On 5 January 2009, the 'Elaiwah family were preparing food in their kitchen in Shujaeya neighbourhood of Gaza City. The parents and three of their children – Mohammad (~1), Ismail (6) and Montaser (~16) were in the kitchen; another three children – Lana (9), Moamen (12) and Moatasem (13) were playing in the hall; their daughter Ghadeer (~14) was in a room adjacent to the kitchen, with her cousin. The parents were cooking and joking with the children to distract them from the approaching noise of Israeli tanks when at 4:00pm an explosion rocked the house. The mother and four of the children were killed instantly; two children were injured by shrapnel; and Ghadeer had three fingers amputated.

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Operation Cast Lead: Four children and their mother killed in their home; one child maimed

DCI-Palestine documented the deaths of 352 children as a direct result of military attacks during Operation Cast Lead. In addition, five children died as an indirect result of the offensive (one baby born prematurely during an air raid; three children killed by unexploded ordnance; one child who had undergone heart surgery a week before the offensive and inhaled white phosphorous fumes).

DCI-Palestine, 6 March 2010