Incidents of burning vehicles and properties; detonating explosive devices; and shooting from unknown people in Gaza have drastically increased in recent weeks.
Such incidents, invoking a sense of chaos and of weakening security conditions among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, are followed by a distinct lack of effective investigations and information on perpetrators.
According to Al Mezan's field investigations, at approximately 11:00 am on Monday, 16 February 2015, unknown people opened fire on Salama Muhsein Al â€کIwedat, 26, and Yaser Rafeq â€کIliyan, 25, while they were on their way to Al Sa,ada Tower in Tal Al Hawa to accompany Ma,moun Swedan, the director of Commissariat of International Relations at the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
When they arrived at the tower, a civilian white Subaru vehicle parked near their car.
Four masked armed men got out of the car and beat them.
â€کIliyan and â€کIwedat tried to confront them but one of the armed men opened fire at the air and on the ground near their legs.
The armed men then fled.
As a result, Al â€کIwedat sustained bullet a wound in the right leg and â€کIliyan sustained minor head wounds.
The police arrived at the scene and opened an investigation.
The identity of the perpetrators and motivations behind this incident remain unknown At approximately 00:45 am on Sunday, 15 February 2015, a car belonging to Ramdan Sa,eed Al Na,ouq was burnt while it was parked in front of the owner's house near Al Jurn Square in Jabaliya town, north Gaza district.
As a result, the car was totally destroyed.
Al Na,ouq is a Major and is acting as the director of the Planning and Development Department at the Ministry of Interior in Gaza.
The police opened an investigation into the incident.
The perpetrators behind this incident remain unknown.
At approximately 6:30 pm on Sunday, 15 February 2015, unknown people ignited fire to a red Mitsubishi car that was parked in front of Al Louh Tower in the Al Hasaina neighborhood west of Al Nuseirat refugee camp, middle Gaza district.
The car belongs to Abdel Men,im Ramadan Al Tahrawi, 44, a Fatah member.
In his affidavit to Al Mezan, Al Tahrawi stated that while he was in his apartment he heard someone asking for help.
When he looked out the window, he saw his car burning.
Ten minutes later, civil defense arrived and extinguished the fire.
The car was damaged.
The police opened an investigation into the incident.
At approximately 8:50 pm on Sunday, 15 February 2015, unknown persons detonated an explosive device at the entrance of a house belonging to attorney Khalil Hasan Al Jresi, 55.
The house is located in the Al Maghazi refugee camp, middle Gaza district.
The police arrived at the scene and opened an investigation.
It's worth noting that Al Jersi was a member of the committee responsible for elections in the Fatah movement.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights expresses its deep concern by and condemnation of these crimes, which indicate a return to a state of chaos and insecurity in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan calls for serious investigation into these incidents and prosecution of the perpetrators of such criminal acts, without delay.
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