On Friday, 13 June 2008, a 5-year-old child was killed by a gunshot
for an unknown source in Gaza City. In a separate incident, a man
was wounded as he mishandled a gun.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR:
At approximately 14:30 on Friday, 13 June 2008, the body of
5-year-old ‘Obaida Sami Habeeb was brought into Shifa Hospital in
Gaza City. According to medical sources, he was hit by a gunshot to
the forehead. According to the child’s uncle, the child was playing
with his cousin on the roof of their house in al-Shoja’eya
neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, when he was hit by a gunshot
coming from an unknown source. At the time when the child was
killed, participants in the funeral procession of a man who was
killed in an explosion in Beit Lahia town on 12 June 2008 were
firing intensively into the air.
In another incident, at approximately 11:00 on Friday, Ussama ‘Aayed
al-Batneeji, 40, a police officer from al-Shoja’eya neighborhood,
was wounded by a gunshot which penetrated his left hand and hit his
right foot, when he mishandled his gun at home.
PCHR is gravely concerned over increasing
casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons. PCHR calls upon
concerned to investigate the child’s killing and bring those who are
found responsible to justice.
