Three People Killed and Seven Injured in Clan Disputes in the Gaza Strip

On Wednesday, 7 June 2006, three people were killed and seven others were injured, including a child, in armed clashes between clans in Gaza, Khan Yunis and Rafah.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 22:15 on Wednesday, Majdi El-Bahri Dughmosh, a 32-year-old resident of the El-Sabra area of Gaza City, was killed by a bullet to the head. He was killed during an armed clash between the El-Kafarna and Dughmosh clans in the El-Tuffah area of Gaza City. Medical sources at Shifa Hospital stated that Dughmosh was dead when he reached the hospital. Earlier that evening at 19:30, Jawdat Issan Dughmosh, a 32-year-old resident of the El-Sabra area of Gaza City, was killed. He was hit with a bullet that penetrated his left thigh and hit his right thigh. He was hit during an armed clash with the El-Kafarna clan in the El-Karama area, north of Gaza City. He was taken toShifa Hospital, where he died due to blood loss.

At approximately 21:00 on Wednesday, Imad Reyad El-Masri, a 21-year-old resident of Khan Yunis, was injured by a bullet to the right foot. He was injured during an intra-clan clash with relatives. Medical sources stated that his condition was moderate.

At approximately 09:00 on Wednesday, one gunman among a group of four fired at Moneer Yunis El-Sheikh Eid, a 29-year-old resident of Rafah and a member of the Military Intelligence, during the Wednesday market in Khan Yunis. He was hit by a bullet to the head and another to the chest, and was killed instantly. The gunmen fled the scene and the victim’s body was taken to Naser Hospital in the city. PCHR’s fieldworker learned that Sheikh El-Eid had been killed in context of an ongoing vendetta and clan dispute. In a related development, the relatives of the victim closed the El-Awda intersection and the main intersection of Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah at about 11:00. Armed clashes erupted between members of the El-Eid clan until the late hours of the evening. At approximately 23:20, Mohammad Osama El-Oweidi (6), was injured by shrapnel to his arms in the clashes. He was injured in his house in Bloc J of Rafah refugee camp. He was taken to Mohammad Yousef El-Najjar Hospital, where his injuries were described as moderate.

At approximately 03:00 on Thursday, 8 June 2006, the Interior Ministry Executive Force intervened to break up an armed clan dispute between the Awad and Abu Olwan clans in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City. The situation escalated into an armed clash between the Executive Force and members of the Abu Olwan clan. The clash resulted in five injuries. The injured were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza for treatment. The injured are:

  • Ahmad Reyad Abu Olwan, a 25-year-old resident of the El-Tuffah area of Gaza City, sustained shrapnel injuries in the shoulder and leg;
  • Mohammad Behzat Abu Olwan, a 25-year-old resident of the El-Tuffah area of Gaza City, was injured by two bullets to the thigh and knee;
  • Hamed Fayeq Abu Olwan, a 30-year-old resident of the El-Tuffah area of Gaza City and a member of the security forces, was injured by a bullet to the legs. He was transferred to an Israeli hospital for treatment due to the severity of the injury; and
  • Mohammad Sa’id Abu Qadous, a 28-year-old member of the Executive Force, sustained shrapnel injuries to the face; and
  • Ala Ali Salim, a 25-year-old member of the Executive Force, was injured by bullets to the legs.

    PCHR is concerned about the continuation of internal violence, including the use of weapons in personal and clan disputes, which is further aggravating the state of security chaos in the OccupiedPalestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these 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 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.