The Boyz are back in town. But it's not like they ever left...
On Saturday, 30 January 2009, Bassam ‘Awni Hamad, from al-Nussairat, was wounded when gunmen fired at him on the grounds of an old clan dispute.
It was Saturday. It was cold in Gaza. We were working the night shift out of Old Clan Disputes Division...
In a separate incident, Khader Shehada Shaafout, from Gaza city, was wounded on Thursday, 28 January 2010, he was fired at by gunmen on the grounds of a personal quarrel. These two attacks are part of the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
It was Thursday. It was cold in Gaza. We were working the night shift out of Personal Quarrels Division...
According to investigations conducted by PCHR and according to statements given by the wounded, at approximately 20:00 on Saturday, 30 January 2010, gunmen in a Subaru white car fired at Bassam ‘Awni Hamad, 46, while sitting with his brother Hisham near their house in al-Nussairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Hamad was wounded by two bullets to the right foot. He was transferred to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah where medical sources described his wound as moderate.
Al-Asqa Martyrs Hospital? That's okay, guys. It ain't that bad. I can walk. See? Ouch...ouch...ouch...ouch...
Hamad stated that the shooting was on the ground of a clan dispute and that the gunmen, who included a police officer, are members of the same family.
A cop? Geez, Mahmoud. This is just like L.A. Confidential!.
Yeah...right. Never had a cop blasting away at some guys feet because of a clan dispute in Gaza before. Run foot shootings by the guys over in Personal Quarrels and see if they got something for us.
I did. They laughed and hung up.
In a second incident, at approximately 20:00 on Thursday, 28 January 2010, gunmen fired at Khader Shehada Shafout, 30, a taxi driver, while he was near Helles Building in the west of Gaza City. The shooting was motivated by a personal dispute. Shaafout was wounded with three bullets to the feet.
Damn! Three bullets in the feet. And those were a new pair of shoes. Maybe I'll take my cousin up on that tunnel job...
According to statements given by Shafout to a PCHR fieldworker, a dispute arose between him and a number of persons after he had transported a person in his taxi.
What? No tip?
I'll give you a friggin tip! Buy some bulletproof shoes!
BANG BANG BANG...
Members of the naval police who were in the scene intervened in order to terminate the dispute and called the police.
Hey, ain't we cops?
He's not driving a boat, Mahmoud.
Police officers attempted to terminate the dispute cordially.
Move it along, boyos. Nuthin to see here. Can't we all just get along?
Shafout added that a motorcycle driven by two gunmen and a white Isuzu D-Max pickup driven by five gunmen arrived at the scene. The gunmen stepped down and started firing into the air. They then chased Shafout. They violently beat him and then fired several bullets to his feet.
Let that be a lesson to yas, Sha'fout, ya bastid!
Shafout stated that a police officer who was in the scene transferred him in his car to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for medical treatment.
Did you get a plate, Mahmoud!
Nah, sarge. It happened so fast! And I was too busy
PCHR strongly condemns these two attacks which are part of the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons plaguing the OPT. PCHR calls upon the Attorney-General's office open serious investigation into these attacks and to bring perpetrators to justice.
Really. We're serious, guys. Do sumthin, will yas?
Sure. We'll get right on it...again.