Live from the Field:

Redeployment in the Gaza Strip and Walls isolate towns and cities in the West Bank

-         IOF continued to besiege areas close to the evacuated settlements in the Gaza Strip and prevent students from their education.

-         IOF continued to impose severe movement restrictions on Palestinian civilians beyond the Wall in the Northern West Bank

Disengagement (D-Day) Field Report: No. 17

Date: 5^th of September 2005

Time: 10:30 GMT

Location:

Northern West Bank: Jenin

Chronology of Events

IOF continued to implement the disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. At the same time, IOF have sped up the construction of the Annexation wall inside the West Bank. As a result, there are severe movement restrictions on Palestinians isolated by the Wall, especially in the Northern West Bank, at the beginning of the new scholastic year and the nearing olive picking season.

In addition, IOF continued to close Erez checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip in the face of Palestinian Laborers and patients and the main and branch roads shut down since the beginning of the Intifada.

IOF have altered the scheduled opening of Abu Holi and Al-Matahen checkpoints. Starting today, the two checkpoints will be opened from 16:00-17:00 and from 23:00 – 7:30 every 24 hours. Thus, Palestinian universities were forced to delay the start of their academic years because over 15,000 students and teachers from the southern Gaza Strip couldn’t reach the universities in the north.

IOF continued to impose a strict closure on the Palestinian population centers around the evacuated settlements in the Gaza Strip. As a result, school pupils in these areas haven’t been able to go to school for the third consecutive day.

Closure and restriction of movement

Northern West Bank near Jenin:

At the beginning of the new scholastic year, 800 Palestinian pupils and their teachers in 5 schools isolated by the annexation wall are suffering from severe movement restrictions across the Wall’s electronic gates. The schools are located in the village of Barta’a (3 schools), Kherbet Barta’a (1 school), and Um El-Riehan village to the southwest of Jenin.

Students and teachers are forced to pass through electronic gates daily, and are subjected to humiliating searches, including female students and teachers. IOF close the gates between 19:00 and 7:00 daily. Palestinian Ministry of Education sources in Jenin indicated that they tried to overcome the teachers’ problem by keeping them posted in their local schools. However, the need for some subjects in other schools forced 9 teachers from outside the isolated areas to teach in these schools, and two from the isolated areas to teach outside.

Sources in the isolated schools indicated that IOF troops stationed at the only electronic gate leading to Barta’a village prevent the passage of scientific chemicals for the science labs in the village schools. In addition, they prevent the passing of computers and electrical equipment to the schools. It is noted that the science-section secondary school students study at the Barta’a secondary school.

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

29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip tel/fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893

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