Live from the Field:

IOF Continue Preparations to Redeploy from the Gaza Strip while Imposing Severe Closure Measures

-         IOF continued to violate the freedom of movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and continues to prevent students from reaching schools and universities.

Disengagement (D-Day) Field Report: No. 18

Date: 6^th of September 2005

Time:  09:30 GMT

Location:

Northern West Bank: Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarim

Southern Gaza Strip: Al-Qarara

Chronology of Events

IOF continued their preparations to end their military presence in the evacuated settlements in the Gaza Strip. The last few days witnessed an active movement of equipment, dismantling of military outposts, and destruction of remaining civilian establishments. However, IOF haven’t declared their intention to end their military presence in the 4 settlements evacuated in the northern West Bank.

IOF continued to close Erez checkpoint in the northern Gaza Strip in the face of Palestinian Laborers and patients for the third consecutive week. And they maintained the closure of the main and branch roads shut down since the beginning of the Intifada. Furthermore, IOF continued to close Abu Holi and Al-Matahen checkpoints linking the southern Gaza Strip with the center and north.

And for the 3^rd consecutive week, 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 fourth consecutive day.

IOF continued to impose strict movement restrictions on all main and branch roads connecting Palestinian cities and towns in the northern West Bank.

Closure and restriction of movement

Northern West Bank:

IOF continued to impose strict movement restrictions on Palestinian civilians in the northern West Bank. PCHR’s fieldworker in Nablus indicated that IOF continued to closed the entrances to 4 villages off the Nablus – Jenin road in the Nablus governorate: Bazaria village, Burqa village, Sebseteya village, and El-Naqoura village all northwest of Nablus. The entrance to the villages is blocked with earth barriers and cement blocks. In addition, IOF continued to close the iron gate erected on the Shavi Shamron settlement junction on the same road. As a result, they are forced to use the Bathan road.

Furthermore, IOF have closed off Palestinian lands around Israeli settlements in the Nablus area. The Palestinian lands to the north and west of Shavi Shamron settlement were closed off with barbed wire; thus isolating hundreds of dunms of agricultural land owned by farmers from the villages of Deir Sharaf, Sebseteya, and El-Naqoura; and farmers were prevented from entering their land.

PCHR’s fieldworker in Tulkarem stated that he saw IOF soldiers place barbed wire in the Sahl Rameen area to close off the dirt roads used by civilians to leave Tulkarem governorate. The wires were spread over long distances. Scores of farmers informed the fieldworker that these wires prevent their free movement to their farmlands beyond the wires. The barbed wires have completely isolated some farms and rendered them inaccessible. The isolated lands are located near the Israeli settlement of Ennab to the west of the Palestinian village of Rameen.

These IOF measures are implemented with the nearing of the olive picking season and cultivating the land for the winter harvest. As a result, hundreds of farmers are prevented from benefiting from their crops.

Southern Gaza Strip:

For the 3^rd consecutive week, IOF continued to besiege two houses of members of El-Sumeir and Abu Farraj families. The houses are located near the Kissofim settler road east of Al-Qarara. Ismail El-Sumeiri who owns one of the besieged houses informed PCHR’s field worker that IOF have prevented 12 pupils from the area to go to school, which will affect their school performance if the situation persists. And he said that the basic foodstuffs of vegetables and milk have started to run out, warning of a health crisis if the situation persists. In addition, he said that IOF have closed the front door of his house to prevent children from playing in the area.

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