Field Update

On
Monday afternoon, 09 June 2014, a man was wounded by a member of the Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, in Johr al-Deek area, southeast of
Gaza.  This incident is part of the
phenomenon of the proliferation of weapons and violations of the rule of law in
the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

According
to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR),
at approximately 18:00 on Monday, 09 June 2014, an armed member of the Izziddin
al-Qassam Brigades opened fire at a car in which 3 engineers working at
al-Banna Company for Survey and Engineering Services were traveling in Johr
al-Deek area, southeast of Gaza City.  As
a result, Hamzah Suheil Hiji (26) was hit by a bullet to the back and was then
taken to the hospital due to the seriousness of his condition.  According to the testimony of the wounded
person’s colleague, Mahmoud al-Deiri (27), a member of the Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades directly fired at a car in which the 3 engineers were traveling as one
of them skirmished with the member of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades.  The engineers were trying to determine the
area of a tract of land in Johr al-Deek area when members of the Izziddin al-Qassam
brigades prevented them from doing so. 
The Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades’ members later detained 3 engineers
working in the company for a couple of hours, but a relative of one of them
intervened and they were released.

PCHR
condemns this incident and calls upon the Public Prosecution to open an
investigation into it and take the necessary legal measures.  PCHR also demands to stop all the duties that
are still practiced by al-Qassam Brigades, but are of the prerogative of the
law enforcement bodies and particularly the judicial warranty officers.