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Palestine — Gun Facts, Figures and the Law

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StockpilesGun Numbers

Civilian Guns

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in Palestine is 125,0001

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Rate of Civilian Firearm Possession per 100 Population

The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) per 100 people in Palestine is 3.41

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms - World Ranking

In a 2007 comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Palestine ranked at No. 1302

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Rate of Privately Owned Firearms per 100 Population - World Ranking

In a 2007 comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 178 countries, Palestine ranked at No. 1181

Government Guns

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Number of Law Enforcement Firearms

Police in Palestine are reported to have 13,3713 firearms

ImpactsDeath and Injury

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Homicides (any method)

ChartIn Palestine, annual homicides by any means total

2012: 3124
2011: 805
2005: 1456
2004: 1457
2003: 94
1999: 548
1998: 45
1997: 456
1996: 120
1995: 31

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Rate of Homicide per 100,000 People (any method)

ChartIn Palestine, the annual rate of homicide by any means per 100,000 population is

2012: 7.44
2011: 35
2005: 4.16 9
2004: 7.699 6
2003: 6.52
2002: 8.559
2001: 7.86
2000: 8.68
1999: 7.889 6
1998: 7.06
1997: 4.45
1996: 4.76
1995: 1.26

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Gun Homicides

ChartIn Palestine, annual firearm homicides total

2005: 10510
2004: 977

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Rate of Gun Homicide per 100,000 People

ChartIn Palestine, the annual rate of firearm homicide per 100,000 population is

2005: 2.7910
2004: 2.887

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Proportion of Homicides Committed With a Gun

ChartIn Palestine, the percentage of homicides committed with a firearm is reported to be

2011: 78%5
2005: 72%
2004: 66.9%6

TransfersGun Trade and Trafficking

Firearm Exports

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Small Arms Exports (US$) - Customs

The annual value of small arms and ammunition exports from Palestine is reported by Customs to be US$011 (2005)

Firearm Imports

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Small Arms Imports (US$) - Customs

The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to Palestine is reported by Customs to be US$139,84011 (2008)

MeasuresGun Regulation

Firearm Regulation - Guiding Policy

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Law Regulates Civilian Access to Firearms

In Palestine, civilian possession of guns is regulated by law5

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Right to Possess Firearms

In Palestine, the right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law12 13

Restricted Firearms and Ammunition

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Law Regulates Automatic Weapons

In Palestine, civilian possession of automatic weapons is regulated by law5

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Law Regulates Handguns

In Palestine, civilian possession of handguns is not regulated by law5

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Law Regulates Long Guns

In Palestine, civilian possession of rifles and shotguns is not regulated by law5

Gun Ownership and Possession

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Gun Owner Background Checks

An applicant for a firearm licence in Palestine must pass a background check which considers undefined5 records

Carrying Guns

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Law Regulates Firearms in Public

In Palestine, carrying a gun in a public place is regulated by law5

MeasuresInternational Controls

Regional Agreements

League of Arab States

As a member of the League of Arab States, Palestine adopted the Arab Model Law on Weapons, Ammunitions, Explosives and Hazardous Material in January 200214

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Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development

The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, a diplomatic initiative aimed at addressing the interrelations between armed violence and development, was not signed15 by Palestine.

United Nations Small Arms Programme of Action UNPoA

UNPoA Commitment

On 21 July 2001, Palestine committed to a consensus decision of the United Nations to adopt, support and implement the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects16

UNPoA International Assistance – Recipient

Funds for UNPoA implementation have been provided17 to Palestine by other UN Member States

United Nations Membership

In the UN List of Member States, Palestine is a Permanent Observer of the United Nations18

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies does not list19 Palestine as a Participating State

Short References

1.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms - Annexe online.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q5)Full Citation

2.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q4)Full Citation

3.

Karp, Aaron.2006.‘Trickle and Torrent: State stockpiles.’ Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1 July. (Q7)Full Citation

4.

UNODC.2014.‘Homicides and Gun Homicides in Palestine.’ Global Study on Homicide 2013: Trends, Context, Data.Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),10 April. (Q10296)Full Citation

5.

Butchart, Alexander, Christopher Mikton and Etienne Krug.2014.‘Country Profile: West Bank and Gaza Strip.’ Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014.Geneva:World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),10 December. (Q9480)Full Citation

6.

UNODC.2013.‘Homicide in 207 Countries - Palestine.’ Global Study on Homicide 2011: Trends, Context, Data.Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,26 June. (Q6284)Full Citation

7.

UNODC.2006.‘Reported Overall Homicide Numbers and Rates per 100,000 Population for 64 Countries, 2003-04.’ Ninth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2003 - 2004).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,10 December. (Q9)Full Citation

8.

UNODC.2004.‘Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed.’ Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998-2000).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,19 March. (Q91)Full Citation

9.

Petrini, Benjamin.2011.‘Middle East and North Africa, 1995-2008, Total Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed, Rate per 100,000 Population.’ World Bank Homicide Rate Dataset 1995-2008.Washington, DC:Social Development Department, World Bank,10 February. (Q3813)Full Citation

10.

UNODC.2008.‘Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed.’ Tenth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2005-2006).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,10 December. (Q10)Full Citation

11.

Marsh, Nicholas.2014.‘Database of Authorised Transfers of Small Arms and Light Weapons.’ NISAT Small Arms Trade Database.Oslo:Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers,22 December. (Q16)Full Citation

12.

Sherman, Amy and Tom Ginsburg.2014.‘Gun Rights in National Constitutions.’ Marco Rubio Says Second Amendment Is Unique in Speech to NRA.Miami, FL:Miami Herald (PolitiFact Florida),29 April. (Q8507)Full Citation

13.

Zachary Elkins, Tom Ginsburg and James Melton. 2013. ‘U.S. Gun Rights Truly Are American Exceptionalism.’ Bloomberg (USA). 7 March. (N422) Full Citation

14.

League of Arab States / UNODA.2002.‘Arab Model Law on Weapons, Ammunitions, Explosives and Hazardous Material.’ United Nations Programme of Action Implementation Support System: Regional Organisations.New York, NY:Council of the League of Arab States / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs,1 January. (Q3215)Full Citation

15.

GDAV.2006.‘Geneva Declaration.’ Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.Geneva:Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Secretariat,7 June. (Q7162)Full Citation

16.

IANSA.2006.‘Reviewing Action on Small Arms 2006: Assessing the first five years of the UN Programme of Action.’ Biting the Bullet 'Red Book' 2006.New York, NY:International Action Network on Small Arms and the Biting the Bullet project,26 June. (Q166)Full Citation

17.

UNODA.2015.‘PoA-ISS Country Profiles.’ UN small arms Programme of Action (UNPoA) - Implementation Support System.New York, NY:United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs,11 September. (Q1309)Full Citation

18.

UN.2013.‘Member States of the United Nations.’ UN.org Web Site.New York, NY:United Nations General Assembly,7 April. (Q290)Full Citation

19.

Wassenaar Arrangement.1996.‘Introduction: Participating States.’ Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.Vienna:Wassenaar Secretariat,12 July. (Q19)Full Citation