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Wartime Breakdown in Public Order Sets Off Crime Wave in Gaza
(Wall Street Journal) Stephen Kalin - When thieves in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza stole the battery out of Muhammed Abu Karsh's car in March, he chased them down a dark road and was shot dead in the head. The police who inspected the crime scene "said they don't have a prison anymore and that if they find the perpetrator, his family might attack them as well," said his cousin, Mahmoud Fuaad. "We see fights between families on a daily basis. People know that they won't be punished for anything they do." Nearly nine months into the war between Israel and Hamas, crime and violence among Gazans is on the rise, from robbery and killings to smuggling and protection rackets. On June 25, the children of two families sheltering in tents near the beach in Deir al-Balah began squabbling over who would be first to fetch water from a communal faucet. The dispute escalated and the children's parents exchanged gunfire for about 10 minutes, witnesses said. Suhail Badwan, a father in his 40s, was caught in the crossfire and died.