Summary: Al Mezan employee killed by Israeli missile strike in northern Gaza

SRT grantee Al Mezan announced on 10 August 2014 that its staff member Anwar Al Zaaneen, 41, was killed in a missile strike by the Israeli military as he spoke with a water maintenance crew near his house in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. Anwar died from wounds he sustained in this attack at around 4.40pm on Sunday 10th August.

According to investigations by Al Mezan, at approximately 1.20 pm on 10th August, Anwar was hit by a missile fired from an Israeli drone while he was speaking with a water maintenance crew from the Beit Hanoun municipality. He was checking when the water supply to his house would be connected as his family had been displaced for some weeks. He had just reached the crew on his motorcycle when the attack occurred. Anwar and the two water technicians – Majdi Yousef Shabat, 41, and Sofyan Abu Harbeed, 40 – were injured. Anwar’s injuries were reported as critical and he died following surgery at the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Several other Al Mezan employees have lost family members during the recent crisis. Coordinator Adnan Hajar lost two brothers – a professor and an engineer – as well as his nephew. Accountant Wael Ahmad also lost two brothers, a headmaster at an UNRWA school and a teacher. Researcher Alaa Matar lost 11 cousins in the al-Sheja’iyah neighbourhood, and his own home was also destroyed. Lawyer Mervat An Nahhal’s house was severely damaged when the neighbouring house was bombed.

In their statement, Al Mezan expressed their deep concern at the Israeli military’s attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip and asked the international community to provide immediate protection for civilians in Gaza, including by insisting on credible and prompt investigations into attacks such as the one that killed Anwar Al Zaaneen.

Full statement from Al Mezan’s website: http://www.mezan.org/en/details.php?id=19309&ddname=IOF&id2=9&id_dept=9&p=center