Armed Palestinian Groups Storm Public Institutions

Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms

Attacking Public Institutions and Officials

    Field Update

Armed Palestinian Groups Storm Public Institutions

Over the past 2 days, scores of armed Palestinians stormed a number of public institutions in Nuseirat, Rafah, and Gaza City. Under gunfire, they forced staff out of their offices, and prevented them from carrying on with their work.

PCHR’s preliminary investigations indicate that at approximately 02:00 on Sunday (5 March 2006), a group consisting of about 40 gunmen, some of them masked, stormed the Directorate of Education in Nuseirat refugee camp. They were protesting the nonpayment of their salaries by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). In a statement signed by “Fatah Members in the Central Area,” they demanded the payment of their salaries like other members of the movement. The incident lasted nearly 7 hours, during which the gunmen prevented staff from entering their offices. The crisis was resolved at about 9:00 in the morning.

At approximately 11:30 on Saturday, 4 March 2006, a group of 30 masked gunmen stormed the Rafah municipality building. They fired their guns discriminately outside and inside the building, and attempted to assault some staff members. The assault lasted about one hour. The attackers distributed a statement signed by “Members of Military and Security Branches,” in which they indicated that the attack is a result of the decision by the Ministry of Finance and Rafah municipality to deduct 200-300 New Israeli Shekels a month from their paychecks, to pay their late dues for the municipality.

At approximately 11:45 on Saturday, 4 March 2006, ten gunmen from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades stormed the departments of “Health Insurance” and “Treatment Abroad” in the Abu Khadra governmental complex in Gaza City. They fired a few shots in the air, forced all staff to leave their offices, and ordered them to close them. PCHR information indicates that the attack came to protest the Palestinian Cabinet decision to stop providing some health services for uninsured citizens. The two departments remained closed till the end of the day, and resumed work the next day.

PCHR is concerned about the continuation of these dangerous attacks, which constitute a continuum of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Centre calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.