Ref: 21/2014
Date: 27 February 2014
Date: 11:30 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the attack carried out on the Latin Church in Gaza City yesterday. Unknown persons detonated a bomb in the church yard and wrote abusive slogans. PCHR calls upon the public prosecution to open a serious investigation into this crime, which is very shameful, and prosecute the perpetrators, who do not represent Palestinian traditions and customs, to bring them before justice.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:30 on Wednesday, 26 February 2014, a huge explosion was heard in the yard of the Latin Church and Latin Patriarchate School in al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The Palestinian police immediately arrived at the scene and opened an investigation to find out the circumstances of the incident. It was found out that the explosion resulted from a homemade bomb planted by unknown persons under the church bus setting fire to one of its wheels. The police also found an abusive slogan written on the church wall.

PCHR strongly condemns and denounces this crime and:

1. Calls upon the Public Prosecution to open a serious investigation into this crime and prosecute the perpetrators to bring them before justice; and
2. Calls upon the civil society organizations and National Action Factions as well as all Palestinian sectors to condemn this crime and refuse it.