Ref: 87/2021

Date: 17 June 2021

Time: 12:30 GMT

Yesterday afternoon, 47-year-old (M. Q.) was killed in a family dispute over inheritance that developed into physical assault that led to death.  The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this crime and calls for holding the perpetrator accountable according to the law.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 21:30 on Wednesday, 16 June 2021, (M. Q.) from al-Sabrah neighborhood in Gaza City, arrived dead at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.  The Forensic Department said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the cause of death was by blunt trauma to the head with a solid object, causing a skull fracture that killed her immediately.

According to the Palestinian police spokesperson, Ayman al-Batniji, the victim’s family gathered to divide the inheritance, but a dispute broke out between them that developed violently and included the use of solid and sharp tools.  As a result, M. Q. was killed. The police arrived at the scene and opened an investigation into the incident. 

Accordingly, the number of women and girls killed in 2021 under various pretexts has risen to 6 women; one in the West Bank and 5 in the Gaza Strip.

PCHR expresses its deep concern over the growing number of murders against women and continued perpetration of such crimes which threatens the social fabric of the Palestinian society, where disintegration and insecurity prevails.   There are many forms of femicides under different pretexts and names that require concerted and united action by all to combat such murders, particularly killing over heritance disputes, which is of great concern to the Palestinian society and needs combined social efforts to address it.

In line with Palestine’s accession to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, PCHR reminds the PA of its obligation to provide protection for women and abide by all international conventions to which it has save acceded, i.e. obliges the PA to take all measures to protect women, including disposal of motives and background in murder crimes against women, and to enact deterrent legislations to limit the spread of this phenomenon.

PCHR strongly condemns this crime; and

• Calls upon Public Prosecution to exert more efforts to prosecute the perpetrators of femicides and take all legal proceedings against them without using any excuses to commute the sentences.
• Calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary measures to put an end to these murders, adopt Domestic Violence Protection Bill into law and to harmonize domestic laws with international conventions; and
• Calls upon the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its obligations under CEDAW and ensure all legislations and laws are consistent with the principle of justice and non-discrimination.