Occupied Palestinian Territories - Humanitarian Update, August 2011

Summary of monthly Humanitarian Monitor report produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

AUGUST OVERVIEW

August witnessed a serious escalation of violence that highlighted, once again, the significant vulnerability of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, as well as of the civilian population of southern Israel. This month, 30 Palestinians, including 24 civilians were killed, and 103 others, including 89 civilians, were injured in the Gaza Strip. In southern Israel, one Israeli civilian was killed and seven other injured by rockets fired from Gaza. In addition, seven civilians killed and 30 injured in a series of attacks launched from Egypt by unknown perpetrators. This was one of the most significant escalations of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since the end of Israel's "Cast Lead" military offensive in January 2009.

Alongside the lack of warning systems or shelters, a key factor shaping the vulnerability of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip is the inability to flee to safer locations when violence escalates. International human rights law stipulates that everyone has the right to freedom of movement, to freely choose their place of residence within their own country, and the right to freely leave their own country. These rights continue to be severely impeded, not only with regard to the majority of Gazans, but to also to many Palestinians living in the West Bank as well.

It is estimated that approximately 35,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank are Gaza ID holders, who have been unable to change their address in the Israeli-controlled population registry to reflect residency in the West Bank. If caught by the Israeli authorities, these people are at-risk of criminal prosecution and forcible transfer to Gaza. As such, they are unable to freely move within the West Bank, or travel abroad. This month, the Israeli authorities indicated that the records of approximately 2,000 such residents have been updated to reflect their current West Bank addresses, out of 5,000 such updates pledged in a package of measures announced in February 2011.

As a whole, Gaza's population continues to be denied access to the West Bank, and this affects a range of rights, including their right to exercise religious freedom. For the 12th consecutive year, the entire population of Gaza is denied access to Holy Sites in East Jerusalem during Ramadan. In addition, more than 40 percent of people within the West Bank were also prohibited. Only men above 50 and women above 45 years of age, and boys and girls under 12, were allowed to pass without permits; men between the ages of 45 and 50, and women between 30 and 45 were eligible for special permits that needed to be applied for in advance.

The largest obstacle obstructing movement in the West Bank remains the Barrier, 85 percent of which runs inside the occupied territory. This month, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected an appeal by residents of Al Walajeh village, south-west of Jerusalem, to change the proposed route of the Barrier. Once complete, the Barrier will surround the village and separate it from hundreds of dunums of agricultural land, as well as from East Jerusalem. The court rejected the appeal on grounds that the expected harm to the residents is proportional to the security value of the approved route.

The range of restrictions on Palestinian movement was highlighted by the findings of OCHA's annual report on movement and access within the West Bank, released this month. According to the report there has been no significant improvement in Palestinian freedom of movement or access to land over the past year. Over 522 obstacles remain within the West Bank hampering Palestinian access to services and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas located in the Jordan Valley and between the Barrier and the Green Line, as well as in East Jerusalem. Some 200,000 people from 70 villages are forced to use detours that are between two to five times longer than the direct route to their closest city. These findings, alongside the developments outlined above make clear the need for immediate actions that improve Palestinian movement and access throughout the oPt.

ISSUES IN FOCUS

IN HIS OWN WORDS: MAHMOUD ABU SAMRAH (1998 - 2011)
The following is part of an interview with 12-year-old Mahmoud Abu Samrah. It was conducted by UNESCO on 10 August 2011, just one week before the boy was killed by a GRAD rocket launched by a Palestinian armed group. The rocket fell short of the border with Israel and hit the boy's home, killing him immediately. The boy's mother and three siblings (also children) were injured in the attack, their house destroyed, and a nearby school sustained damage.

'I'm afraid to come to school whenever I hear loud noises. My parents force me to come to school, but I can't wait to go home because of all the noise that I hear around the school. Also there are many sites around the school that are constantly targeted. The Safina building is under constant attack. Last time they [Israeli military] struck the Safina, our house window shattere, and I could see fire coming out of the building.

I walk to school. I'm not afraid to walk to school because there are many kids walking with me. Whenever there is an airstrike, we hide under the stairwell. One boy was accidentally injured by shrapnel that was still lying around. It hurt his eye. This was during school time. The teachers took him to the hospital and told his parents.

There is a lot of shrapnel from rockets and missiles that are fired by the Israelis lying around the school. I stay away from them, but I see many kids that come close to them, and some hold them and start playing, and even throw them at each other.'

Note: The UNESCO interview was conducted at Al Qastina School, which has repeatedly been damaged during hostilities. In addition to being hit by the Palestinian-launched GRAD rocket on 19 August, the school was heavily damaged during the Cast Lead military offensive in 2009, and was again damaged in March 2011 during Israeli air strikes targeting nearby locations.

ONE FAMILY'S STORY: OVER 100 TREES DESTROYED ONE MORNING FOR BARRIER CONSTRUCTION
Mohammed Atrash (Abu Wajih), a 68-year-old farmer from Al Walaja, has been affected by Barrier construction activities that followed the HCJ decision this month.

At about 5am on 5 September, we woke up to the sound of heavy machinery. We went down to our fields to see what was happening, but our fields were surrounded by IDF soldiers, who initially wouldn't let us through. We persisted, and they called the Israeli DCL; they finally allowed us to enter.

Of the 110 olive trees that we own, 60 trees were uprooted. In addition, 18 almond trees were also uprooted, as well as eight Hawthorn trees. About 27 non fruit-bearing trees (pine and oak) were also cut down. They were done with uprooting the trees by mid-morning, after which they tried to make me bring a tractor to take away the uprooted trees. But the land is difficult to get to, and I couldn't comply immediately. They then began threatening me, saying that if I didn't take the trees away myself, they would be taken and re-planted inside Israel, and that I would be detained and fined.

Honestly, I think the Israelis were embarrassed because there were a number of journalists watching. Finally the Israeli authorities themselves delivered the uprooted trees to a more accessible area. I don't think it's worth replanting the trees; it would probably take too many years to bear fruit. But I will replant one of the trees in our own garden as a symbol, so that my children and grandchildren never forget this day.

When the Wall is completed, about 20 dunums of our land will be on the other side. The land is actually in my wife's name, and we have tax documents dating back to 1927 to prove that her family has owned the land for generations. However, because she suffers from chronic ailments, including kidney failure, diabetes and blindness, she is unable to go down to the fields, and would certainly be unable to work in the fields. Once the Wall is built, I don't expect the Israelis to allow me to get to our fields. Right now, it looks like we will lose everything on the other side.'

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

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