Field Update

Today dawn, a civilian was killed after a gunman fired several bullets at him on Monday, 04 December 2017, in Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip.  This incident is part of the state of proliferation of weapons and attack 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 23:30 on Monday, 04 December 2017, a person opened fire from a machine gun at Yasser Suhail Hamdan Badoui (23), who was walking with a friend behind Rafah Sport Club in al-Shabourah area in Rafah City.  As a result, Yasser was wounded with several bullets to the abdomen and lower limbs and then taken to Abu Yousif al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah City.  Due to his serious condition, Yasser was referred to the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis City.  Doctors there could not save his life and declared his death at approximately 01:30 on Tuesday.

The Palestinian police said that they opened an investigation into the incident and managed to arrest the suspect, who directly admitted his crime.  The police added that the suspect justified his crime saying that Yasser Suhail Badaoui attacked him with a sharp tool a year ago, causing him a rupture in the tendons of his right hand fingers and so a mild disability.

PCHR hereby condemns this crime which resulted in the killing of Yasser Badaoui.  PCHR is also concerned over the increasing number of victims due to the use of firearms and so calls upon the competent authorities to take all necessary measures to end the proliferation of weapons and maintain civilians’ security and safety.