Seven killed, 14 kidnapped in continued armed clashes

Members of the Hamas security forces take part in an armed exercise inside their base in the southern Gaza Strip, 29 January 2007. (MaanImages/Hatem Omar)


Internal fighting continues to spread and escalate throughout the OPT. Over the past 24 hours, seven people were killed, one by mistake, and 26 others were injured, including two inside their homes. More than 14 people were kidnapped as well.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 12:50 on Monday, 29 january 2007, Mustafa Talal Kardash 921) was killed by a bullet to the chest while he was near his house in Tal El-Hawa Quarter in Gaza City. The area is the scene of continuous clashes between members of the Preventive Security Apparatus and Executive Force.

At approximately 12:30 on the same day, unknown gunmen fired at Mohammad Zuheir El-Khaldi (26), who is a guard working with the Minister of Interior, Said Seyam. El-Khaldi was traveling in a vehicle on Omar Mukhtar Street in Gaza City. He was injured by a bullet in the left leg. A bystander, Reyad Zoghbor (55) was injured by a bullet in the right thigh.

At approximately 9:30 on the same day, unknown gunmen killed Abdo Mohammad El-Afandi (57), who lives in El-Maqousi housing project in Gaza City. El-Afandi is a captain in the General Intelligence Apparatus. He was in his car waiting for his wife near El-Kinz Mosque in Gaza City. He was hit by several bullets in the chest, which killed him instantly.

At approximately 4:00 on the same day, gunmen fired a shell at the Arafat Police Academy in the center of Gaza City. No injuries were reported. At the same time, armed clashes resumed between Fatah and Hamas members in the vicinity of the house of Samih El-Madhoun, a commander in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Beit Lahia. The clashes continued till 8:00 in the morning. No injuries were reported. However, extensive damage was caused to houses in the area.

At approximately 3:00, an armed Hamas group and members of the Executive Force abducted As’ad Abed Rabbo, a 28-year old resident of Jabalia refugee camp. He was later found near El-Awda Hospital suffering from gunshot wounds in the legs.

At approximately 00:45, clashes erupted between members of the National Security Force and the Executive Force near Rashad El-Shawwa Center in the center of Gaza City. Two members of the Executive Force were killed and two others were injured. They are:

  • Tariq Riziq Nasrallah (26, from Zaitoon Quarter), killed by bullets to the neck, chest, and pelvis;
  • Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Mushtaha (26, from Sheja’eya Quarter), killed by bullets in the feet;
  • Izzedeen Radwan Seyam (28), injured by shrapnel throughout the body; and
  • Ahmad Abu Daf (24), injured by shrapnel throughout the body

    At approximately 22:00 on Sunday, 28 January 2007, unknown gunmen kidnapped Colonel Shaban Abu Asar (National Security Forces) in the Maqousi housing project in Gaza City. He was taken to an unknown location. He was released a few hours later.

    At approximately 21:00 on Sunday, a Preventive Security Apparatus operative was injured by a bullet in the left hand during clashes with the Executive Force in Tal El-Hawa Quarter in Gaza City. The injured operative is Hamada Doghmosh (23).

    At approximately 21:00 in Sunday, armed clashes broke out between members of the Executive Force riding in an ambulance and members of other security forces in Zaitoon Quarter in Gaza City. The clashes continued for two hours and resulted in the injury of four Executive Force Members and two bystanders. The injured are:

  • Faris Bassam Baroud (22) from the Executive Force, injured by a bullet in the right thigh;
  • Walid Akram El-A’raj (31) from the Executive Force, injured by a bullet in the right thigh;
  • Sa’id Fayez El-Aydi (30) from the Executive Force, injured by a bullet in the pelvis;
  • Mohammad Shehada (22) from the Executive Force, injured by a shrapnel in the shoulder;
  • Maha Ghali Hana (35) a woman injured by shrapnel in her house; and
  • Eyad Khaled Hana (30), injured by shrapnel in the legs in his house.

    At approximately 20:00 on Sunday, unknown gunmen kidnapped Yousef Abu Tabikh, a captain in the National Security Forces, who was in Zaitoon Quarter. He was released after one hour.

    At approximately 15:15 on Sunday, Hamas gunmen fired at Amr Mohammad El-Shawish (19) in the town of Beit Hanoun. El-Shawish tried to stop a group of Hamas gunmen from going atop the Beit Hanoun Municipality Building.

    At approximately 13:30 on Sunday, officials in Kamal Odwan Hospital announced the identity of a Hamas activist killed on 26 January 2007 in the vicinity of Fatah commander Mansour Shalayel in Jabalia refugee camp. The dead activist is Jihad Nabil Shahin (16) from Tal El-Za’tar Quarter, east of Jabalia refugee camp.[1]

    On Sunday evening, armed clashes erupted in Khan Yunis between Fatah and Hamas. The clashes continued till the morning, and resulted in the death of 3 people, and injury of 12 others.

    PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 17:30 Fatah gunmen deployed in the streetes and closed main roads in Khan Yunis. This came after news spread that Eyad El-Haddad (Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades member) and Abdel Salam El-Qassas (General Intelligence operative) were abducted by Hamas gunmen in Gaza City. Both are residents of Khan Yunis.

