On Sunday evening, 13 April 20087, militants fired at the convoy of Dr. Jamal
Mhaisen, Governor of Nablus, in Balata refugee camp east of the city. They then
attacked and burnt a vehicle of Nablus Governorate. This latest attack is part
of the state of security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT).
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 16:30 on Sunday,
13 April 2008, Dr. Jamal Mhaisen, Governor of Nablus, and a number of his
bodyguards, were attending a celebration to honor 140 refugee orphans, in
response to an invitation from Balata Youth Center, Jaffa Center and Yazour
Charity. The celebration was held on the yard of Balata Youth Center at the
entrance of the refugee camp. At approximately 17:30, Dr. Mhaisen left the
celebration to continue the program of his visit to camp, as he was intending to
visit houses of a number of Palestinian prisoners who are detained in Israeli
jails, including Khaled Khdaish and Hussam Khader, Member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council. When he was heading towards Khaled Khdaish’s house, an
activist of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (the armed wing of Fatah movement)
fired 3 bullets into the air. Five minutes after Dr. Mhaisen had entered
Khdaish’s house, sounds of gunfire were heard outside, and a vehicle belonging
to Nablus Governorate was burnt in front of the house. Soon after, a unit of the
Palestinian National Security Forces arrived at the area to secure the
evacuation of Dr. Mhaisen from the house and from the whole refugee camp. The
unit exchanged fire with a number of militants. At approximately 20:30, Dr.
Mhaisen held a press conference, in which he explained what happened and
asserted that the assailants were known for security services and would be
arrested.
PCHR is gravely concerned over the
recurrence of such attacks, which are part of the state of security chaos and
lawlessness plaguing the OPT. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National
Authority, represented by the Attorney General, to investigate this latest
attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
