Saturday, 10 January 2009- DAY FIFTEEN

For the 15th consecutive day, IOF continued their all-outoffensive against the Gaza Strip. More unarmed civilians were killed. Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip witnessed the most violent strikes. IOF continued to bombard houses and civilian property day and night. The offensive was accompanied by an exacerbated  humanitarian crisis due to acute shortages in water, electricity and food supplies.

IOF escalated the offensive in spite of the UN Security Council resolution issued on 9 January 2009 calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. IOF paid no consideration for the said resolution and even threatened to expand the offensive. IOF warplanes and tanks attacked houses adjacent to Jabalya court. An artillery shell fell onto a house belonging to Jouda' Abed Rabbu, killing six family members, including two children and two brothers. Another civilian from the Hussein family was also killed and another was wounded.

In the central Gaza Strip, IOF warplanes bombarded al-Safa Mosque in al-Boreij refugee camp. In the southern Gaza Strip, IOF warplanes bombarded the northern force of the European Gaza Hospital in the southeast of Khan Younis. IOF troops stationed at borders at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel shelled houses located in the east of Khuza'a town of Khan Younis with white phosphorous.

The death toll of this day was 41 Palestinians, including 35 civilians; 11 children and 4 women. This number includes also two Palestinians who died of wounds they had sustained earlier in the offensive.

MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asaad