Field Update

On Monday, 24 June 2013, Mohammed Mahdi
(20) and Anas Tamous (4) were killed due to use of firearms in a dispute that
broke out between the families of Mahdi and Qatou’a in al-Shati’ refugee camp in
the western side of Gaza City.  This
incident is part of the phenomenon of the misuse of weapons and violations of
the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

According to investigations conducted by
the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 15:00 on
Monday, 24 June 2013, gunmen fired at a 3-storey house belonging to the family
of Ahmed Mahdi near Shati’ market in the western side of Gaza City.  As a result, Mohammed Ziad Mahdi, from
al-Sheikh Rodwan neighborhood in the city, 
was killed by two bullets to the abdomen and shoulder as he was visiting
his relatives in Shati’ refugee camp.  Anas
Mohammed Tamous, from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, sustained gunshot
wounds to the chest as he was with his mother in a visit to her family in a
nearby house in the camp.  Mahdi and
Tamous were immediately transferred to Shifa hospital where at approximately
18:00, medical sources declared the death of Tamous after sustaining wounds.

It should be mentioned that at
approximately 14:30, a dispute had erupted between members of Mahdi family and
others when both sides were in al-Ghoul Gas Station in the camp.

Ayoub Abu Sha’er, spokesman of the
Palestinian police in Gaza, said that the police immediately arrived at the
scene, opened an investigation into the incident and arrested a number of
suspects.

PCHR condemns this incident which is part
of the phenomenon of the misuse of weapons and violations of the rule of law in
the oPt, and calls upon the Attorney General to seriously investigate it and
bring the perpetrator before justice.