Occupied Palestinian Territories: Factions Must Stop Endangering Civilians
(Jerusalem, October 6, 2006) Human Rights Watch called today on the leaders
of Palestinian factions and Palestinian government officials to bring an immediate
end to the lawlessness and vigilante violence that has plagued the Occupied
Palestinian Territories and to hold the perpetrators of this violence accountable.
Eleven Palestinians were killed and more than 100 injured, mostly civilians,
in the unrest on Sunday and Monday. Sporadic clashes and attacks on government
institutions have continued during the week, with reports that three masked
men shot dead a local Hamas leader as he left a mosque in Qalqilya on Wednesday.
"Demonstrators attacks on government and public property have endangered
civilians," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director
at Human Rights Watch. The only way to curb this cycle of violence is for
the Palestinian government to use the law to crack down on the perpetrators.
The latest round of clashes erupted on Sunday after the two leading Palestinian
political parties, Hamas and Fatah, failed to reach an agreement on forming
a unity government. Palestinian police and Fatah loyalists, who blame the
Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (PA) for seven months of unpaid public sector
wages, then stepped up demonstrations against the Hamas-led government.
The Hamas-led government has faced a financial crisis since taking office
in March. Israel has refused to remit tax monies it collects on behalf of
the PA, citing Hamas's refusal to meet the Quartet demands of recognizing
Israel, renouncing violence and recognizing previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Many international donors have also suspended direct aid to the PA. Together,
these funds made up approximately 75 percent of the PA?s monthly budget.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and press reports,
demonstrators attacked government property in Gaza while the Hamas-led Ministry
of Interior called on its security services to violently crack down on the
demonstrators. Throughout the course of Sunday, these clashes extended to
several areas of Gaza City, and eight people were killed.
There were also demonstrations in the West Bank towns of Ramallah, Hebron,
Nablus and Jericho, where Fatah loyalists reportedly attacked Hamas political
party offices, Islamic institutions and the house of Deputy Prime Minister
Naser El-Deen al-Shaer. In Ramallah, demonstrators attacked the Palestinian
Legislative Council building, the Palestinian Government Building and cars
belonging to the Ministry of Education. They also attacked the house of Assistant
Under-Secretary of Finance Tamer El-Birawi, kidnapping him but later releasing
him unharmed.
On Monday, violent demonstrations and attacks continued. Fatah loyalists set
fire to the buildings of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Civil
Affairs in Gaza, and fired at the Palestinian Legislative Council Building
in Gaza. Clashes erupted in Shifa hospital between relatives of those killed
the day before and Palestinian security forces stationed inside the hospital.
In Jericho, members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a Fatah-linked militia,
reportedly enforced a Fatah-led commercial strike by firing on open businesses
and in one instance killing a restaurant worker. Other clashes and violent
incidents were reported in Bethlehem, Nablus and Qalqilya on Monday.
"Rather than fanning the flames and allowing the violence to continue,
Palestinian officials and party leaders should send a clear message that they
will tolerate only peaceful means of protest," said Whitson.
Human Rights Watch also called upon all security forces to respect the rule
of law and to open fire only when strictly necessary to avoid serious injury
or loss of life. The PA president, prime minister and minister of interior
should ensure that all security services receive clear instructions regarding
the use of firearms, as outlined in the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement
Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by
Law Enforcement Officials.
Human Rights Watch called on the Palestinian attorney general to thoroughly
investigate all incidents where civilians and their property were harmed,
and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Finally, all security services and
responsible government officials should ensure that Palestinians' right to
peaceful protest is respected and that when demonstrations turn violent, security
officials employ only appropriate law enforcement means for dispersing demonstrations
while apprehending those responsible for the violence.