‘foreign’ entity that poses an external threat to its national security.136 As an occupying power, moreover, Israel has the obligation to ensure the wellbeing of the population under occupation and maintain public order and safety.137 The 2009 UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report), regarding the 2008-09 war on the Gaza Strip, concluded that; “The expected impact, and the Mission believes primary purpose [of Operation Cast Lead],138 was to bring about a situation in which the civilian population would find life so intolerable that they would leave (if that were possible) or turn Hamas out of office, as well as to collectively punish the civilian population.” 139 In the case of the attacks suffered by the civilian population during the three wars, and considering the large number of civilians killed and injured, it could be concluded that the civilian population of the Gaza Strip was the primary target of the attack.140 According to international law, in order to affirm an attack was directed against a civilian population it is not necessary for an entire population to be targeted, but rather to prove that individuals were targeted in a way that demonstrates the attack was in fact directed to the general population and not a small, specific, and purposefully selected group of individuals.141 In the 2014 war on the Gaza Strip, 2,251 Palestinians were killed by Israel, 551 of which were children.142 Moreover, 11,231 Palestinians were injured, including 3,436 children.143 From those injured, 899 were permanently disabled by the injuries.144 Regarding material damage, over 11,000 Palestinian homes were destroyed by the war and 6,800 were severely damaged, resulting in a total 136 Noura Erakat, No, Israel does not have the right to self-defense in international law against occupied Palestinian territory, op. cit., 5 December 2012 137 The 1907 Hague Regulation, Article 43 138 Operation Cast Lead is the military title given to the 2008-2009 Israeli war on the Gaza Strip 139 UN Human Rights Council, Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, A/ HRC/12/48, 25 September 2009, paragraph 1208 140 International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Prosecutor v Kunarac et al, Case No. IT-96-23 & IT-96-23/1-A, "Appeals Chamber Judgment", 12 June 2002, paras. 91-92; affirmed in: International Criminal Court (ICC), The Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, 15 June 2009, Decision Pursuant to Article 61(7)(a) and (b) of the Rome Statute on the Charges of the Prosecutor Against Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, para. 76 141 ICTY, ibid, para.90 142 OCHA oPt, Key figures on the 2014 hostilities, Data featured in the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, June 2015. Available at: http://gaza.ochaopt. org/2015/06/key-figures-on-the-2014-hostilities/ 143 Ibid. 144 Email update requested from Dr. Mohammed Al Kashif, Director General for International Cooperation, Ministry of Health in Gaza, provided on 23 December 2014. Ministerial Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, Detailed Needs Assessment (DNA) and Recovery Framework for Gaza Reconstruction, August 2015. Available at: http://www.lacs.ps/documentsShow.aspx?ATT_ID=21974 38