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The Electronic Intifada
29 Palestinians Killed and more than 200 Injured in
Renewed Internal Clashes
PCHR strongly condemns the bloody events over the past
three days, the worst of their kind. These tragic events
left 29 dead, including 7 civilians (incl. 3 women and 3
children), and more than 200 injured, half of them
innocent civilians. The Centre welcomes reaching another
ceasefire between Hamas and Fatah under Egyptian
sponsorship Saturday evening. However, there is concern
over the continued state of tension, military
deployment, sporadic gunfire, and roadblocks in Gaza
City.
Since the afternoon of Thursday, 1 February 2007, armed
clashes resumed between Fatah and Hamas militias and
security forces split in allegiance to both parties.
Thousands of gunmen and security personnel armed with
machine guns and other weaponry seen for the first time
in Gaza deployed in streets, intersections, and on roof
tops. Both sides exchanged armed clashes, sniping, and
shelling. This serious escalation included various
flagrant violations of human rights and international
law by gunmen and security officers from both sides.
PCHR's preliminary investigation in tens of incidents
show disregard for civilian lives by the conflicting
parties, including the use of civilian installations,
especially residential buildings, in fighting
operations. Gunmen from both sides took up positions on
the roofs of high residential buildings and at their
entrances. In addition, they erected barricades in
densely populated areas. These military positions were
used in armed clashes, which increased the threat to
civilian lives. In addition, the escalation included
mutual attacks on civilian institutions including
universities and media organizations. A state of fear
overtook civilians, who did not go out of their houses.
In addition, transportation vehicles did not function,
with a state of near curfew in Gaza City specifically
and throughout the Gaza Strip.
PCHR condemns the bloody clashes, and calls for the
immediate cessation of hostilities, respecting the
ceasefire agreements, and resorting to dialogue. The
Centre stresses the fact that even at times of conflict
such as these clashes the opposing parties do not have a
free reign in their actions. They have a key
responsibility to ensure the safety of civilian lives,
and protecting them from harm.
Clashes between both sides renewed since the afternoon
of Thursday, 1 February 2007, after armed members of
Hamas and the Executive Force intercepted a convoy of
trucks for the Presidential Guard moving from the south
to the north of the Gaza Strip. Hamas and Executive
Force members commandeered two trucks, and confiscated
them claiming they carry weapons. The Egyptian Security
Delegation and Presidential Guard denied the
allegations. Fierce clashes erupted in this incident
between both sides, resulting in the death of 4 members
of the Presidential Guard and National Security Forces:
Ibrahim Mohammad Khattab (50) from Beit Hanoun;
Murad Ibrahim El-Talla' (24) from Nuseirat;
Hazem Jamil El-Harazin (23) from Gaza City; and
Arafat El-Mushallah (24) from Gaza City
Thirty-four others were injured, including 14 civilians
(among them 7 children). One of the injured was
seriously injured in the abdomen, and died of her wounds
the next day. The woman killed is Maha Ahmad Abu
Shammala (41) from El-Bureij refugee camp.
As a result, the ceasefire drafted under Egyptian
sponsorship on 30 January 2007 collapsed. Fierce clashes
erupted in different areas of the Gaza Strip, mainly in
the governorates of Gaza and the North. The most notable
events were:
At approximately 15:30 on Thursday, members of the
Executive Force and Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions
attacked a compound for Military Intelligence near Tal
El-Za'tar Quarter east of Jabalia refugee camp.
Twenty-one members of Military Intelligence were
injured. The attackers seized the compound and burned
it. Two hours later, one of the injured died of his
wounds. The identity of the killed is Osama Tareq
El-Shamali (24) from Beit Lahia.
