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12-01-2007 ICRC News Gaza – West Bank – ICRC Bulletin No. 17 / 2007 Latest report on ICRC activities in the field General situation The Palestinian population continued to bear the consequences of the fighting between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, which has intensified and spread to the West Bank in the last few days. Since 3 January, 20 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip alone – including at least two civilians – and more than 50 wounded. Street violence and the growing number of abductions also contributed to the feeling of insecurity among the population. A Peruvian journalist abducted in Gaza City on 1 January 2007 was released after six days of captivity. The deteriorating security situation made humanitarian work increasingly difficult. As a result of a military operation carried out by the Israeli army on 4 January, four people were killed and 34 injured in the centre of Ramallah. Closures and other restrictions on movement continued to affect the daily lives of Palestinians. Getting to school or to work, seeing a doctor or simply doing the shopping has become increasingly difficult. In the West Bank, the number of checkpoints and roadblocks remained unchanged despite news of a possible easing of restrictions on movement for the residents. There was no significant reduction in closures in the northern West Bank, especially in Nablus and Tulkarem districts, which are the areas most severely affected by the measure. Many more farmers found it difficult to access their land. In the West Bank, some 100,000 Palestinian families depend to some extent on the olive harvest for their livelihood. According to ICRC estimates, the productivity of the olive trees located behind the West Bank Barrier, where it was impossible to tend the orchards, has dropped in certain cases by up to 80 per cent. Since 30 December, the Rafah terminal between Gaza and Egypt, in the Gaza Strip, has been open for Palestinians returning from the Hajj pilgrimage for only three days. Among the 1.4 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, fewer than 1,000 can cross into Israel each week. About half of them are family members who, under the ICRC's family visits programme, are going to see relatives held in Israeli prisons. Despite the difficult situation in the Gaza Strip, the ICRC maintained its presence and continued its activities. Over the past week, the ICRC organized four family visits allowing more than 500 Palestinian family members to see their relatives held in Israeli prisons. On the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, the ICRC distributed 11 tonnes of baklava cakes to more than 12,500 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. The cakes were provided by the Palestinian Authority and the ICRC ensured their transport to Israeli prisons. Baklava cakes were also provided in a number of prisons in the Palestinian territories. By regularly monitoring medical stocks in eight public surgical hospitals in the Palestinian territories, the ICRC ensured that they were adquately supplied with drugs and disposables for over 1,500 patients. Through a social programme for young graduates of vocational schools, the ICRC provided tools for various professionals, such as plumbers or carpenters, so that they could start up sustainable businesses. Over recent weeks, 50 of the most vulnerable unemployed graduates benefited from the programme. The ICRC maintained its contacts with the authorities and with various Palestinian groups, and constantly reiterated its request to see the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Through these contacts and its public statements, the ICRC urged those holding the soldier to treat him humanely, to respect his life and dignity and to allow him to communicate with his family.
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Download Document Files: https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/ICRCBulletinNo1707a.pdf https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/ICRCBulletinNo1707f.pdf https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/ICRCBulletinNo1707r.pdf https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/ICRCBulletinNo1707s.pdf
Document Type: Arabic text, French text, Press Release, Russian text, Spanish text
Document Sources: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Subject: Agenda Item, Assistance, Gaza Strip, Health, Social issues
Publication Date: 12/01/2007