Internal fighting continues to spread and escalate throughout the OPT. Over the past 24 hours, seven people were killed, one by mistake, and 26 others were injured, including two inside their homes. More than 14 people were kidnapped as well. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 12:50 on Monday, 29 january 2007, Mustafa Talal Kardash 921) was killed by a bullet to the chest while he was near his house in Tal El-Hawa Quarter in Gaza City. The area is the scene of continuous clashes between members of the Preventive Security Apparatus and Executive Force. Read more about Seven killed, 14 kidnapped in continued armed clashes
Four people were killed, including a child, and six others injured in the continued fighting between Fatah and Hamas supporters in Gaza and Jabalia. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 28 November 2007, armed clashes resumed between members of the Preventive Security Apparatus and the Interior Ministry Executive Force. The clashes continued for nearly an hour and resulted in the injury of Abed Rabbo El-Khalidi (a 55-year-old policeman from Sheikh Radwan Quarter in Gaza City). He was on his way to work when he was injured. It is noted that clashed erupted between both sides last evening, but no injuries were reported. Read more about Four More Killed in Clashes between Armed Groups and Security Forces
PCHR strongly condemns internal fighting between Hamas and Fatah movements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), especially the Gaza Strip, which has killed 19 persons, including 8 civilian bystanders, and wounded at least 70 others. PCHR calls upon the leaders of the two movements and all other nationalist and Islamic factions to make sincere efforts to contain and stop such regrettable and shameful fighting, go back to dialogue and put higher national interests of the Palestinian people above all narrow partisan interests and political conflict over authority. Read more about Are We Proud of This?!
On Tuesday evening, 23 January 2007, S’oud ‘Ouda al-Qadhi, 33, from Rafah, was killed by unknown gunmen. According to initial information available to PCHR, al-Qadhi was killed because of a financial conflict among members of his clan. Meanwhile, in the evening of Tuesday, 23 January 2007, an armed group affiliated with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, released the French vice-consul and his two guards in Nablus. The trio was detained in Nablus for hours as they were suspected of being undercover Israeli army operatives. Read more about One killed, three kidnapped in Gaza and West Bank lawlessness
PCHR calls upon the PNA and the Attorney-General to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Hisham Hammad, who was detained by the Executive Force in Rafah. The Centre calls for publicizing the research of the findings. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 05:30 on Wednesday, 24 January 2007, the body of Hisham Kamel Hammad, a 58-year-old resident of Rafah, arrived at Mohammad Yousef El-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. The body was brought to the hospital by an ambulance from the Executive Force compound in Airport Street, near the Palestinian Security Forces Complex. Read more about Prisoner Detained by the Executive Force Dies in Suspect Circumstances
In the past two days, the Gaza Strip has witnessed a serious escalation in the misuse of weapons, which is part of the sate of the state of lawlessness and misuse of weapons prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. A woman was killed; four other persons, including a woman, were wounded; and an explosive device was detonated inside a tourist resort. Furthermore, on Monday afternoon, a woman was killed in al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. She was hit by live bullets fired by mistake during an interfamily quarrel. Read more about Misuse of weapons kills two women, injures four in Gaza Strip
PCHR strongly condemns the attack on the office of the Al-Arabia satellite news channel on Monday evening as unknown persons detonated an explosive device at the door of the office, causing severe damage. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 21:20 on Monday, 22 January 2007, unknown persons detonated an explosive device in front of the office of the Al-Arabia satellite news channel on the 12th floor of the Al-Shorouq tower building in Al-Remal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City. The explosion caused severe damage to the office and the door of a neighboring office of Reuters news agency. Read more about Attack on Al-Arabia Satellite News Channel Condemned
PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 20 January 2007, Ashraf Matar (22) was injured by a bullet in the head during weapons training in a camp for Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions to the southwest of Gaza City. He was taken to Shifa hospital for treatment, where his injury was listed as serious. At approximately 11:30 on Friday, 19 January 2007, Salim Sobhi Ibrahim Abu El-Kheir, a 51-year old resident of El-Amal Quarter in Khan Yunis, was killed by bullets to the head and chest. Unknown gunmen traveling in a car fired at the victim as he was heading to the mosque in his neighborhood. Read more about Two Killed and Five Injured in Gaza Weapons Mishandling
On 14 January 2007, IOF killed two members of the Palestinian resistance in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF fired at them when they were 20 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. In the West Bank, on 16 January 2007, a Palestinian detainee died in the Negev Prison inside Israel due to medical negligence. During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a woman and her daughter. Read more about Weekly Report of Human Rights Violations
On Tuesday, 16 January 2007, Jamal Hasan ‘Abdullah al-Sarahin, 37, from Beit Oula village north of Hebron, a father of a child, died in the Negev Prison (Ansar 3) inside Israel. PCHR is concerned that he might have died as a result medical negligence and delay in offering him medical treatment. Al-Sarahin was suffering from a blood disease. His health condition deteriorated approximately a week ago, but the administration of the prison procrastinated his transfer to the hospital. On Tuesday morning, his health condition further deteriorated. Read more about Palestinian Detainee Dies in Israeli Prison