain from launching any military activities from inside

or near civilian areas or which target civilians or civilian areas. Attacks

against civilians are in clear violation of international humanitarian law.

-End-