Six Injured, including Four Children, in Incidents involving the Misuse of Weapons in the Gaza Strip

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 5 June 2006

Over the past two days in the Gaza Strip, six people, including four children, were injured in incidents involving the misuse of weapons.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 01:30 on Sunday, 4 June 2006, Omar Mahmoud El-Batsh, a 22-year-old resident of Greater Abasan to the east of Khan Yunis, was admitted to the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. He had been injured by a bullet that had penetrated through the right thigh and then entered the left thigh. The bullet had been fired accidentally from a friend’s firearm.

At approximately 22:30 on Saturday, 3 June 2006, Mohammad Adnan El-Tawil, a 5-year-old child from Nuseirat refugee camp, was admitted to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Hospital in Deir El-Balah. He had been seriously injured by a bullet to the head. He was later transferred to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to the severity of the injury. The child had been accidentally injured by gunmen firing into the air during a celebration of the Fatah victory in the student council elections in Al-Quds Open University, in the central part of the Gaza Strip.

At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, Sharif Suliman El-Gorof, a 20-year-old resident of Greater Abasan, was admitted to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis. El-Gorof, who is a member of the security services, had been injured by a bullet to the right leg, when a bullet was accidentally fired from a firearm mishandled by one of his relatives.

And at approximately 17:30 on Friday, 2 June 2006, three children from the Sha’at clan were injured during an engagement ceremony in Khan Yunis. Several bullets were misfired by gunmen shooting into the air during the celebration. The injured were taken to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where their injuries were described as mild. The injured are:

  • Ahmad Marwan Sha’at, 5, injured by shrapnel in the face;
  • Feras Abdel Sam’I Sha’at, 8, injured by shrapnel in the upper body; and
  • Samir Nahed Sha’at, 11, injured by shrapnel in the limbs.

    PCHR is gravely concerned over the continued number of deaths and injuries resulting from the misuse of weapons, which has become a prominent feature of the ongoing security chaos in the region. The Centre calls upon the Palestinian National Authority to take preventive measures to prevent such incidents and safeguard the safety of citizens.

    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 Fédération 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.