Palestinian Center for Human Rights 20 December 2006
In Spite of the Declaration of the Withdrawal of Gunmen from the Streets to End Tension between Fatah and Hamas Movements, 3 Persons Killed 9 Others Wounded
According to investigations conducted by PCHR:
At approximately 01:30 on Wednesday, 20 December 2006, unknown gunmen fired live bullets and RBJ projectiles at a site of the Palestinian Riot Control Police near al-Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City. Six members of the site were wounded:
1) Ibrahim Suleiman Abu Ras, 23;
2) ‘Emad ‘Abdul Karim Dahlis, 23;
3) Murad Yousef Dahlis, 23;
4) Mohammed Isma’il al-Zahri, 30;
5) Shihda ‘Ouda Hijazi, 23; and
6) Hinni ‘Abdul ‘Aal, 27.
Earlier, at approximately 00:15, an exchange of fire erupted between members of Fatah movement and those of the Executive Force of the Ministry of Interior, who were on their way to arrest a member of Fatah movement accused of firing at a leader of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in al-Sabra neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The exchange of fire continued for nearly an hour, during which two persons were killed: Mahmoud Mansour Dughmosh, 25; and Ashraf Dughmosh, 25. Additionally, two other persons were wounded by shrapnel throughout their bodies: Mo’in Kamel Shuhaiber, 27; and Ashraf Rafiq al-Ghefari, 24.
At approximately 16:00 on Tuesday, 19 December 2006, a member of the Executive Force, Ameen ‘Abboud, died from a wound he had sustained in the morning during an exchange of fire between members of the Executive Force and the General Intelligence near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Members of the Executive Force had transferred ‘Abboud from Shifa Hospital to a private clinic.
At approximately 16:30 on Tuesday, an armed group kidnapped Eyad al-Madhoun, a member of the General Intelligence, when he was near his house in al-Twam area in the northern Gaza Strip.
At approximately 19:30 also on Tuesday, 4 gunmen pursued Judge ‘Azzam Mohammed Hawash, 35, into a shop in the Northern Mount neighborhood in Nablus. They ordered him to get into their car, but he refused. Immediately, they fired at him, wounding him seriously with several live bullets to the left leg.
At approximately 23:30 also on Tuesday, a number of gunmen launched a mortar projectile at the headquarters of the General Intelligence in al-Mashtal area, northwest of Gaza City. No casualties were reported.
PCHR is gravely concerned for the increasing number of casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons by armed groups and security personnel, which is part of the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate such attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and is an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, the Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network. PCHR is a recipient of the 1996 French Republic Award for Human Rights.
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