The Palestinian Centre
for Human Rights (PCHR) has documented several serious incidents of security
chaos in the Gaza Strip over the past forty eight hours. As a result, a man and
a fifteen year old child were killed, and five other Palestinians, including
three children, were injured.
At approximately 9:45
on Friday, 1 February, unknown gunmen shot and killed twenty eight year old
Hussein Abu Jarghoun (28) whilst he was standing near his house in the Joret
El-Lout district of Khan Yunis. Abu Jarghoun was killed by several bullets. In
addition, sixteen year old Wa弾l Nabil Abu Hadayed was injured by a bullet in
the right shoulder. The police stated that a member of the Abu Jarghoun clan
surrendered, claiming he shot his relative because of an old vendetta.
On Saturday 2
February, at approximately 19:00, the body of Ahmad Eyad Bilal (15) was brought
to Shifa Hospital in Gaza city. According to preliminary PCHR investigations,
Ahmed Bilal, from Sheikh Radwan district in Gaza city, was killed by a bullet to
the chest fired from an unknown source. The victim痴 family informed PCHR that
Ahmed was walking with his father in Nafaq St, northeast Gaza city, when a stray
bullet hit him in the chest.
In addition to these
two deaths, PCHR is investigating five injuries sustained during this forty
eight hour period. At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 1 February, fifteen year
old Mohammad Akram Salama from Gaza city was injured in the back by a bullet
from an unknown source. The incident took place in Nuseirat refugee camp, whilst
Mohammad Salama was visiting relatives. He was transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Hospital for treatment. His uncle, Sufian Salama, informed PCHR that a bullet
pierced the tin roof of the house and hit the boy, who was inside the house at
the time.
At approximately 11:30
on the same day, two children and a teenager from the Abu J値eidan clan in Rafah
were injured by shrapnel from unexploded ordinance they were handling in the El-Salam
district of Rafah. Mohammad Yunis Abu J値eidan (14), Omar Sa段d Abu J値eidan
(10), and Yusef Sa段d Abu J値eidan (18) were transferred to Mohammad Yusef El-Najjar
Hospital for treatment, where their injuries were listed as moderate..
At approximately
14:00, also on 1 February, Fathi Mohammad Abu Shawish (50) was admitted to
Mohammad Yusef El-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. He had sustained a bullet injury in
his left foot. In his statement to the Rafah Police, Abu Shawish stated that he
was hit by the bullet from an unknown source whilst standing in front of his
house in the Tal El-Sultan district of Rafah.
PCHR is concerned
about these continuing deaths and injuries due to widespread misuse of weapons.
The Centre reiterates its call for the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General,
to seriously investigate these incidents, and to prosecute all perpetrators.
