Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms

Using Weapons in Personal and Clan Disputes

Field Update

16 March 2006

5 Citizens Injured in Armed Clan Disputes in the Gaza Strip

Three citizens suffered various injuries in the afternoon of Wednesday, 15 March 2006. This resulted from an exchange of fire between two neighboring clans in the Sheikh Radwan area in Gaza City. The injured were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza for treatment.

PCHR’s preliminary investigations indicate that at approximately 16:30 on Wednesday, 15 March 2006, Anwar Mohammad El-Khaldi (21) was injured with a superficial bullet wound to the head, Walid Mohammad El-Khaldi (22) was injured with a bullet in the left thigh, and Khaled Abdel Karim Abu El-Ataya (35) was injured with a superficial bullet wound to the head. The injured were evacuated to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where their injuries were classified as moderate. It is noted that a dispute erupted between El-Khaldi and Tammous families, and that one of the injured was a passerby.

Over the past few days, PCHR documented a number of incidents related to misuse of weapons. These incidents included:

At approximately 17:00 on Monday, 13 March 2006, Mufleh Jum’a Abu H’jayer (61) was injured by a bullet in the chest during a clan dispute in Al-Mughraga village, south of Gaza City. He was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir El-Balah, and then to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to the severity of his injury.

At approximately 15:15 on Wednesday, 8 March 2006, Sami Hasan El-Masri (32) from Rafah was injured by 2 bullets in his legs. One of his relatives who lives in Khan Yunis fired at him on the backdrop of a dispute and vendetta that goes back to 1986. The injured man was taken to Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis and then to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to the severity of his injury.

PCHR is concerned about the continuation of internal violence, including the use of weapons in personal and clan disputes, which constitute a continuum of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.