February 22, 2023
PCHR Condemns Bloody Events in Jayyous Village
PCHR Condemns Bloody Events in Jayyous Village

Ref: 20/2023

Date: 22 February 2023

Time: 12:42 GMT 

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) expresses its concern over the bloody events in Jayyous, Qalqilya, yesterday evening, that resulted in the killing of three Palestinians and injury of two others in a fight involving gunfire. PCHR calls upon the Public Prosecution to open a serious investigation into these events, announce its results to the public and take legal action.

According to the field follow-up, the events broke out on Tuesday evening, 21 February 2023, when someone shot Yazan Ma’n Saleem (30) in the head and chest in an altercation in central Jayyous village, killing him immediately. Moments later, young men gathered in front of the house of the suspect’s relative in the village to protest against Saleem’s killing. Meanwhile, gunfire was opened at the protesters, injuring four of them.  All those injured were taken to Darwish Nazzal Hospital, where two of them were pronounced dead and identified as Laith Naser Khaled (24), who was shot in the femoral artery in the thigh, and Aws Mithqal Shamasneh (28), who was shot with a live bullet in the back. The two others injured were identified as Murad Nofal (17), who was shot in the leg, and Marwan I’ttemad Nofal (24), who was shot in the foot. As soon as the deaths were announced, persons opened fire at a house, a pharmacy, and a vehicle belonging to the families of the suspects in the village shooting at the protesters.

The police spokesperson, Colonel Luay Irzeiqat, announced that the security forces directly headed to the village, imposed security, and pursued the suspects.

PCHR expresses its concern over that the ongoing incidents of weapon proliferation jeopardize the right to life, the rule of law, and the Palestinian civil peace. Thereby, PCHR calls upon the Palestinian authorities to take serious and immediate steps to curb the state of weapon proliferation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and impose the rule of law to protect civil peace especially with the recent increase of murders.