At approximately 17:00 fierce clashes broke out between
members of the National Security Forces and the
Executive Force near Abbas Police Station inOmar Mukhtar
Street in Gaza City. The clashes spread to the
Governmental Complex in Tal El-Hawa Quarter and the
vicinity of the Islamic University. Gunmen from both
sides took up positions on the roofs of the Governmental
Complex, the University, and residential buildings. They
clashed using light arms and shells. Two members of the
Presidential Guard were killed:
Mohammad Ibrahim El-Deiri (22) from Gaza; and
Mousa El-Sawalhi (25)
Civilian houses in the area came under fire. This
included the house of Hanan El-Jerjawi (48). She was
taken to Shifa Hospital, where she died of a heart
attack. Other civilians were injured, many of them
seriously. There were 7 children among the injured. Two
of the children died of their wounds the next day:
Walid Nahed Habboush (7); and
Mahmoud Maher El-Dahdouh (16).
At approximately 22:00, fierce clashes erupted between
both sides near a Presidential Guard compound west of
Gaza. Nine civilians were injured. One of the injured
was a child who died of his wounds in Shifa Hospital.
The child's identity is Mohammad Anan Baker (17). He was
injured by several bullets in the lower body.
At approximately 23:30, the Presidential Guard stormed
the Islamic University, and exchanged gunfire and shells
with the opposing party. Fire broke out in the
laboratories building in the northwest part of the
university.
At approximately 2:30 on Friday, 2 February 2007, the
Executive Force and Izzedeen El-Qassam Brigades
conducted a series of raids on a number of security
forces compounds in the north of the Gaza Strip. The
fiercest of the attacks came against during the siege of
the General Intelligence compound, near the Police
Station in the center of Jabalia refugee camp. Fierce
clashes continued till 4:00, and ended when the
Executive Force took the General Intelligence compound
and Police station. The clashes resulted in the death of
Colonel Abdel Qadir S'leem (55 from Gaza), the commander
of the compound. Security sources stated that he was
executed after surrendering to the Executive Force. Two
members of the Executive Force were killed:
Mohammad Abdel Hai El-Ajrami (24) from Jabalia who
was killed by bullets throughout the body; and
Tariq Mustafa Abdel Aziz (34) from Beit Lahia. His
body was dismembered by a shell.
Simultaneously, the Executive Force and Izzedeen
El-Qassam Brigades attacked the Preventive Security
Apparatus compound in Beit Lahia. Clashed continued till
8:00 in the morning, and ended with the attackers
controlling the compound. A Preventive Security
operative was killed by a bullet in the head. His
identity is Medhat Abdel Qadir Thaher (21) from Beit
Lahia. Other defenders were injured, some of them
seriously.
Clashes in the vicinity of the house of Samih El-Madoun,
a Fatah activist, in the Beit Lahia Project Street
continued till 9:30 in the morning. A young woman, Rana
Zeyad Theyab (25), living in the area was killed by a
bullet to the head.
At approximately 6:00, Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions
gunmen stormed the Palestine Labor Union offices in
Saftawi Street, west of Jabalia. They destroyed the
entrance with an explosive charge. The moved through the
building till reaching Palestine Labor Voice radio
station in the 4th floor. They forced the workers out of
the building at gunpoint. Then they took the
broadcasting equipment and computers. They also
ransacked furniture and assets inside.
And in Gaza City, clashes broke out at approximately
7:00 on Friday, 2 February 2007, around the Police
Academy (Jawazat). Shells were fired at the academy.
Four members of the civilian police were injured by
shrapnel and bullets. In addition, a paramedic was
seriously injured by a bullet in the head: Na'el Taysir
El-Adan (23), as he was tending the wounded.
Simultaneously, fierce clashes erupted between the
Executive Force and Police Intervention compound near
Yarmouk stadium in Gaza City. A Policeman was killed by
a bullet to the chest: Munthir Yunis Shabet (35) from
Gaza City. Five other policemen were injured. The
Executive Force controlled the compound and confiscated
equipment, transporting them in trucks.
