Ref: 02/2015
Date: 10 January 2015
Time: 12:00 GMT

At approximately 19:00 on Friday, 09 January 2015, unknown persons detonated an explosive device near the Bank of Palestine’s ATM on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in the center of Gaza City. The explosion resulted in damaging the ATM, the observation room and the bank’s glass, but no casualties were reported.

Major Ayman al-Batniji, Spokesman of the Palestinian Police, stated that unknown persons planted a medium-sized explosive device and detonated it by remote control in front of the Bank’s gate (a branch office in the center of Gaza City). He added that the police headed to the scene and initiated an investigation.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest possible terms the explosion and calls upon the Attorney General and security services to investigate such attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice. Moreover, PCHR warns of the risks of the state of security chaos that started to prevail in the past months, including attacks against houses of Fatah leaders and the French Cultural Center in Gaza.

PCHR reiterates condemning the attack and calls upon the Attorney General and security services to initiate an impartial and transparent investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.