Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms
Misuse of Weapons by Armed Groups and Security Personnel
Field Update
11 September 2006
2 Killed and 2 Injured in an Exchange of Fire between a Clan and the Executive Force in Deir El-Balah
Two bystanders were killed and 2 others were injured on Monday, 11 September 2006, when they were located in an area where armed clashes broke out between members of Fayyad clan and the Executive Force in Deir El-Balah refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 10:00 on Monday, 11 September 2006, members of Fayyad clan assaulted Basil Mahmoud Abu Seif (36) who is a member of the Interior Ministry Executive Force. The assailants beat him with the butts of their guns on the head as he left his house in the refugee camp. As a result, members of the Executive Force gathered at the eastern entrance of the refugee camp; and gunmen from the Fayyad clan gathered nearby. A heavy exchange of fire between both sides broke out. The shooting resulted in the death of two bystanders:
– Saleh Abu Ghali El-Eilah, a 63-year old resident of El-Daraj Quarter in Gaza City. He was hit by a bullet in the back as he was distributing merchandize to a grocery store in the refugee camp.
– Mohammad Abdel Karim El-B’heisi, a 75-year old resident of Deir El-Balah refugee camp. He was hit by a bullet in the lower abdomen as he sat in front of a shop in the clash area. He was taken to Shifa Hospital for treatment, but efforts to save his life failed.
Two other bystanders were injured:
– Walid Hasan El-Baz 940) was injured by shrapnel in the left hand; and
– Ramzi Ibrahim Abu Ghalyoun (46) injured by a bullet in the right foot.
Both are residents of Deir El-Balah refugee camp. They were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital for treatment, where their injuries were listed as moderate.
The clashes between both sides continued for half an hour. A large contingent of special police forces intervened and ended the clashes. However, tension remains high in the area.
PCHR’s fieldworker learned that the attack on Basel Abu Seif came on the backdrop of an event that took place at approximately 21:00 on Sunday, 10 September 2006. In this incident, members of the Executive Force detained a jeep belonging to the Preventive Security Apparatus. There were 3 Preventive Security members in the jeep, one of them a member of Fayyad clan. The jeep was detained for one hour. The incident escalated into an exchange of fire before it was resolved. No injuries were reported in this incident.
PCHR is concerned over the continued falling of victims due to the misuse of arms by Palestinian groups and individuals, which is a part of the security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to seriously investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.
