A/HRC/12/48
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505. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that more than 165,000 telephone calls were
made issuing warnings. The Mission has received information that there were at least two types
of telephone calls. One was a direct and specific warning, as was received by Mr. Abu Askar.
The other was a more generic, recorded message, such as the type received by al-Bader Flour
Mills. The Mission does not know and, as far as it can determine, Israel has not indicated what
proportion of the 30,000 telephone calls was pre-recorded and more generic and what proportion
was specific.
2.
Roof-knocking
506. The Israeli Government describes that in certain circumstances its armed forces fired
“warning shots from light weapons that hit the roofs of the designated targets”—a practice
referred to as roof-knocking. The Israeli Government indicates that this practice was used when
it appeared that people had remained in their houses despite being given some previous
warning.351 It is not clear whether this was the only circumstance in which this method was
employed. The Mission heard that in the al-Daya incident (see chap. XI) the Israeli Government
claims to have made such a warning shot, albeit to the wrong house.352 The Mission also saw in
the Sawafeary house (see chap. XIII) that a missile had penetrated the rear of the house on the
wall near the ceiling, gone through an internal wall and exited through the wall at the front of the
house near the windows. At the time (around 10 p.m. on 3 January 2009) there were several
family members in the house, who happened to be lying down. The Mission cannot say what size
of weapon was used on this occasion, although it was sufficiently powerful to penetrate three
walls, or whether it was intended as a warning.
3.
Radio broadcasts and leaflet dropping
507. The radio broadcasts that the Mission listened to appeared to be generic. For example, on
3 January 2009 a radio broadcast made the following points:
•
Gaza residents are welcome to receive food and medical supplies,
delivered via the Rafah, Karni and Kerem Shalom passages, at the
UNRWA centres throughout the Gaza Strip;
•
Israel calls on the population to move to city centres for its own
safety.353
This warning preceded the ground phase of the military operations. Its language clearly indicates
that UNRWA centres should be regarded as places of safety and civilians may collect food from
them.
351
“The operation in Gaza…”, para. 264.
Note that a witness has indicated that an elderly man was killed when struck by a missile some 10 minutes before
the al-Daya house was struck. The Mission has also noted significant doubts on the version of events presented by
the Israeli Government on this case, including on the issue of the warning shot.
352
353
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/IDF_warns_Gaza_population_7-Jan-2009.htm.
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