On Sunday evening, 16 January 2005, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) indiscriminately shelled Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian woman and her son were killed, and her husband and nephew were injured. The victims were mounting the stairs of their house to check the damage caused to the their house. This latest attack reflects a state of escalation by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), especially in the Gaza Strip, as in the past three days, IOF killed 12 Palestinians, 8 of whom were civilians, including 2 children, and injured at least 20 civilians throughout the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip.

According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 19:30 on Sunday, 16 January 2005, IOF positioned in a military post between "Neve Dekalim" and "Gani Tal" settlements, west of Khan Yunis, fired a number of artillery shells at houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. One of these shells hit the roof of a house belonging to Suleiman 'Abdullah 'Arram, 54, nearly 300 meters away from the source of fire. As a result, the wood on the roof caught on fire. Palestinian Civil Defense crews were called to the area and they extinguished fire. A few minutes later, the owner; his wife Fadda 'Atiya 'Arram, 50; his son 'Abdullah, 30; and his wife's nephew Khaled 'Arram, 38, mounted to the roof to check the damage caused by the Israeli shelling. In the meantime, IOF opened fire at the area again. The four civilians were injured. They were evacuated to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The wife and her son died a few minutes later, while her husband was seriously injured by a live bullet in the back, and her nephew was injured by shrapnel in the right foot. According to medical sources, the woman was hit by 2 live bullets to the neck and the chest, and her son was hit by a live bullet to the head.

PCHR strongly condemns this latest attack and remains gravely concerned at the escalation of attacks by IOF against Palestinian civilians and property. PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such attacks, which increase tension in the region and threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians. PCHR reiterates it calls for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfill their obligations under the Convention and provide protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT.