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Al Mezan Regrets Tragic Loss of Life in Family Feud

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28 September 2019 |Reference 84/2019

Mohammed Abu Sahloul, 27, died on Thursday at Nasser Hospital from a fatal wound he had sustained in his neck during clashes between two families in Khan Younis district in the south of the Gaza Strip. Al Mezan calls on the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, limit the proliferation of small arms, and properly investigate and deter such ∆recurring violent incidents.

 

Al Mezan documentation indicates that a feud broke out on 22 September between two families in Khan Younis district and later on 26 September, with higher intensity. Despite the presence of the police, the feud turned violent and use of firearms and hand grenades was reported. As a result, seven individuals were injured, including Mohammed Abu Sahloul, 27, who succumbed to his wounds later that afternoon at Nasser Hospital. Tension ran so high in Khan Younis that UNRWA closed a number of its schools and clinics on the first day of the following week as a precautionary measure in fear for the safety of students, staff and patients.

 

Since the beginning of 2019, Al Mezan has documented 30 fatalities and 116 injuries (including 20 children and seven women) in incidents of violence between Palestinian actors, which also stem from an ongoing failure to uphold the rule of law.

 

Al Mezan regrets the death of Mohammed Abu Sahloul and the continued loss of life in internal violence incidents. Al Mezan warns duty bearers against being too lax towards this type of incidents and the criminal acts stemming from them, considering the gravity with which they undermine the safety and security of the population. The need to limit the proliferation of small arms and light weapons cannot be stressed enough. Al Mezan calls on the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law and prevent the parties to a dispute from taking the law into their own hands. The authorities must launch a prompt, comprehensive and credible investigation into the tragic events and hold perpetrators to account through a sound legal process.

 

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