A/HRC/10/22 page 36 of 25 January 2009, 510 people (88 families) remained housed in UNRWA run emergency shelters in community based organisation and of the areas so far surveyed 66,000 people are living with host families for a total of 66,510 people. 34. For example, on 04 January 2009 at 15.00 hrs, fighting between militants and the IDF in Al Zatioun resulted in approximately 5,000 persons fleeing their houses and taking refuge into another area. In another incident, on 05 January 2009 at 06:00 hrs, IDF armoured vehicles advanced into the Customs Junction in Beit Hanoun and opened fire repeatedly into the nearby neighbourhoods. About 80 households were forced to evacuate their homes, owing to the IDF offensive, and take refuge in schools which UNRWA had opened to shelter them. Among them were about 150 children. Later, Israeli troops advanced into the aforementioned area and destroyed approximately 20 houses. 35. The situation for many families is now extremely difficult, with at least 4,100 residential structures destroyed and another 17,000 severely damaged; forcing many of the residents, among them thousands of children, to seek shelter elsewhere. The long term impact on children of being homeless increases their vulnerability and decreases their capacity to recover from the ordeal of the 22 days of attacks. Arrests and detention 36. Reports have been received that children under the age of 18 years have been arrested for security offences along with adults by Israeli security forces in Gaza during the course of Operation Cast Lead. To date the working group has not been possible to verify this. 37. During the period of attacks in Gaza, lawyers have observed that the number of children arrested in the West Bank increased and the number of children brought to the Israeli Military Courts in pretrial hearings in the first two weeks of January was twice as high as in the same period in 2008. During the first two weeks of January alone, DCI-Palestine’s legal department received 10 new cases of children for legal representation in the Military Courts compared with a monthly average of 10-15 new cases. Out of these 10 cases, eight were arrested from the street or during demonstrations against the Gaza attacks. DCI-Palestine has not yet been able to take statements from the children nor confirm if they were actively participating in demonstrations. 38. From 19-29 January, six cases of children aged 12-13 arrested for throwing stones at the Wall or in demonstrations, and taken to the Israeli Military Courts have been recorded. Lawyers were unable to obtain their release. These six children are awaiting trial and are likely to be sentenced and imprisoned. Under Israeli Military Order 378, stone-throwing carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, for adults and children. However, children usually serve 3-6 months in prison for throwing stones. -----