Palestinian Civil Society Organizations Coalition:

▪ We strongly condemn the security operation carried out by an Israeli occupation special force inside Gaza City, which, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza, was aimed at abducting one of the security officials before the force was exposed during the execution of its mission, followed by broad Israeli military intervention and the use of more than 10 warplanes in intense and fierce bombardment of the Katiba area west of Gaza City.

▪ We affirm our rejection and condemnation of this security operation and what it entails of a violation of sovereignty, an attack on the population, and an attempt to carry out an abduction operation inside an area populated by civilians, as it constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

▪ According to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the strikes resulted in the martyrdom of three citizens, including two children and a woman, and the injury of eight others in an initial toll, while the Government Media Office indicated the killing of a number of members of the Israeli special force during the operation.

▪ We also condemn the intense air bombardment that came after the special force was exposed, which led to civilian casualties, and we affirm that the failure of the security operation or the exposure of the infiltrating force can in no way justify the use of firepower in a manner that exposes civilians to danger.

▪ We hold the Israeli occupation responsible for the operation and its repercussions, and we call on the international community, the United Nations, and the states parties to the Geneva Conventions to assume their responsibilities and work immediately to stop these operations and violations, ensure the protection of civilians, and hold accountable those responsible for grave violations of international humanitarian law.

▪ We call on the competent international bodies to open an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the operation, including the abduction attempt and the bombardment that followed the exposure of the special force, and to document the resulting deaths, injuries, and damage among civilians, ensuring that those responsible for the violations do not escape accountability.

▪ We affirm that the protection of civilians must remain an absolute priority and that the continued carrying out of special operations inside populated areas, along with the accompanying widespread bombardment, represents a direct threat to the lives of residents and requires urgent and decisive international action.