Field Update

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights
(PCHR) condemns opening fire by a gunman inside Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar
Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, and calls upon the Public
Prosecution to investigate it and bring the perpetrator before justice.

According to investigations conducted
by PCHR, at approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 24 February 2013, a man fired from
his pistol inside the Reception Department in Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar
Hospital in Rafah.  Bullets hit the
ceiling and walls of the department, but no casualties were reported.  Relatives of two persons injured in a road
accident who were brought to the hospital thought that the medical crews
procrastinated in offering medical treatment to the two persons and the
transfer of one of them to the Gaza European Hospital was delayed, so one of
them took fired 4 bullets from his pistol. 
Police officers attempted to arrest him, but he fled. 

According to the Palestinian police,
which opened an investigation into this incident, the shooter is a member of
the armed wing of Palestinian faction in the Gaza Strip.

PCHR strongly condemns this attack,
which is part of the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons in the
occupied Palestinian territory, and calls upon the Public Prosecution to
investigate it and bring the perpetrator before justice.