Field Update

On Saturday afternoon, 21 September 2013,
a young man was killed by 2 bullets that were accidentally unleashed from a gun
which was mishandled by his friend in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit
Lahia. This incident is part of the
phenomenon of misuse of weapons and breaches of the rule of law prevailing in
the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

According to investigations conducted by
the Palestinian Center for Human Right (PCHR), at approximately 15:30 on
Saturday, 21 September 2013, Saleem Ahmed Rajab (al-Kilani), 21, was admitted
into the intensive care unit at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, as he was
seriously injured by 2 bullets that were accidentally unleashed from a gun, as
his friend, who is a member of a Palestinian armed group, mishandled it, when both
were in the latter’s house.  Medical
efforts to save Rajab’s life failed. 

The Palestinian police arrived at the
scene of the incident and opened an investigation.  According to police sources, the owner of the
gun was arrested, and there are no criminal suspicions concerning the incident
as the two parties are friends. 

PCHR condemns Rajab’s death due to the
misuse of weapons, which is part of the phenomenon of misuse of weapons and
breaches of the rule of law prevailing in the oPt.  PCHR calls upon the Attorney General’s office
in Gaza to seriously investigate it.