A 62-year old woman who had been accused by her neighbours of practicing "witchcraft" was shot and killed at her home in Gaza City. Jabreya Abu Qeinas was sitting with her husband in her garden on al-Jalaa' Street on August 17 when an unknown assailant opened fire from a parked car in front of her house. According to eyewitness, Abu Queinas was wounded with several bullets in the chest. Relatives brought her to al-Shifa hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Abu Queinas had previously been reported to Hamas authorities for practicing witchcraft but was pronounced innocent in a court decision on May 27. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemned the attack and blamed it on the overall security chaos in the region and misuse of weapons. They called on the Attorney General to open an investigation into the killing.
It is not known at present whether this murder has been linked to a series of recent extremist attacks in Gaza targeting music stores, internet cafes, and other businesses deemed to be in violation of Islamic law. Witchcraft is punishable by death in many Islamic countries.
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