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Ref: 38/2005

Date: 22 February 2005

Time: 12:00 GMT   

PCHR Remains Concerned for Continuous Misuse of Weapons: 3 Palestinians Killed in Less Than 24 Hours 

PCHR is deeply concerned by the deaths of 3 Palestinians in less than 24 hours in 3 separate incidents, resulting from the misuse of weapons in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).  PCHR reiterates its call for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to take necessary measures to end this phenomenon which threatens the safety and security of Palestinian civilians.  

According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 03:15 on Tuesday, 22 February 2005, a number of unknown armed persons dumped the body of Deeb Mohammed Hamattu, 28, from Gaza City, near the crossroads of the general security service at al-Nasser Street in Gaza City, after having shot him dead to the head.  The victim was a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence and was kidnapped and killed by a number of armed persons who traveled in a civilian car, White Subaru.  A few hours later, a number of Palestinian civilians burnt tires and closed al-Jalaa’ Street near the victim’s house with sand barriers, disrupting traffic.  The Palestinian police is investigating this incident. 

At approximately 06:00 on Monday, 21 February 2005, a family dispute took place in Aslan area in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia between the families of Tamboura and Rayan.  A number of members of the two families used firearms.  As a result, Farida Salim Abu Rayan, 50, was killed by a live bullet in the chest, when she was standing near her house.  The Palestinian police intervened and arrested a number of members of the two families.  PCHR’s field worker in the northern Gaza Strip reported that the dispute erupted following a quarrel between a number of young men from the two families in a mosque after a number of supporters of a partisan entity cut leaflets issued by another partisan entity. 

In the West Bank, ‘Omar Zuhair Mahmoud Saleh, 32, from ‘Ejja village near Jenin, was killed when a person fired in the air celebrating the release of a Palestinian prisoner from Israeli jails.  According to preliminary investigation conducted by PCHR, at approximately 13:40 on Monday, 21 February 2005, Eyad Mahmoud Tawfiq, 30, arrived at his house in the aforementioned village after he had been released from Israeli jails.  Immediately, his brother-in-law, 28-year-old Haibat Shawqi Mahmoud Taha, fired in the air from his M16 riffle celebrating his release.  When he put back the riffle on his shoulder, a number of live bullets got out of the riffle and hit 4 Palestinian civilians.  One of these civilians, Salah, was killed by a live bullet in the abdomen, and the other three civilians were injured:

1.      ‘Attaf Murshed Mahmoud, 27, injured by a live bullet in the thigh;

2.      Maher Rafe’ Saleh, 30, injured by a live bullet in the right leg; and

3.      Tariq Bassam ‘Abdullah, 5, injured by a live bullet in the left foot. 

According to eyewitnesses, the victim was only one meter and a half from the gunman. 

PCHR strongly condemns these crimes and reiterates its call for the PNA to immediately act to confront the misuse of weapons in the OPT, which threatens the safety and security of Palestinian civilians.   

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: [email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org