Ref: 154/2005
Date: 05 December 2005
Time: 10:00 GMT
PCHR strongly condemns the bloody clashes that have taken place in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip in the last three days, which have killed 5 citizens and injured 29 others, including 9 children. PCHR considers these clashes as part of a serious escalation of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which undermine the rule of law.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 1 December 2005, Shaher Jameel al-Masri, 25, from Beit Hanoun, was killed while he was closing his shop. This incident followed a quarrel between the families of al-Kafrana and al-Masri, who live in the town. In the aftermath of this attack, an intensive exchange of fire erupted between the two neighboring families. It continued until the early morning of the following day. Nine citizens, including a number of bystanders, were injured.
In a later development, armed clashes erupted between members of the two families following the funeral procession of the aforementioned victim on Saturday, 3 December 2005, at midday. Three citizens were killed by gunshots:
1. Salah Mohammed al-Masri, 47;
2. 'Essam As'ad Hwaihi, 27, a policeman, who was hit by a live bullet to the back when he was in the guardroom inside near a police station in the town; and
3. Hussein Hassan al-Masri, 35.
Later, a number of armed members of the al-Masri family attacked a house belonging to 'Abdul Salam Mustafa al-Kafarna, 50, and shot him dead. As the situation continued to deteriorate, the Palestinian police and security forces intervened in order to restore public order and stability. However, the exchange of fire between the two families continued during the night. On Sunday morning, 4 December 2005, the two families exchanged fire, but no more casualties were reported.
PCHR strongly condemns the use of weapons in resolving family quarrels and calls for the utilization of dialogue and the law in order to resolve disputes:
1. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to assume it responsibilities to restore public order and ensure security for citizens.
2. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Attorney General to investigate these incidents and bring those found responsible to justice.
3. PCHR strongly condemns all actions which terrorize innocent citizens, and calls upon the PNA to ensure the non-recurrence of such incidents through the enforcement of the rule of law.
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