63 In the Gaza Strip, the number of deaths resulting from the weakness of the rule of law decreased this year. ICHR reported the occurrence of (76) deaths during the year 2010, including deaths due to tunneling, compared with the deaths of (168) citizens in 2009. According to the backgrounds for the killings in the Gaza Strip in 2010, ICHR did not record any murder case arising from armed clashes, compared with (28) cases in 2009 with the same background. ICHR also recorded the death of (11) citizens with backgrounds of family quarrels and disputes in the Gaza Strip, compared with the death of (15) citizens in 2009. It also recorded the killing of (8) citizens with backgrounds of misusing of weapons among citizens, compared with the killing of (11) citizens in 2009. As for the killing resulting from the misuse of weapons by the Security Services in the Gaza Strip, ICHR did not record any case with such a background in 2010, compared with (1) case in 2009. Although in 2010 ICHR did not record any murder case with a background identified as so‐called “family honor” in the Gaza Strip, it did record the deaths of (7) females as a result of mysterious circumstances, or misuse of weapons among citizens. This raises doubts and the likelihood that some murder cases nevertheless may be due to a background of “family honor”, as (19%) of the deaths recorded this year in the Gaza Strip with a background of mysterious circumstances involved females, if the murder cases in the tunnels are excluded. This is compared to the occurrence of (5) killings in 2009, and (2) in 2008, with backgrounds involving family honor. Among the females who were killed in mysterious circumstances or as a result of the misuse of weapons among citizens is the case of (F.SH) who was shot dead in her house under unknown circumstances; the case was recorded as a killing with mysterious circumstances. Also (Z K) was shot dead by her husband’s weapon when he was cleaning it, and citizen (J A) was shot dead from a car while she was standing in front of her house. ICHR recorded the occurrence of (13) deaths that remained as mysterious circumstances, and were unable to determine the reasons behind them, constituting (17%) of the total number of killings recorded by ICHR in the Gaza Strip in 2010, compared with (23) murder cases in 2009. Despite the high number of deaths that occurred without knowing the reasons behind them, the Public Prosecution and the Security Services in the Gaza Strip did not disclose any investigations or measures taken in these incidents with the aim of disclosing the reasons and holding those responsible accountable. When criminal purposes