Security Chaos and Proliferation of Weapons

Attacks on Public Institutions and Officials

Field Update

7 August 2006

Chief of the Military Intelligence in the Northern Gaza Strip Killed and Two Persons Wounded by Unknown Gunmen

On Sunday morning, 6 August 2006, unknown gunmen shot Major Mohammed Mousa al-Mousah, 40, from Habalya refugee camp, chief of the Palestinian Military Intelligence in the northern Gaza Strip. He died later from his wound. Tow other persons were also wounded in the same attack.  

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 00:20 on Sunday, 6 August 2006, a number of masked gunmen, who were traveling in two civilian cars, intercepted a governmental vehicle, in which Major Abu Mousah and two of his bodyguards were traveling, on the costal road near the Municipality of Jabalya. The gunmen forced Major Abu Mousah to stop the vehicle and demanded him to get out of it. When he refused, they opened fire at the tires and then at him directly. He was seriously wounded to the head. One of his bodyguards, ‘Eissa Nabeel Nusair, 24, from Beit Lahia, was also wounded by several live bullets to the jaw, the right arm and the legs. A number of members of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, who were present in the area, intervened to stop the attack. They exchanged fire with the gunmen. As a result, one member of the Executive Force, 25-year-old Eihab al-Banna, was wounded by several live bullets to the pelvis. The gunmen were able to escape. The wounded were evacuated to al-‘Awda Hospital in Jabalya. Later, medical sources declared that Major Abu Mousah died from his wound.

PCHR is concerned for such attacks, which constitute a continuation of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks, and bring the perpetrators to justice.