    At approximately 18:00, masked gunmen fired at Omar Mohammad Shurrab, a 24-year-old Hamas member, after they failed to kidnap him in Khan Yunis. Shurrab was killed by bullets in the legs and neck.

    After that, Fatah gunmen kidnapped Asraf Ferwana, a Gaza resident who is a commander in Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions, and two of his guards. Another person was kidnapped in Najjar Quarter in Khan Yunis. As a result, armed clashes erupted between Fatah and Hamas members throughout Khan Yunis. No injuries were reported.

    At approximately 19:40, Eyad Farouq Abu Anza (24) was injured by bullets in the legs and Ala Jamil Abu Anza (22) was injured by two bullets in the left thigh and abdomen. Both are Hamas activists injured in clashes in New Abasan, east of Khan Yunis. During the evacuation of the injured to the European Hospital and Karama Hospital, the vehicles taking the injured came under fire from unknown gunmen. As a result five people were injured, and one of them died of his wounds later:

  • Mousa Abdallah Abu Anza (47), injured by a bullet in the right leg;
  • Mahran Ibrahim El-Shawwaf (24) injured by shrapnel in the left knee;
  • Shawqi Mohammad Abu Eleyan 919) injured by a bullet to the chest; He was taken to Naser Hospital due to the severity of his injury, where he died later.
  • Farouq Ahmad Abu Anza (44), injured by a bullet in the left buttock; and
  • Esam Ahmad Abu Anza (31), injured by two bullets in the left hand and right foot.

    At approximately 21:00, armed clashed broke out between Fatah gunmen and members of Hamas and the Executive Force in the vicinity of Bilal Mosque in Khan Yunis refugee camp. One bystander was killed and five others were injured, including two children:

  • Ahmad Sa’di El-Ghandour (39), was injured by a bullet to the abdomen, and died of his wounds in Naser Hospital;
  • Salam Ibrahim Abu Hatab (18), was injured by a bullet in the right leg;
  • Abed Omar Jarghoun (16), injured by shrapnel in the hands;
  • Mohammad Nabil Wadi (22), injured by shrapnel in the hands;
  • Ahmad Nabil Wadi (15), injured by shrapnel in the face; and
  • Amin Mousa El-Ashqar (21), injured by a bullet in the right foot.

    Mediators negotiated the release of all abducted persons in a late night hour.

    At approximately 6:30 on Monday, 29 January 2007, Tamer Saber El-Qidra (25) was admitted to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis suffering from a bullet wound in the right leg. A Hamas activist shot him after a confrontation between them.

    The city of Nablus, a wave of kidnappings and shootings targeted Hamas activists. In addition, fire was set to the Office of the Ministry of Education in the City. In total, six Hamas activists were kidnapped, including three employees of the Ministry of Education and a City Council member. In addition, the father of one of the kidnapped was injured in the foot. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, announced their responsibility for all these incidents.

    PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 10:00 gunmen fired at Baha El-Hanbali (20) who was unharmed. Eyewitnesses stated that El-Hanbali was leaving the office of the Prosperity and Development Association in Sikka Street in Nablus, where he works as the director. Masked gunmen fired at him and fled the scene. It is noted that unknown assailants kidnapped El-Hanbali for several hours and severely beat him 10 days ago.

    At approximately 13:00, gunmen kidnapped Fayyad Mohammad El-Aghbar (48), who is a member of the city council controlled by Hamas. They took him to an unknown location. Eyewitnesses stated that El-Aghbar stopped his car in Sufian Street in Nablus and walked to the Arab Islamic Bank in Aqrouq Building. At the entrance of the bank, armed assailants surrounded and kidnapped him, beating him, and pushing him into a car before going to an unknown location.

    At approximately 13:20, approximately 20 masked gunmen stormed the Ministry of Education office in Faisal Street in Nablus. They set fire to the office of the Director of Education, Ahmad Dola, and kidnapped three employees. The kidnapped are:

  • Zeyad Abu Suliman (37), a finance department staff member;
  • Mohammad Abdel Wahhab (35), a finance department staff member; and
  • Samer Samih Darwaza (32), a guard for the Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Education Dr. Naser El-Deen El-Sha’er.

    At approximately 13:30, kidnappers abducted Zeyad Hafith Abdel Jawwad (30), a Hamas activist, near his house in Askar Refugee Camp. When his father, 55-year old Hafith Abdel Jawwad, tried to stop the kidnapping of his son, the kidnappers fired directly at him and injured him by a bullet in the right foot. They left him bleeding and took his son. At approximately the same time, another group kidnapped Emad El-Jorof (45), a Hamas activist, from his carpentry shop at the northwest entrance of the refugee camp.

    PCHR is concerned over the continued falling of victims due to the escalating crimes perpetrated during internal conflict. The Centre calls for an immediate end to all infighting, and an immediate resumption of national dialogue. The Centre sees the shameful internal conflict as proof for the necessity of dialogue more than any time in the past; as this conflict threatens the Palestinian people as a whole, endangers social order, and pushes towards self-destruction.

    Related Links

  • Palestinian Center for Human Rights
  • BY TOPIC: Civil War in Palestine? (11 December 2006)