Ref: 81/2012
Date: 29 July 2012
Time: 12:00 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the killing of Hassan al-Hawwani, from al-Maghazi refugee camp, this morning by an armed group affiliated to a Palestinian faction, and the killing of Mousa Harara in a separate incident last Thursday in Gaza City. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian government in Gaza to open serious investigations into these incidents and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately12:30 on Sunday, 29 July 2012, Mohammed Majdi al-Hawwani and his brother Hassan (19) were walking on a street that links al-Msadder village and al-Maghazi refugee camp. As they approached their house, they were stopped by 6 veiled gunmen with signs on their heads indicating their political faction. The gunmen asked Mohammed and Hassan to back away and take another route. Mohammed stated to a PCHR fieldworker that:

My brother Hassan argued with the gunmen because they prevented us from passing. One of the members of the group beat my brother with a gun butt and they fired several bullets at him. I tried to push them away, but they pushed me and I fell onto the ground. I saw my brother bleeding from his head … I headed to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where my brother was transferred for medical treatment. There, the doctors told me that he was referred to the the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as his wounds were serious. He died before his arrival at the Shifa Hospital. Later today, someone from the Palestinian police arrived at my house, took my testimony and headed to the scene of the incident to investigate.

The spokesman of the Palestinian police stated to PCHR that the police had opened investigations into the incident and arrested a number of members of the armed group.

In a separate incident that took place at around 20:00 on Thursday, 26 July 2012, Mousa Mohyi Addin Harara (34) was killed, and another 6 Palestinians were wounded, when a man threw a hand grenade at a group of individuals during a family dispute in al-Shujaiya neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City. The police arrived at the scene of the incident and arrested a number of individuals.

PCHR is extremely concerned about the casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons in Gaza, and notes that these incidents are part of the state of security chaos and attacks on the rule of law that currently exists in the occupied Palestinian territory. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian government to open investigations into these reported incidents, bring the perpetrators to justice and take all necessary steps to ensure that these types of incidents do not occur again.