Field Update

During the past three days, 2 Palestinians, including a woman, were killed in the northern Gaza Strip in incidents of mishandled weapons. On Monday morning, 23 March 2020, a woman, from the Amer Housing Project, southwest of Jabalia, was killed in unknown circumstances.  Meanwhile, last Friday, 20 March 2020, a Palestinian man was killed inside his house in Beit Lahia due to mishandling of weapons. Those incidents fall under misuse of weapons and attack on the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory.

According to PCHR’s follow-up, on Monday morning, 23 March 2020, the body of (R. N.) (25), from ‘Amer Housing Project in southwestern Jabalia, arrived at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.  Medical examination concluded that a bullet entered her left shoulder and exited her chest; therefore, the body was referred to the Medical Forensic Department.  The police had already arrived at the scene, examined the corpse and opened an investigation into the incident.  Ayman al-Batniji, Spokesperson of the Palestinian Police in the Gaza Strip, said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the death was due to a bullet that was mistakenly fired from her husband’s weapon.

In a separate incident, on Friday, 20 March 2020, (Q. Z.) (25) died after being hit with a bullet in the head due to mishandling a weapon inside his house in Beit Lahia Project.  He was taken to the Indonesian Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, where his death was declared, while his body was referred to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to be examined by the Medical Forensic Department.  The police opened an investigation into the incident and Ayman al-Batniji, Spokesperson of the Palestinian Police in the Gaza Strip, said that (Q. Z.) died after mishandling a weapon, and the investigations are still ongoing.

PCHR is concerned over the increasing number of victims, particularly women, due to incidents of mishandled weapons and calls upon the competent authorities to take all measures necessary to protect civilians from the dangers of weapons.