PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

  

Live from the Field:

Settlements Almost Gone – Siege Continues

-         IOF intensify stringent movement restrictions imposed on Palestinian communities located near the evacuated settlements, and continue the creation of buffer zones along the Strip’s border with Israel

 

Disengagement (D-Day) Field Report: No. 14

Date: 31st of August 2005

Time: 1230GMT

 

Location:

Chronology of Events

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued to demolish homes and other buildings inside the evacuated settlements in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. This was carried out amidst increased siege and movement restrictions against all Palestinian population centers near these settlements. In the early morning hours of 31 Aug 2005, IOF started the demolition of the village of D’heyneya, southeastern tip of the Gaza Strip, near the Egyptian border to the south and the Israeli border to the east. In addition, IOF continued to close Erez checkpoint in the way of Palestinian laborers working inside Israel. Furthermore, IOF continued to close a number of main and secondary roads since the beginning of the Intifada. Abu Holi and Al-Matahen checkpoints south of the Gaza Strip remain fully closed during the day. Palestinians living near the evacuated settlements continued to suffer from a suffocating siege that has deprived them of many of their basic rights.

 

Closure and Seizure of Houses

Central Gaza Strip:

Mohammad Ahmad Saqir, whose home is north of Al-Matahen road leading to the Gush Katif settlement block, gave PCHR’s field worker the following statement: “Since 14 Aug 2005, IOF have been seizing my house, which consists of two stories. The soldiers have confined my family of 18 members to the first floor, and transformed the second floor and roof into a military outpost. They haven’t allowed us to leave the house till this moment. This has made our living and psychological conditions very bad.”

 

Northern West Bank:

Wejdan Mustafa Shomar (38) gave the following statement to PCHR’s field worker: “On 29 Aug 2005, IOF raided our house of two stories, located near the evacuated Homesh settlement between the villages of Fondaqoumeya and Sielet El-Zaher southwest of Jenin. They closed the door and went up to the second floor, where 7 of family members (including 5 children) were staying. At gunpoint, the soldiers forced the family into one room; and placed two soldiers to guard the room. Then they searched the house in a very provocative manner and shredded the Quran in the children’s room and trampled on it. Then they asked an 11-year old child to accompany them to the first floor to turn off the computer. He was afraid and started to cry. His father insisted on going down with him. Both were used as human shields during the search in the first floor. The mother asked the soldiers to go to the kitchen to bring water for the children; but they refused and verbally abused her. After 4 hours the soldiers left the house after ransacking it.

 

Bulldozing, demolition, and gunfire

Al-Qarara, Southern Gaza Strip:

For the past several days, IOF have been bulldozing land on the border with Israel east of Al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Younis. The operation aims to pave a road 5 metres wide, along the border inside the Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field worker witnessed IOF tanks and bulldozers located 100 meters to the west of the road, while trucks unloaded the base course material for the road. The bulldozing is taking place in lands owned by Palestinians that was previously bulldozed during the Intifada. It is noted that this is part of a large operation to create a buffer zone along the Gaza Strip’s eastern border. In addition, IOF fired their guns at farmers attempting to reach their farms located 300 meters to the west of the planned buffer zone.

In the early morning of 31 Aug 2005, IOF demolished the D’heyneya village on the southeastern tip of the Gaza Strip. The village area is 350 donums and has been under complete Israeli control since 1967, as it was not handed over to the Palestinian Authority pursuant to the Interim Agreement for the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The village is inhabited by 53 Palestinian families, some of whom are suspected of collaborating with Israeli security forces.  Fourteen families moved to Rafah on 28 Jul 2005, 34 were evacuated to Israel, and the  remaining 5 families plan to move back to Rafah.

 

International Law

Settlements and settlers are illegal under international law.  The Fourth Geneva Convention, the primary document governing the OPT, stipulates in Article 49 that the transfer of the population of the occupying power into the occupied territory is in breach of international law.   The International Court of Justice confirmed in its 2004 judgment that settlements and settlement activity is illegal.

Freedom of movement is a right afforded to Palestinian civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as under established international treaties on human rights.  Preventing free movement of people and goods interferes with the right to work, the right to health, the right to education, the right not to be held as a prisoner without a free and fair trial. 

  

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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

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email: pchr@pchrgaza.org      website: www.pchrgaza.org