Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms
Attacks on Public Institutions and Officials
Field Update
19 April 2006
Further Deterioration of Security Chaos in the Gaza Strip:
3 Kidnappings Reported and a Member of the Preventive Security Service Injured
The past 24 hours have witnessed a series of attacks on members of the Palestinian National Security Services. Two police officers, an official’s son and an officer in the military liaison were kidnapped during separate incidents in the central Gaza Strip, and a member of the Preventive Security Service was shot in the northern Gaza Strip. These incidents are part of the ongoing state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 4 masked gunmen traveling in a civilian car (a silver Subaru) intercepted another car (a white Subaru) that was traveling on al-Salam Street, in the center of Deir al-Balah. Mohammed Jamal Hammad, 30, and Kamal Kamel al-Fallit, 30, police officers from Deir al-Balah, were traveling in the second car on their way to their work in Gaza City. The gunmen forced the two police officers out of the car. They handcuffed and blindfolded them, and then took them to an unknown location. Approximately 40 minutes later, the gunmen released the two officers and confiscated their car.
At approximately 09:30 on the same day, a number of gunmen traveling in two civilian cars fired at Hassan Zaki Abu Mansour, 25, a member of the Preventive Security Service from Jabalya refugee camp, near Martyr Anwar ‘Aziz Mosque in Jabalya refugee camp. He was wounded by 4 live bullets to the legs.
At approximately 12:00, 4 masked gunmen traveling in a civilian car (a white Subaru) kidnapped Mohammed Nasser Yousef Deeb, 18, the son of the Director General of Agriculture in the central Gaza Strip. They handcuffed and blindfolded him and then took him to an unknown location. The gunmen violently beat Deeb. They released him in Rafah after one hour and a half. It is worth noting that the father was previously kidnapped by gunmen on 27 March 2006.
At approximately 20:00, at least 10 gunmen intercepted a jeep near al-Farouq Mosque in Nusiarat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. Brigadier Daoud al-Atrash, 57, from the Military Liaison, was traveling in the jeep. The gunmen asked him to get out of the jeep but he refused. They violently beat him and put him in the back seat of the jeep. They then took him to an unknown location. The kidnapper released al-Atrash in Deit al-Balah 3 hours later.
PCHR strongly condemns these attacks and expresses grave concern over the escalating number of attacks against public institutions and officials. These attacks are a continuation of the current state of security chaos in the OPT. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
