Ref: 98/2019

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the explosions targeting two traffic police checkpoints in Gaza City yesterday evening, killing three members of the traffic police and injuring 9 civilians including a woman. PCHR demands that the Gaza Strip Attorney General investigate the crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.

According to PCHR investigations, two violent explosions occurred on Tuesday evening, 27 August 2019, at two separate traffic police checkpoints in Gaza city. The first occurred at 22:45 at al-Dahdouh Square, southern part of the city, and resulted in the killing of two police officers and the injury of three civilians including a woman. The second explosion occurred at 23:45 at a checkpoint along the Gaza sea corniche where one police officer was killed and 6 civilians sustained injuries.

The Palestinian Ministry of Interior Affairs announced on its website that the three killed traffic and rescue police officers were: Lieutenant Salama Majed al-Nadeem (32); Lieutenant Wael Moussa Mohammed Khalifa (45); and police assistant Alaa’ Ziad al-Gharably (32).  Additionally, three others were injured. The Ministry’s statement also assured that “security services have leads on those behind this obscene crime,” they also asserted that they are investigating the incident and will announce the results in due time.

PCHR strongly condemns these crimes and appreciates the need for effective measures to reinforce security and avoid sliding into violence and security chaos; nonetheless, PCHR demands that the Attorney General and security services adhere to the rule of law in all of its reactionary measures. PCHR also reiterates the importance of balancing between security and stability on the one hand and the respect for human rights and public freedoms on the other, even in the most complex situations.