18 August 2026
Press Release
Al-Dameer: The Growing Use of Firearms in Family Disputes Threatens Social Peace in the Gaza Strip
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights – Gaza views with grave concern the continued misuse of firearms and the increasing number of civilian casualties resulting from the proliferation and misuse of weapons in family and personal disputes. Such incidents have resulted in deaths and injuries among civilians and reflect a growing state of lawlessness involving the use of firearms.
According to Al-Dameer’s monitoring and the information available to the Association, there are clear indications of repeated family disputes involving the use of firearms in the Gaza Strip. At approximately 12:20 p.m. yesterday, Monday, 17 August 2026, a dispute broke out between civilians while they were filling drinking-water tanks in western Gaza City, in the Al-Katiba area. The dispute escalated and led to gunfire, resulting in the death of Salman Ahmed Mohammed Al-Sarsawi, 52, and the injury of three others, who were reported to be in critical condition. According to medical sources, an injured civilian with gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen was transported to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and died shortly after arrival.
In another incident that occurred on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at approximately 12:25 p.m., a group of masked men traveling in a white Toyota Tucson, with four people inside, opened heavy fire on a group of civilians from the Abu Warda family in northwestern Gaza City, in the Third Street area of Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. The victims sustained very serious injuries and were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Minutes after their arrival, medical sources announced the death of Hassan Anas Sobhi Abu Warda, 27, a resident of Jabalia al-Balad who had been displaced to the Sheikh Radwan area. At approximately 9:20 p.m. on the same day, medical sources announced the death of a second victim, Waseem Ayman Hikmat Abu Warda, 26, a resident of Jabalia al-Nazla who had also been displaced to the Sheikh Radwan area. The hospital further reported that two other injured persons remained in the intensive care unit.
In light of these tragic incidents, Al-Dameer stresses that the exceptional circumstances facing the Gaza Strip—including the consequences of war and displacement, the destruction of property, the deterioration of essential services, and the breakdown of many social protection mechanisms—must not become a justification for the proliferation or use of firearms in internal disputes.
The danger posed by this phenomenon extends beyond the parties directly involved in such disputes. Gunfire in residential neighborhoods and densely populated areas exposes civilians, including children, women, and older persons, to the risk of injury or death. It also transforms individual disputes into a collective threat to public security and safety.
Al-Dameer further stresses the need to safeguard civil peace, uphold the rule of law and social values, reject intolerance, and prevent society from being drawn into cycles of violence that further undermine the social fabric. All parties must prioritize reason, dialogue, and peaceful mechanisms for resolving disputes.
Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights expresses its deep regret and strong condemnation of these escalating incidents, which constitute a genuine threat to the security and safety of civilians in the Gaza Strip. The Association therefore calls for:
1. The Public Prosecution to immediately launch prompt and effective investigations into the incidents of gunfire, establish the circumstances surrounding them, identify those responsible, and take all necessary legal measures against anyone proven to be involved, ensuring accountability and preventing impunity.
2. Immediate action to curb the proliferation and unlawful use of firearms and to take legal measures against anyone who uses weapons in family disputes or other conflicts.
3. All families, community leaders, and social and community forces to reject the use of firearms and internal armed confrontation, work to protect the social fabric, and prevent individual disputes from escalating into broader family conflicts.
End