In the early morning hours of Saturday (20 October 2007), clashes resumed between the Palestinian Police and members of Hilles clan in Sheja’eya Quarter in the eastern part of Gaza City. The clashes came after 2 days of relative calm. The new round of clashes resulted in the death of 3 persons and injury of 18 others; raising the total since the start of these clashes to 7 killed and 42 injured.
The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that clashes erupted between both sides in the early morning hours of yesterday in Baghdad Street. Gunmen deployed in the streets, took positions on rooftops, and closed streets with earth barriers. Both sides used machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). An RPG fell in Sobhi Abu Karsh Elementary School, causing material damages and panic among children. The clashes continued till approximately 1:00 on Sunday and resulted in the death of 2 people; one of them a child. Thirteen others were injured, including 2 policemen. The people killed are:
- Mohammad Salama Hilles (25), killed by an RPG shrapnel to the head, legs and body.
- Mohammad Fu’ad El-Susi (15), killed by a bullet to the head.
El-Susi’s brother, Osama (19), informed PCHR that his brother was standing at the corner of the street leading to their house, about 500 meters from the clash area. Osama was standing about 100 meters away from his brother. He stated that the clashes were sporadic; and that they were surprised by gunfire. His brother was hit by a bullet in the head and fell on the ground. Osama was injured by 2 bullets in the legs.
In a related incident, a child was killed and 3 others injured by the Police in Sheja’eya Quarter yesterday evening. The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that at about 16:00 on Saturday (20 October 2007), a group of youth in Mansour Street in Sheja’eya attacked a policeman and beat him. A police force arrived and fired indiscriminately, killing Khaled Salman Hamdan (8) by a bullet to the chest as he was walking with his mother to a wedding in the area. Three others were injured, including one child who was critically injured.
It is noted that tension persists in Sheja’eya Quarter with gunmen deployed in the streets and on roof tops. The police continue to surround the quarter despite the announcement yesterday of an agreement between both sides to end the clashes.
In Rafah, clashes broke out at about 2:00 on Saturday between gunmen from Islamic Jihad and others from Hamas in various parts of the city. Machine guns and RPG’s were used in the clashes; gunmen took to the roof tops; and both sides exchanged kidnappings. The clashes continued till the early morning hours of Sunday (21 October). Heyam Ahmad Saqer, a 51-year old woman, was killed by a bullet in the back. Fifteen people, including 3 policemen and 2 children, were injured. Most of the injuries were listed as moderate. Mohammad Khalil Saqer (22), the son of the woman killed, informed PCHR that his mother was killed in front of their house in Shaboura refugee camp when members of Islamic Jihad attempted to kidnap one of their neighbors who was a Hamas activist. Armed Hamas members intervened to prevent the kidnapping and fired indiscriminately in the area. Saqer did not specify the source of fire that killed his mother.
In continuation of the Rafah clashes, members of Islamic Jihad shot this morning the policeman Mohammad Eleyan Barhoum (19) and hit him with several bullets in the legs. In addition, they injured 2 passers in the area:
- Khaled Mohammad Dahliz (45), injured by shrapnel in the right shoulder.
- Hala Suliman Ayesh (31), injured by a bullet in the foot.
The clashes in Rafah came on the backdrop of a police attempt to detain an Islamic Jihad activist, Abd El-Fattah El-Afifi, charged with a “hit and run” of a policeman at the entrance of Tal El-Sultan area on Friday morning.
In light of these developments, PCHR:
- Calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to seriously investigate these clashes, to publicly announce the results of the findings, and to prosecute the perpetrators.
- Affirms the need to respect the law regarding use of firearms by law-enforcement personnel in line with international standards, and in a manner that guarantees respect of human rights.
Public Document
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For more information please call PCHR office in
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
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