LAW again refutes Israel¹s claims to have lightened the siege

LAW again refutes Israel¹s claims to have lightened the siege

Despite Israeli claims that the intensive arbitrary siege imposed on the Palestinian Territories has been lightened, and that all entrances to Palestinian towns and villages have been reopened except for Nablus and Jenin, the Israeli authorities in fact continue to maintain and in some cases intensify their siege of Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps in the occupied territories, as well as blocking off new routes.

Following the death of an Israeli settler from Nave Daniel on 19 March 2001, Israeli forces tightened the siege around Bethlehem and its villages, bulldozing unpaved bypass routes in Al Hiwawra (east Halhoul), and blocking them off with barricades, cement blocks and boulders. In the process, they also managed to destroy Halhoul¹s main water pipeline.

Over the past week LAW¹s researchers have been monitoring the situation in various West Bank districts and confirm that between Tuesday 13 and Monday 19 March 2001, the Israeli army has blocked the following roads with concrete blocks, barricades and new military checkpoints:

Hebron:
· An unpaved track passing through Palestinian farms near the Hebron- Jerusalem road in Halhoul has been bulldozed and barricaded.
· The Bani Na¹eem track (Hebron bypass road #60) was blocked with barricades and military checkpoints.
· The Yatta track was blocked.
· The old Yatta track, along with the industrial zone, was sealed with barricades and a military checkpoint.
· The entrances to Beit Ummar and Surif, and the routes running alongside them, were sealed with barricades and new military checkpoints.
· A bypass route leading to Beit Ummar and Surif has been barricaded.
· The main and bypass routes south west of the villages Al Thahria, Al Smou¹ and Dura have been sealed with six barricades and military checkpoints.
· The route leading to the villages of Ithna, Nouba, Kharas, Beit Ula and Tarqumia from the old Wadi Al Qaf track has been sealed with barricades and a military checkpoint.
· The Beit Sahour- Sur Baher and Abu Ghneim mountain track that leads to northeast Bethlehem has been sealed with concrete blocks, barricades and new military checkpoints.

Jerusalem & Ramallah:
· A narrow bypass road opposite the Bet Il settlement that links Al Jalazone refugee camp with the main street leading to northwest Ramallah. This road has been used by Palestinians since the Ramallah - Nablus road was blocked.
· The Israeli military has reinforced checkpoints at the main road linking Ramallah to Surda and Birzeit.
· The new military checkpoint on the Ramallah- Jerusalem road opposite Qalandia airport has been kept.

North bank districts:
· A ditch 500m long and 1m deep has been dug to completely sever the road linking Deir Abu D¹eef village to Al Jilmeh in Jenin.
· Barricades have been placed on the Shufa - Tulkarem road.
· The Nablus - Tulkarem and Jenin road near Deir Sharaf village has been re-blocked since Palestinians opened it again.
· The road between Beit Fureek and Nablus that Palestinians had previously reopened has been re-barricaded.
· A bypass road between Burin and bypass road #60 at Al Huwara that Palestinians had previously reopened has also been re-barricaded.

According to information gathered by LAW, total Israeli siege and closure imposed on Palestinian Territories since 29 September 2000 can be summarised as follows:

· Partial and comprehensive isolation and closure of 13 large towns.
· Partial and comprehensive isolation and closure of 214 small towns,
villages and refugee camps, as well as 10 thousand dunums of agricultural land that have been blocked.
· 258 paved and agricultural roads and outlets have been blocked.
· 163 barricades and cement blocks have been placed on these roads.
· 21 ditches of various lengths and depths (some as long as 7km) have been dug.
· 94 immovable military checkpoints have been set up.
· 69 new military outposts were positioned.

LAW Society reiterates the following:

1. The Israeli forces are still imposing total siege over the Palestinian Territories while claiming to have lightened it in order to mislead the international community.
2. This policy of siege is a violation of international human rights standards and a collective punishment against unarmed Palestinians, with total disregard for article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention which stipulates that ³No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.²
3. The siege does not allow the free passage of all medical supplies and assistance, in contravention of Article 23 of the 4th Geneva Convention which stipulates that ³Each contracting party shall allow the free passage of all consignments of medical and hospital stores and objects necessary for religious worship intended only for civilians of another high contracting party, even if the latter is its adversary.²
4. The siege has led to a severe shortage of food and medical supplies for Palestinians, in contravention of Article 55 of the 4th Geneva convention which states, ³to the fullest extent of the means available to it the occupying power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate.²
5. International human rights conventions consider the right to movement as one of the fundamental human rights. Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights confirms that ³Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state,² and Article 12 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulates:

"1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
2. Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.
3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Covenant.
4. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country."

LAW demands:

1. The Israeli Government to immediately stop the use of excessive and indiscriminate force and collective punishments against Palestinian civilians.
2. The establishment of an international investigation committee based on United Nations Security Council resolutions 1322 of Oct 7, 2000, to investigate the violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli forces inside the occupied Palestinian territories.
3. The international community must hold a conference for the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention in order to take practical measures to ensure Israel's adherence to the convention.
4. The international community must pressurize Israel to immediately to immediately put an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories and effectively support the implementation of the Palestinian right to self-determination.
5. The Palestinian people must be placed under international protection.

Source:LAW

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