Field Update

Yesterday, Riadh al-Masri, from Khan Yunis, was killed on the
ground of a familial dispute, and a child, Ibrahim Salman, was killed last week
as a result of the explosion of a bomb.  These
two incidents are part of the security chaos, misuse of weapons and attacks on
the rule of law plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for
Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 03 September 2011, a car driven by a
number of persons, including armed ones, stopped a Mercedes car driven by Riadh
Awad al-Masri near the European Gaza Hospital, south of Khan Yunis.  The persons in the first car stepped down,
crushed the windows of al-Masri’s car, pulled him out of his car and fired at
him injuring him in the thigh. They then
attacked him by sharp tools and sticks and escaped.  An ambulance arrived at the scene after a call
received from one of the locals who heard the gunfire.  The ambulance transferred al-Masri to the
nearby European Gaza Hospital.  Medical
sources described al-Masri’s wounds as serious.  He was pronounced dead at approximately 18:00.
 Al-Masri’s son, Awad, stated to a PCHR
fieldworker that they know the perpetrators and that this attack was on the
ground of a previous familial dispute.

Sources of the Palestinian police reported that the police arrived
at the scene and that the police were searching for some suspected persons.

In another incident, an explosion rocked Heker al-Jame’ area in the
south of Deir al-Balah at approximately 00:20 on Sunday, 04 September 2011.  Later, it was found out that the explosion was
caused by an explosive device planted under a blue Subaru car belonging to
Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Bashir near Bashir’s house.  The car was totally destroyed and heavy damage
was caused to Bashir’s house. A number
of nearby houses were also lightly damaged.

In a third incident, on Tuesday, 30 August 2011, medical sources at
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City announced the death of Ibrahim Mohammed Salman, 6,
from Deir al-Balah, of wounds he had sustained in the face and the chest when a
bomb exploded as he was playing with fire near his house.

PCHR is extremely concerned over the continued falling of victims
by misuse of weapons which is part of the state of security chaos plaguing the
OPT, and calls upon the office of the Public Prosecutor to open investigations
into the death of al-Masri and to bring perpetrators before justice.  PCHR also calls upon competent authorities to
take necessary measures to ensure non-recurrence of attacks leading to deaths
due to the misuse of weapons.