On Wednesday, 16 January, a
teenage girl and a boy were killed in incidents of misuse of weapons. Nawal
Jamal El-Serhi (18) was killed when she was playing with her father’s pistol.
The boy Hamza Taysir El-Arqan (12) was killed by gunfire in a relative’s
wedding.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation
indicates that at approximately 18:00 on Wednesday, 16 January, Nawal Jamal El-Serhi
was trying to clean her father’s pistol inside their house in Zaitoon Quarter in
Gaza City. A bullet accidentally fired and hit her in the chest, killing her
instantly. Her body was taken to Shifa Hospital. A Police spokesman stated that
the Police have questioned the teenager’s father as to why he possessed a weapon
in the first place since he does not work in any security service.
And at approximately 21:00 on
the same day, the body of Hamza Taysir El-Arqan (12) from El-Mansour area in
Sheja’eya Quarter in Gaza City was brought to Shifa Hospital. The boy was killed
by a bullet to the abdomen. The boy’s uncle informed PCHR’s fieldworker that he
was killed during a wedding celebration of a relative. He stated that a bullet
was accidentally fired by one of the participants who was shooting in the air.
The Police spokesman stated that an arrest warrant has been issued against the
shooter without identifying him.
PCHR is concerned over the
continued falling of victims due to the misuse of weapons. The Centre reiterates
the call to the Palestinian National Authority to take effective preventive
steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
