The misuse and mishandling of small arms, explosive devices and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) continues to threaten the lives and safety of Palestinian civilians, particularly children in the Gaza Strip.
Since the beginning of 2014, 18 people have been killed in incidents of small arms and explosive device misuse and mishandling, including 3 children and 2 women.
An additional 57 people were injured, including 13 children and 3 women.
According to Al Mezan's documentation, at approximately 5:00 pm on Sunday, 30 March 2014, an explosion took place in the Al Mawassi area west of Khan Younis.
As a result, five people sustained shrapnel wounds.
Al Mezan identifies the injured as follows: Mustafa Ziad Al Majaida, 18, sustained injuries in his legs, causing amputation; Diaa Shaheen, 43, sustained injuries to the right thigh; His son, Omar Shaheen, 14, sustained injuries to the right hand; Khattab Omar Az-Zaqzouq, 22, sustained injuries to the right leg and left shoulder; and Haitham Mahmoud Az-Zaqzouq, 23, sustained injuries to the abdomen and left leg.
The explosion took place after one of the injured mishandled a UXO that he had found.
In a separate incident, at approximately 4:00 pm on Sunday, 30 March 2014, six children were injured due to mishandling of a UXO in the As-Saudi neighborhood west of Rafah.
They were admitted to the An-Najjar Hospital in the city for medical treatment.
Al Mezan identified them as follows: Mohammed Imad Abu Mehsein, 14; who sustained moderate injury; His brother Ahmed, 13, who sustained light injury; His brother Ameen, 10, who sustained shrapnel in the head and his injury was described as critical; Rajab Mohammed Al Mghari, 11, who sustained moderate injured; Mu’men Wael An-Nerab, 6, who sustained light injury in the face; and His brother Mahmoud, 13, who sustained wounds in the left thigh and pelvis.
The children found a UXO near a waste container; it exploded while the children were handling it.
At approximately 1:30 am on Saturday, 29 March 2014, Basem Yousif Abu Al Kheer, 48, was admitted to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after sustaining several bullet wounds in his right leg.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, Abu Al Kheer was injured when a family feud developed and small arms were used.
At approximately 5:30 am on Friday, 28 March 2014, medical sources at Kamal Odwan Hospital announced the death of Hamza Ayman Abu Eid, 20, after he sustained a bullet wound in his head.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, Abu Eid was killed due to the mishandling of a weapon while he was at his home in Al Qararra village.
He died immediately and his body was admitted to Nasser Hospital for forensic examination.
The police arrived at the scene and opened an investigation.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its deep concern at the loss of life in such incidents in Gaza.
Al Mezan warns against the spread and misuse of small arms and light weapons, as the consequences on society are serious and detrimental.
Al Mezan calls on government and local organizations to spread more awareness concerning UXOs, both those involving explosive materiel left by the Israeli occupation forces and that left by the Palestinian resistance, in order to prevent children from continuing to fall victim to UXO explosions.
Al Mezan also calls on the Gaza government to initiate effective and transparent investigations into incidents of small arms misuse and to take appropriate procedures to ensure the decrease of the spread and use of small arms.