In the early hours of January 9, 2009, an antitank missile was fired at the Salha family home in Beit Lahiya, Northern Gaza. Its hollow charge penetrated the roof, entered one of the rooms, and impacted the floor leaving a small hole. Three minutes later a bomb struck and destroyed the house. Two women, Randa and Fatma, and four children, Diya’, Rana, Baha’ and Rola, were killed.

Fayez Salha, the father of the family had to move with the surviving family member to an apartment nearby. Where their old home stood, he built a greenhouse.

This strike exemplifies a new strategy adopted by the Israeli army referred to as ” knock on the roof.” It is one of several methods used to alert residents of an imminent attack. Israel makes much of the fact that it tries to warn civilians of impending bombings. Warnings take the form of telephone calls or text messages, informing the inhabitants of the imminent destruction of their home. They can also take the form of leaflets dropped from airplanes; warning shots; or the firing of a nonexplosive missile.

When receiving such warnings, the inhabitants of a house need to make a choice, they can either leave the house and risk their lives in the streets, or remain in the house. If they remain their status changes in the eyes of the Israeli military lawyers. According to their interpretation of the law, if a warning has been issued and not heeded, the victim might no longer be considered as a “noncombatant” but rather as a voluntary “human shield.” Their killing is thus considered to be “justified collateral damage.”