Ref: 42/2019

On Monday evening, 18 March 2019, unknown gunmen physically assaulted Dr. ‘Atef Talal Abu Saif, Spokesperson of Fatah Movement, fractured his limbs, and stole his car and cell phone. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns with the strongest terms this assault and calls for immediate reveal of the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. PCHR also calls upon the Palestinian security services in the Gaza Strip to protect civilians.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 17:15, masked gunmen carrying batons and pistols assaulted and severely beat ‘Atef Abu Saif (46), Spokesperson of Fatah Movement in the Gaza Strip. Dr. ‘Atef was in an agricultural land belonging to ‘Abed al-Men’em Jadallah (58), who was beaten as well, in al-‘Amoudi area, west of al-Salateen Cemetery in southern Beit Lahia. The gunmen stole Abu Saif’s car and cell phone and then left the area. Both wounded were then taken to the PRCS al-Quds Hospital, where it turned out that Abu Saif sustained a deep wound to the head that required 30 stitches, in addition to a fracture to the left hand and right foot. Moreover, Jadallah sustained a fracture to the right hand and foot.

It should be mentioned that on 24 September 2018, Abu Seif was assaulted when he was in a car with a friend of his and stopped by two masked gunmen near al-Karamah Intersection, in northern Gaza City. He was severely beaten throughout his body and sustained incised cut to his head and bruises to hands and legs.  As a result, he was taken to hospital.

PCHR condemns with the strongest terms the assault on Abu Seif and his friend, calling upon the Attorney General to open a serious investigation into the incident, reveal the perpetrators and bring them to justice.  PCHR emphasizes the role of the law enforcement services in protecting civilians and take all measures to end sliding towards a state of security chaos that would threaten civil peace and warn of serious developments affecting civilians and their public freedoms.