Security Chaos and Proliferation of Weapons

Misuse of Weapons by Armed Groups and Security Personnel

Field Update

1 September 2008

A Girl and a Child Wounded as an RBJ Projectile Hit Their Home in Jabalya

On Friday, 29 August 2008, 2 sisters, including a child, were wounded when an RBJ projectile fired from a nearby training site of a Palestinian resistance group hit their home in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. This incident is part of the state of security chaos prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:10 on Friday, 29 August 2008, an RBJ projectile fired by gunmen who were training in the east of Jabalya town hit a house belonging to Hassan Salah Junaid, 45. The projectile exploded inside the house and wounded 2 of the owner’s daughters:

1)      Asmaa’, 19, seriously wounded by shrapnel throughout the body and her right hand was amputated; and

2)      Hiba, 14, wounded by shrapnel to the left leg.

Additionally, the house was heavily damaged.

It is worth noting that a man was killed and 2 children were wounded in similar circumstances in the past 10 days in the southern Gaza Strip towns of Khan Yunis and Rafah.

PCHR is gravely concerned over such attacks that have caused casualties among Palestinian civilians, and which are part of the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR calls upon authorized bodies to investigate this latest attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. PCHR further calls upon Palestinian resistance groups to conduct their military training away from civilian populated areas to avoid civilian casualties.