Field Updates
On Sunday, a child was killed during a family dispute, in which firearms were used, in Dir al-Balah 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 07:20 on Sunday, 26 August 2018, Mohamed Humaid Mohamed al-Sawarkah (24), arrived as a dead body at al-Aqsa Hospital in Dir al-Balah, after being hit with a live bullet that entered his back and exited his abdomen. Mohamed was wounded during a family dispute erupted between his family and another family, in which firearms were used, southwest of Dir al-Balah City.
Palestinian police said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the Palestinian police officers arrived at the scene and opened investigation into the incident to identify its circumstances. The victim’s body was transferred to the forensic medicine department at Shifa Hospital to determine the causes of the death and investigations are still continuing to find the killer and know the dispute reasons.
PCHR is concerned over increasing murder cases, in which firearms were used, in occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), including the Gaza Strip. Lately, 3 civilians were killed in various circumstances. On 18 August 2018, Mahmoud Bashar al-Hamaiydah (22), from Rafah, was killed by a live bullet to the head during a family dispute, in which firearms were used. On the same day, Malek Ja’far Qattoush (23) succumbed to wounds he sustained on the previous day, in which an armed person opened fire at him, wounding him with a bullet that penetrated his chest during a family dispute erupted in front of his house in Biter village, west of Bethlehem. On 14 August 2018, Nadi ‘Abdullah Yousef Abu Hadayid (26) was killed on the ground of a family revenge in Khan Yunis.
PCHR condemns the killing of al-Sawarkah and calls also upon the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to stop this phenomenon and maintain the civilians’ security and safety.
