RAMALLAH, West Bank — The West Bank suffered through a bloody week, with six deaths in a few days. On June 29, three people were killed and 13 wounded in a shooting in Yaabad in Jenin province in the northern West Bank over a family dispute. On that same day, fugitives in Nablus shot two police officers dead, while the sixth victim was killed during another family quarrel in the Shuafat refugee camp on July 1.

Dozens of the quarrels that have taken place in the cities, villages and camps of the West Bank were characterized by the use of weapons by civilians. Fired on celebrations or during family quarrels, intermittent gunshots are heard almost every night in the West Bank, raising concerns about lawlessness amid the security forces’ inability to confiscate arms.

The governor of Nablus, Maj. Gen. Akram Rajoub, told Al-Monitor, “Arms proliferation has become an alarming phenomenon driven mainly by the Palestinian security’s failure to deal with it effectively. Also, morals and values have changed, making it easier to settle conflicts and violate the law using arms.”

He added, “Should our armed forces fail to solve the problem and strike all those who use arms with an iron fist, this phenomenon is likely to expand further.”