December 30, 2005

Special News Report:

Brothers Against Brothers

On Thursday, PA policemen Abed al-Rahem Saleh (20 years old) was shot and killed while trying to restore peace to a Gaza neighborhood. Armed gunmen opened fire on the police station where he was working, in an attempt to force the release of clan members from the prison. The ensuing gunfight resulted in the death of al-Rahem Saleh and one of the gunmen. The clash gave credence to reports that the PA has lost control over Gaza.

To accompany this tragedy, a new investigative report by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group has revealed an alarming trend: over half of Palestinian fatalities in 2005 have been a result of gunshot wounds received from other Palestinians. The number of Palestinian deaths by Palestinian gunfire is the highest this year than in any year previously recorded. In Gaza alone, 37% of gunfire fatalities for the year 2005 have occurred since the pullout in September.

As a result of these events, the PHRMG calls on the Palestinian Authority to restore the rule of law to the Palestinian Territories. The PA’s irresponsiveness to the civil unrest in Gaza and the West Bank is deplorable. It is vital that the PA take action to stop the exchange of illegal weapons in the Palestinian Territories: the PA must not continue passively promoting the arming of clans and military factions.

The percent of Palestinian fatalities caused by Palestinian gunfire rose from 5% last year to a staggering 51% this year. This data reveals that Palestinians are more often killed by fellow Palestinians than by IDF soldiers or other Israelis. The PHRMG appeals to Palestinians across the Territories to stop the war against fellow Palestinians and help restore civil order.

(Statistics follow.)

Year	Total Palestinian Fatalities from Palestinian Gunfire - Gaza	Total Palestinian fatalities from Palestinian Gunfire – All Territories	% of Gunfire Fatalities Occuring in Gaza	Total Palestinian Gunshot Fatalities in Gaza in a 5-yr Period	Total Palestinian Gunshot Fatalities in a 5-yr Period	Average % of Palestinian Gunshot Fatalities Occurring in Gaza over a 5-yr Period
1995	1	2	50%	14	53	26%
1996	3	10	30%
1997	3	12	25%
1998	2	9	22%
1999	5	20	25%
2000	2	26	8%	52	169	31%
2001	12	38	32%
2002	16	37	43%
2003	5	24	21%
2004	17	44	39%
2005	51	98	52%
Totals	117	320

Statistical Brief –

Palestinian Gunfire Fatalities (1995-2005)

Year	Total Palestinian Fatalities from Palestinian Gunfire	Total Palestinian Fatalities	% Palestinian Fatalities from Palestinian Gunfire	Average % of Palestinian Gunfire Fatalities over a 5-yr Period
1995	2	46	4%	26%
1996	10	82	12%
1997	12	70	17%
1998	9	36	25%
1999	20	28	71%
5 Year Total	53	262
2000	26	321	8%	6%
2001	38	476	8%
2002	37	1117	3%
2003	24	638	4%
2004	44	819	5%
5 Year Total	169	3371
2005	98	192	51%
Totals	320	3825