Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms

Attacking Public Institutions and Officials

Field Update

28 March 2006

Director of the Agricultural Bureau in the Central Gaza Strip and a Security Official Kidnapped in Two Separate Incidents in Deir al-Balah and Beit Hanoun

On Monday morning, 27 March 2006, unknown armed persons kidnapped and violently beat Nasser Yousef D’ib, 43, director of the agricultural bureau in the central Gaza Strip, and stole his car.  In the evening, militants from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, kidnapped a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Services in Beit Hanoun.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:00 on Monday, 27 March 2006, 6 unknown armed persons intercepted D’ib’s car near his house, while he was on his way to the agricultural bureau in al-Zawaida village in the central Gaza Strip.  They forced him out of his car and handcuffed and blindfolded him.  They then violently beat him and pushed him into their car.  Nearly an hour later, they dumped him in an area to the east of Khan Yunis.  Official documents and keys from the agriculture bureau had been in D’ib’s car, when it was taken. 

At approximately 21:00 on Monday, militants from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, kidnapped Ahmed Mahmoud Sha’ban al-Za’anin, 25, a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Services from Beit Hanoun, and took him to an unknown destination.  

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, a civilian car, in which 4 militants were traveling, stopped near al-Za’anin as he was walking in al-Sikka Street in Beit Hanoun.  They forced him to get into the car and took him to an unknown destination.  At approximately 23:00, the kidnappers handed al-Za’anin to the Military Intelligence Services in Beit Hanoun. 

PCHR is concerned about the continuation of such attacks, which serve to perpetuate 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 to bring the perpetrators to justice.