Ref: 84/2007
Date: 02 August 2007
Time: 13:00 GMT
3 Palestinians Killed, 8 Injured, in Clashes between the Executive Force and Al-Quds Battaltions in Gaza City
PCHR strongly condemns the clashes that took place yesterday between members of the Executive Force and others from Al-Quds Battalions, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, in Gaza City. Three people were killed, one of them a civilian, and 8 others were injured, including 4 civilians and a child.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 18:00 on Wednesday, 1 August 2007, Executive Force members raided a tent erected by Oteish clan in Nazzaz Street in Sheja’eya Quarter in Gaza City. The tent was erected to celebrate the wedding of 2 Oteish clan members, one of them a member of Al-Quds Battalions. The Executive Force intervened after a dispute erupted between the grooms’ father and Osama El-Hayya, son of PLC member Khalil El-Hayya, when he photographed the tent and house of the Oteish clan members celebrating the wedding.
It is noted that on Tuesday, 31 August 2007, the Executive Force intervened when gunmen fired in the air during the wedding party of the same family. However, the dispute was peacefully resolved.
In Wednesday’s raid, the Executive Force detained the father of the 2 grooms, Khalil Oteish, and his brother Hamdi Oteish. They searched for one of the grooms called Husam Oteish, who fled with his friend Obayda El-Gholah. The Force fired at the house of Na’im Abu Sakran, but no injuries were reported. In addition, they searched a number of houses in the area. One of the houses was that of Obayda El-Gholah. They detonated an explosive device against the door and raided the house. They detained Obayda El-Gholah and Husam Oteish. In the process, they fired at Obayda and injured him with several bullets in the legs. He was taken to Shifa Hospital for treatment. Sana’ Burhan El-Gholah informed PCHR’s fieldworker that the Executive Force detained her son Obayda from Shifa Hospital and took him to an undisclosed location.
Clashes erupted between members of the Executive Force and others from Al-Quds Battalions. The clashes resulted in the killing of an Executive Force member, Hazem Kamel Abu El-Kheir (34), and the injury of 5 civilians. One of the injured was a child.
In a related development at 1:00 on Thursday (2 August 2007), the Executive Force surrounded Ard El-Ribat Mosque near the Palestine Car Market in southern Gaza City. Clashes broke out between members of the Executive Force and others from Al-Quds Battalions that resulted in the killing of Nidal Yehya El-Daya (20) from Al-Quds Battalions, and the injury of 2 others from the same group. A bystander was killed by bullets in the neck and back. The bystander was identified as Salah Mohammad El-Amoudi (49), who was killed as he was driving in his car in the clash area.
PCHR strongly condemns these clashes, and:
– Calls for investigating the clashes and in the circumstances that led to the killing of 3 people and injury of 8 others.
– Calls for taking the necessary legal steps against the parties involved in the clashes, and to take steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
