Ref: 40/2014
Date: 01 April 2014
Time: 11:10 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is strongly concerned over the injury of 11 civilians, including 7 children, in two separate incidents in Rafah and Khan Yunis, due to the explosion of two explosive devices. PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to take the necessary measures to protect civilians and spare them the dangers arising from explosive and suspicious objects.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and statement of eyewitnesses, the first incident took place at approximately 16:00 on Sunday, 30 March 2014, when a suspicious object exploded as a child played with it in the Saudi neighborhood, southwest of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. As a result of the explosion, 6 children sustained various wounds, due to which they were taken to the European hospital in Khan Yunis. Medical sources described wounds of a child as serious. The wounded were identified as:

1. Amin Emad Abu Mohsen (10), sustained a shrapnel wound to the head. His wound is serious;
2. His two brothers: Ahmed (13); and
3. Mohammed (14);
4. Mo’men Wa’el al-Nairab (6);
5. And his brother Mahmoud (13); and
6. Rajab Mohammed al-Mghari (11)

They all sustained shrapnel wounds throughout their bodies and their wounds were moderate. One of the wounded said to PCHR’s fieldworker that a child had found a suspicious object near the Japanese park that is adjacent to the Saudi neighborhood and played with it.

The Palestinian police stated to PCHR’s fieldworker that they initiated and investigation and the explosive device was part of remnants of Israeli warplanes.

In a separate incident, 5 civilians, including a father and his son, were wounded at approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 30 March 2014, due to the explosion of a shell that was found by a civilian in al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The wounded were taken to Nasser hospital in the city, where medical sources stated that their wounds ranged between serious and minor. The wounded were identified as:

1. Mostafa Ziad al-Majayda (18), he sustained shrapnel wounds throughout his body and his two legs were amputated. His wounds were serious;
2. Diya’ Shaheen Shaheen (43), sustained a shrapnel wound to the right leg; and
3. His son Omar (14), sustained shrapnel wound to the left hand;
4. Khattab Omar al-Zaqzouq (22), sustained shrapnel wounds to the right leg and shoulder; and
5. Haitham Mahmoud al-Zaqzouq (22), sustained shrapnel wound to the belly.

The Palestinian police arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation to identify the nature of the explosive device.
PCHR is gravely concerned over the reiteration of such incidents that result in having more victims, and:

1. Calls upon the government in Gaza to seriously investigate these two incidents and take the necessary measures to protect civilians and guarantee the non-reiteration of such incidents; and
2. Demands the civilians to take the necessary measures to avoid dealing with suspicious objects and to notify the competent authorities as soon as possible.