At approximately 11:00 the Executive Force attacked a
Presidential Guard training compound (Qureish compound)
in Sheikh Ejleen area, south of GazaCity. Fierce clashes
broke out between both sides. Four trainees were killed:
Ramzi Nahed Abu Amsha (22);
Mohammad Suliman Bashir (23);
Mo'min Abdel Naser Weshah (21); and
Hatem Abdallah Shehab (20).
Six trainees were injured; and two of them died of their
wounds the next day:
Azmi Waheb El-Wadeyya (21); and
Abdel Hamid Faris Madi (21).
At approximately 12:30 clashes resumed around the
Islamic University, resulting in the death of two
security officers and a civilian. The identity of those
killed is:
Mahmoud Rafat El-Weheidi (20), a civilian bystander;
Mahmoud Issa Rajab (19) a Presidential Guard member;
and
Khaled Mohammad El-Mash'harawi (37) a General
Intelligence Operative.
Fires broke out inside the university.
At approximately 15:00, unknown gunmen attacked Al-Quds
Open University in Naser Street in Gaza City. They
burned the university buildings.
At approximately 20:00, the Egyptian security delegation
convoy came under fire from unknown gunmen near Abbas
police station in Gaza City. No injuries were reported.
In Khan Yunis, fierce clashes broke out at 13:30 on
Friday, 2 February 2007, when unknown gunmen kidnapped 4
Fatah activists traveling in a car onSalah El-Deen
Street in the city. The clashes spread to the towns east
of Khan Yunis, and continued till 16:30 in the
afternoon. A member of the Executive Force, Ayman Hasan
El-Najjar (24), was killed by a bullet to the abdomen.
Eight gunmen from both sides and bystanders were
injured.
Following these clashes, members of the Executive Force
and Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions stormed two
residential houses of Fatah activists in Bani Suheila.
The forced the residents out of them, and detonated
explosives inside one, and burned the other.
At approximately 1:30 on Saturday, 3 February 2007,
unknown gunmen burned the offices of the Students' Union
at Al-Aqsa Open University branch in Rafah. The
structure was partially damaged.
At approximately 16:00 on Saturday, clashes broke out
between both sides around Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The clashes continued for more than 90 minutes, and
resulted in the injury of a child bystander: Zohdi Jamal
El-Ghoul (17). He was injured by a bullet to the leg.
At approximately 20:00 in the evening of the same day, a
member of the Executive Force was seriously injured by a
bullet to the head in renewed clashes around Shifa
Hospital. The injured is Hasan Abdel Qadir Seyam (23).
At approximately unknown gunmen fired at National
Security Forces deployed near the Palestinian Aviation
Company on Jamal Abdel Naser Street in GazaCity. One
force member was killed: Eyad Hussein Abu El-Kheir (24).
He was hit by bullets to the head and neck.
At approximately 21:00, a Fatah activist was hit by a
bullet in the left leg. Masked gunmen fired at him in
Ma'an area in Khan Yunis.
At approximately 23:15, shells were fired at the
Presidential Guard compound (Landing Pad) in Tal El-Hawa
Quarter in Gaza City.
Despite another ceasefire yesterday evening, sporadic
clashes continue throughout the Gaza Strip. In addition,
the presence of gunmen and security personnel persists
on streets, intersections, and roof tops. A number of
streets and intersections remain closed, especially in
Gaza City.
PCHR strongly condemns internal fighting, and:
Calls upon all parties to stop all attacks and
clashes, and to immediately respect the ceasefire
agreement fully, including the withdrawal of all forms
of militancy from streets and residential areas;
Views dialogue as the only way out of the current
political impasse, and the only way to stop the state of
internal fighting in which the people as a whole are
paying a heavy price. The infighting will lead to
political obscurity and self destruction;
Calls upon all parties to preserve the lives of
Palestinian civilians under all circumstances, and to
refrain from using civilian installations, especially
residential ones, in combat operations; and
Calls upon the Presidency and Government to fulfill
their responsibilities towards the populace, and reminds
them that the Israeli occupation is the only party that
benefits from internal fighting. |
