Field Update

On Thursday, 11 May 2017, a young woman was shot dead by her father in her house in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah City.  This incident is part of the state of proliferation of weapons and assault on the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 11 May 2017, Kifah ‘Abdel Mutaleb Salem Musallam (Musleh) (23), from al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah City, was pronounced dead on arrival at Martyr Abu Yousef Annajar Hospital in Rafah City, after being shot with a bullet to the right side of her chest. It should be mentioned that Kifah is mother of 2 children and 4-month pregnant with twins.

The Palestinian police said that Kifah’s father, who lives in al-Maghazi refugee camp, shot her dead with a bullet to the chest from a Browning gun in her husband’s house and then ran away from the house to turn himself in to al-Maghazi police station.  The father shot his daughter after she went back to her husband’s house without the father’s knowledge as Kifah had an argument with her husband 10 days ago and left the house to stay at her father’s.

PCHR hereby condemns the murder of Musallam and expresses its deep concern over the increasing number of victims due to use of firearms.  PCHR also calls upon the competent authorities to take the necessary measure in order to put an end to the proliferation of weapons and to maintain civilians’ security and safety.