Ref: 33/2019

Yesterday afternoon, 08 March 2019, Unknown gunmen opened fire on a car belonging to the Member of Fatah Central Committee and the Commissioner-General for Mobilization and Organization in Fatah in the Gaza Strip, Ahmed Hilles (Abu Maher), in al-Zawaidah area in the central Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) Condemns this crime and stresses the importance of intensifying efforts to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 17:30 on Friday, 08 March 2019, unknown persons opened fire at the vehicle of Hilles while returning to Gaza from a scout graduation ceremony for girls and boys at Mohammed al-Durrah Stadium in Deir al-Balah. Before reaching the main Salah Addeen Road, a group traveling in a car with no plates on it opened fire at his jeep, but none was injured.

The Interior Ministry published on its website a statement for the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Iyad al-Buzzon, saying that: “The security services are following up the shooting attack on the car of Fatah leader Ahmed Hilles in Deir al-Balah area in the central Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon. According to the initial investigations, the car front was hit with one bullet but no injuries were reported. An investigation was opened into the incident to identify and prosecute the perpetrators.”

PCHR hereby condemns this incident, which is part of the state of proliferation of weapons and assault on the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).  PCHR also calls upon the Attorney General to open a serious investigation into the incident, prosecute the perpetrators and bring them to justice.