A/HRC/8/17 page 14 also increased; approximately 460 Palestinians, including 145 children and 20 women, were injured as a result of operations by Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 36. The Israeli policy of targeted killings of Palestinian militants and security personnel continued. According to Palestinian human rights organizations, a total of 16 Palestinian militants and security personnel were killed while they were not directly taking part in hostilities during the reporting period. Of these, 10 were allegedly killed in Gaza and 6 in the West Bank. In addition, at least 12 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and a disabled person, were allegedly injured as an indirect result of such operations. On 12 March, four wanted Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli Special Forces in Bethlehem. An Israeli NGO called for a criminal investigation into the killings, as well as for an investigation into the alleged demolition by the Israeli security forces of one of the four victims’ houses. Allegedly, the house was not demolished in the context of operational needs, but in order to punish the victim’s wife and seven children.42 37. The vast majority of the Palestinians killed died during an Israeli military wide-scale operation inside Gaza between 27 February and 3 March. As a result of this operation, 120 Palestinians were killed while 269 were injured.43 In this single military operation 34 minors and 6 women were killed. Palestinian organizations affirmed that seven of the children were reportedly killed while inside their house. Five children were below the age of 12, including a 6-month-old baby. According to Palestinian human rights organizations, four of these children may have been involved in combat activities.44 In addition, two West Bank children (from Hebron and Ramallah respectively) were killed while participating in protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. 38. Furthermore, large-scale destruction of land, infrastructure and buildings, as well as of religious and educational institutions was reported to have taken place during the 27 February to 3 March operation. Reportedly, 21 homes were completely destroyed, leaving 147 Palestinians homeless. Eighty-eight homes were severely or partially damaged, affecting an additional 616 people.45 On 28 February, a missile attack by Israeli warplanes directed at the Palestinian General Federation of the Trade Unions, located in a large residential area of Jabalia, in the north Gaza Strip, caused the total destruction of a five-story building (which Israel claimed was used by Hamas to store weapons) and the partial damage of tens of other houses in the vicinity. Forty-four people, including 12 children and 6 women, were injured in this attack. 42 B’Tselem, Press Release, 27 March 2008, at http://www.btselem.org/english/ Press_Releases/20080327.asp. 43 OCHA, Protection of Civilians Weekly Report, 27 February-4 March 2008, at http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/Weekly_Briefing_Notes_249_English.pdf. 44 Defence for Children International/Palestine Section, 6 March 2008, at http://www.dci-pal.org/english/display.cfm?DocId=696&CategoryId=16. 45 Gaza Strip Inter-Agency Humanitarian Fact Sheet, March 2008.