2 large explosions in Gaza and Ramallah, killing
5
Serious damage in the Palestinian Center for Human
Rights
1 May 2001
Two large explosions shook Gaza and Ramallah yesterday,
Monday 30 April 2001, within six hours of each other. The explosions
demolished two houses and killed 5 Palestinians, as well injuring
a number of others and causing severe damage to surrounding buildings,
among them the Palestinian Center for Human rights. Information received
by LAW from Gaza stated that at 4.30 pm yesterday, a large explosion
tore through the home of the Abu Khaled family in Omar Al Mukhtar
Street, destroying the house and killing two young people: 18-year-old
Hamdi Salim Al Madhoun and 17-year-old Muhammad Abdel Karim Abu Khaled,
also injuring Ataf Said, 48, Abdel Karim Muhammad Al Madhoun, 32,
Khalil Ibrahim Afani, 14, and Aseel Naíim Afani, 4. The Palestinian
Center for Human rights stated that its main office, located next
to the Abu Khaled house, was severely damaged in the blast, which
cracked the concrete pillars, broke all of the windows on the first
floor, cracked the walls and destroyed the electricity generator,
satellite dish and electricity and telephone cables. Eyewitnesses
stated that they had seen two Israeli helicopters in the area at the
time of the explosion, giving credence to the possibility that the
bomb was detonated by remote control from the helicopters. At around
10.15 pm yesterday, Ramallah was shaken by an explosion in a two-story
compound in Ein Misbah, near Irsal Street, only 200 meters from the
police headquarters. The explosion resulted in the death of 2 small
children, Shaheed Jamal Barakat, 7, and his 4-year-old sister, Malak
Jamal Barakat, as well as Fatah member Hassan Muhammad Hassan Al Qadi,
27, from Beitunya. Abeer Muhammad Zayed, the 25-year-old mother of
the 2 small children, was wounded and bruises in her back and hands,
while her 5-year-old son Waíad received several injuries including
fractured bones in the face and right hand. Al Qadi, a student of
Political Science at Al Quds Open University, was ëwantedí by the
Israeli army. He was preparing to be married in the next few days.
The PNA accuses Israel of being behind these explosions.