March 12, 2023
In Two Separate Incidents: Two Citizens Killed in Family Disputes in Hebron and Bethlehem
In Two Separate Incidents: Two Citizens Killed in Family Disputes in Hebron and Bethlehem

 Filed Update 

Over the past three days, two persons were shot dead in two family disputes in Hebron and Bethlehem. The two incidents are part of state of misuse of firearms, security chaos, and assault on the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).The first incident occurred on Saturday, 11 March 2023, when gunmen opened fire at a vehicle carrying 6 persons near the entrance to Wadi al-Nies village, south of Bethlehem. As a result, the vehicle’s windows were broken, and (M. F. H.) (27) was shot with two bullets in the head while his brother (‘A. F. H.) (23) was shot with a bullet in the abdomen.

The wounded were taken in a serious condition to al-Yamama Hospital in southern Bethlehem, and yesterday morning, the death of (M. F. H.) was announced, succumbing to his injuries.  It is suspected that the shooting occurred due to a financial dispute between the two parties, which included threats and kidnappings.

In western Hebron, (M. W. E.) (38), from Taffuh village, was killed after being shot with a bullet in the head on Wednesday, 08 March 2023, during a dispute between his family members in Bir Maleh area, east of Taffuh village. The dispute developed into an indiscriminate shooting by gunmen. After the death of (M. W. E.)  was declared, young men burned a house in the village as a footage showed two persons, one of them masked, indiscriminately opened fire from two pistols.

The Spokesperson of the Palestinian Police announced that Palestinian security officers managed to capture the suspect in the shooting incident.PCHR calls upon the Palestinian authorities to take serious and immediate steps to cease the state of misuse of firearms and impose the rule of law in order to protect civil peace, especially with the ongoing murder cases in the oPt.