A/HRC/9/26 page 9 23. The mission concludes that the events preceding the shelling on 8 November (in particular the incursion of 1 to 7 November) had a direct and negative impact on the situation of victims and survivors of the shelling. The control exercised by the Israeli military over inhabitants was reaffirmed. Inhabitants of Beit Hanoun lived in a state of constant fear and anxiety and were traumatized by the deaths and injuries they witnessed, the destruction of property and the uncertainty as to what would occur next. B. The events of 8 November 2006 and immediate aftermath 24. The mission received information about the shelling on 8 November of Beit Hanoun from a number of sources, including the direct testimony of witnesses and survivors, police and hospital staff. From the totality of this information and its corroborative strength, the mission discerned a number of facts, which are set out below. Despite the delay of 18 months, the recollection of witnesses and the depth of their emotion had little diminished. Similarly, the physical evidence of the attack appeared largely intact, as a consequence of both the enormous impact of a 155 mm shell in an urban area and the lack of significant repairs to damaged property. In some ways, the 18-month delay allowed the mission to make a more balanced assessment of the attack. Some victims of the attack who had been hospitalized in Israel or Egypt had returned and were available to meet with the mission. Victims and survivors were able to testify to the impact of the attack on themselves and their families during the 18 months since the shelling. The mission benefited from a number of assessments of the incident made by others, including United Nations agencies in Gaza. The present report cannot recount the stories of all victims and survivors; rather, its purpose is to draw on the accounts given to the mission to bring to the Council as accurate a picture as possible of the shelling and its ongoing impact on victims and survivors. 25. The shelling took place early on the morning of Wednesday, 8 November 2006, some 24 hours after the Israeli military withdrew from the town and concluded operation Autumn Clouds. Residents of Beit Hanoun, including the Al-Athamna family, were returning to normal life after the trauma of the incursion. Those interviewed by the mission spoke of the night of 7 November as being the first time they and their children could again “get a proper night’s sleep”. Another survivor noted that it was the first night she could bake bread. Another noted that it was the first time he could rise and pray at the mosque rather than at home. 26. At approximately 5.35 a.m., the first 155 mm shell from Israeli artillery hit a house in the heavily populated neighbourhood of al-Madakkha in northern Beit Hanoun. Over the following 30 minutes or so, a total of 12 shells struck an area of approximately 1.5 hectares along the western side of Hamad Street, which lies around 800 metres from the armistice line. The shells struck six houses as well as surrounding areas in Hamad Street and lanes between houses. Six shells fell on an area of 50 metres in diameter. The mission saw the extensive damage caused by the shells, including holes blasted through reinforced concrete walls and floors, and blast damage to surrounding buildings. Amateur video footage obtained by the mission shows the last three shells landing with intervals of around one minute and 15 seconds. 27. The victims of the shelling were either asleep in their homes or, as was the case with a number of the men, returning from morning prayer. Following the first shell, which hit a house