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19 December 2006: Six Persons Killed, 26 Others Wounded and Mutual Kidnappings
PCHR strongly condemns the serious escalation in violence
between Hamas and Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip, which have killed 6 persons
and have wounded 26 others in the past 24 hours. In addition, 11 persons have
been kidnapped.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR:
On Tuesday afternoon, 19 December 2006, the bodies of
Mohammed al-Harazin and Mohammed Kassab of the Palestinian General Intelligence
were brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The two victims were shot dead, but the circumstances of their killing have not
been clear.
Earlier, at approximately 12:00, the bodyguards of the
spokesman of Ministry of Interior, Khaled Abu Hilal, opened fire at a supply
vehicle belonging to the Palestinian Military Intelligence that passed near Abu
Hilal’s house in al-Jalaa’ Street in the center of Gaza City. As a result, two
members of the Military Intelligence were killed: Shadi Mohammed Dhaher, 25;
and ‘Omar Nader al-Wehaidi, 22. Additionally, 7 bystanders, including two
school children, were wounded. According to sources of the Executive Force of
the Ministry of Interior, Abu Hilal’s house had been fired at earlier.
At approximately 06:00, an exchange of fire erupted between
a number of members of the General Intelligence, who brought one of their
wounded colleagues to Shifa
Hospital, and members of
the Executive Force guarding the hospital. Isma’il Abu al-Khair, 23, a member
of the Executive Force, was killed, and 8 others (5 members of the Executive
Force and 3 members of the General Intelligence) were wounded. Additionally,
Kayed al-Zant, a member of the Executive Force, was kidnapped by members of the
General Intelligence. Later, the Executive Force responded by kidnapping Ret.
Colonel Hammouda Mahmoud al-Saqqa of the General Intelligence from his flat in
Shifa apartment building in Gaza City.
On Monday, 18 December 2006, the northern Gaza Strip
witnessed regrettable incidents. At approximately 12:30, an armed group
kidnapped Yasser Zaqqout, 30, an officer of the Palestinian National Security
Forces, when he was near his house in the center of Jabalya refugee camp. Half
an hour later, another armed group kidnapped Yasser Abu al-‘Eish, 25, an
officer of the National Security Forces, when he was on his way back home in
the east of Jabalya refugee camp.
At approximately 15:30, an armed group intercepted Isma’il
Mohammed Haniya, 27, and one of his friends, when they were traveling in a car
in al-Nafaq Street in the east of Gaza
City. Members of the
group fired at Haniya, wounding him with several live bullets to the feet.
At approximately 17:00, a number of gunmen stormed a
commercial establishment in Jabalya refugee camp belonging to Rabah al-Madhoun,
the brother of Sameeh al-Madhoun, a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an
armed wing of Fatah movement), and kidnapped 3 workers from the al-Madhoun
clan. Later, a number of gunmen stormed a shop in the camp belonging to ‘Emad
Deeb, 44, a leader of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of
Hamas), and kidnapped him.
At the same time, a number of gunmen raided the office of al-Amal
and al-Hayat (Hope and Life) Association in Jabalya refugee camp. They
opened fire at all those who were in the office. As a result, Ahmed Tawfiq
Ziada, 21, a member of Fatah movement, was killed, and 10 others were wounded.
At approximately 19:20, 4 unknown gunmen kidnapped Ashraf
Kamal Mansour, 21, from the central market in Nusairat refugee camp in the
central Gaza Strip. The kidnappers violently beat him. They released him
approximately an hour later. He was evacuated to the hospital as he sustained
bruises throughout the body.
At approximately 21:00, an armed group kidnapped Sufian Abu
Zaida, former Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs and a leader of Fatah movement,
while he was traveling in his car near al-Fallouja intersection in Jabalya
refugee camp. The kidnappers released Abu Zaida at approximately 22:00.
For 20 December 2006: In Spite of
the Declaration of the Withdrawal of Gunmen from the Streets to End Tension
between Fatah and Hamas Movements, 3 Persons Killed 9 Others Wounded
According to investigations
conducted by PCHR:
At approximately 01:30 on Wednesday,
20 December 2006, unknown gunmen fired live bullets and RBJ projectiles at a
site of the Palestinian Riot Control Police near al-Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza
City.
Six members of the site were wounded:
1)
Ibrahim Suleiman Abu Ras, 23;
2)
‘Emad ‘Abdul Karim Dahlis, 23;
3)
Murad Yousef Dahlis, 23;
4)
Mohammed Isma’il al-Zahri, 30;
5)
Shihda ‘Ouda Hijazi, 23; and
6)
Hinni ‘Abdul ‘Aal, 27.
Earlier, at approximately 00:15, an
exchange of fire erupted between members of Fatah movement and those of the
Executive Force of the Ministry of Interior, who were on their way to arrest a
member of Fatah movement accused of firing at a leader of the ‘Izziddin
al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in al-Sabra neighborhood in the east
of Gaza City. The exchange of fire continued for nearly an hour, during which
two persons were killed: Mahmoud Mansour Dughmosh, 25; and Ashraf Dughmosh, 25.
Additionally, two other persons were wounded by shrapnel throughout their
bodies: Mo’in Kamel Shuhaiber, 27; and Ashraf Rafiq al-Ghefari, 24.
At approximately 16:00 on Tuesday,
19 December 2006, a
member of the Executive Force, Ameen ‘Abboud, died from a wound he had
sustained in the morning during an exchange of fire between members of the
Executive Force and the General Intelligence near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Members of the Executive Force had transferred ‘Abboud from Shifa
Hospital
to a private clinic.
At approximately 16:30 on Tuesday,
an armed group kidnapped Eyad al-Madhoun, a member of the General Intelligence,
when he was near his house in al-Twam area in the northern Gaza Strip.
At approximately 19:30 also on
Tuesday, 4 gunmen pursued Judge ‘Azzam Mohammed Hawash, 35, into a shop in the
Northern Mount neighborhood in Nablus.
They ordered him to get into their car, but he refused. Immediately, they fired
at him, wounding him seriously with several live bullets to the left leg.
At approximately 23:30 also on
Tuesday, a number of gunmen launched a mortar projectile at the headquarters of
the General Intelligence in al-Mashtal area, northwest of Gaza
City.
No casualties were reported.
PCHR is gravely concerned for the
increasing number of casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons by armed
groups and security personnel, which is part of the state of security chaos and
misuse of weapons. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority,
represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate such attacks and to bring
the perpetrators to justice.
PCHR strongly condemns these bloody clashes, and:
1.
Stresses that these incidents are part of the state of security chaos and
misuse of weapons prevailing in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory
in light of the failure of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to take effective
legal steps to stop it.
2.
Calls upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to effectively
investigate these attacks and bring their perpetrators to justice.
3.
Calls upon all parties to resort to dialogue, to avoid the use of violence and
weapons in internal differences and to ensure the safety and security of civilians.
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