In the past three days, a person was killed and two others, including two children, were wounded in the Gaza Strip in the context of the state of lawlessness and proliferation of weapons prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR:

At approximately 19:30 on Thursday, 1 March 2007, Yasser Fathi Zannoun, 17, from al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah, was wounded by a bullet to the left foot when he was checking a gun inside his house.

At approximately 21:00 on the same day, Zuhair Sa’id al-Hilu, 14, from Nusairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, was wounded by shrapnel from a bullet he had played with.

At approximately 22:30 also on Thursday, unknown gunmen opened fire from a traveling car that had no registration plate at Hussein Mustafa Abu Karsh, 18, when he was neat his house in al-Shati refugee camp in the west of Gaza City. He was wounded by a number of bullets to the left foot.

At approximately 02:00 on Friday, 2 March 2007, unknown gunmen fired at a house belonging to Ashraf Mohammed al-Ghaffari, 37, a member of the Fatah movement, in Deir al-Balah refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

At approximately 16:30, also on Friday, chaos prevailed during a football match in Khan Yunis and sounds of shooting were heard in the area. The Palestinian police intervened to end the chaos. As a result of the indiscriminate shooting in the area, Fayed ‘Ali ‘Ashour, 42, was seriously wounded by three bullets to the right leg. He was evacuated to the hospital, but he died from his wound at approximately 22:30.

At the same time, unknown gunmen traveling in a civilian car kidnapped Shadi Mohammed Hmaid, 30, when he was near his house in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City. Later, the kidnappers dumped him into the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis after having wounded him with several bullets to the feet.

At approximately 22:40 also on Friday, Tariq Shaheen Shaheen, 27, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces, from Nusiarat refugee camp, was brought into Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as he sustained bruises throughout the body. Shaheen was kidnapped by unknown gunmen from al-Jalaa’ Street. The gunmen violently beat him and then dumped him into al-Nafaq Street in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.

At approximately 09:00 on Sunday, 4 March 2007, four persons were wounded during an exchange of fire between members of the Hamas and Fatah movements:

1) ‘Abdul Rahman Mohammed Msabbeh, 18, wounded by a bullet to the abdomen;
2) Jamal Husni Abu Yousef, 35, wounded by a bullet to the right foot;
3) Maher Ahmed Msabbeh, 20, wounded by shrapnel to the buttocks; and
4) Nidal Jamal Msabbeh, 25, wounded by shrapnel to the hands.

PCHR is gravely concerned over increasing casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these incidents and bring those who are found responsible to justice.

Related Links

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights