OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes – OPT (09 – 15 June 2004) – OCHA report


OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

P.O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem

Phone: (972) 2 – 5829962 / 5825853, Fax: (972) 2 – 5825841

ochaopt@un.org, www.ochaopt.org


OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes

Update for oPt (09 – 15 June 2004)

INSIDEINSIDE:   Casualties — Incidents involving ambulances — Curfew — House demolition/Demolition orders/People displaced — Land levelling/confiscation — Checkpoints/roadblocks/Barrier/restrictions on movement — Education — Labour movement to Israel — Other —  Appendix

1.  Casualties

Palestinians:65 deaths, 103 injured
Israelis:  0 death, 2 injured

Sources:  OCHA FCU, PRCS, UNRWA, IDF website, Israeli MoFA

2. Incidents involving ambulances and medical teams

Denial of access: 1

Delay (1 – 4.5 hours): 1 incident

Sources:  PRCS

3. Curfews

Curfews were reported in the following locations:

Sources:  OCHA FCU

4. House demolitions/Demolition Orders/People Displaced

11 June: An IDF bulldozer demolished some sheds and tents in the Bedouin community located next to the Nitza Hazani settlement, Gaza.
12 June: Two demolition orders were handed to Palestinians from Khallet Al Hajar east of the Zif village, Hebron district.
15 June: The IDF demolished a three-storey building (six flats) in Bethlehem town belonging to the father of two Palestinians detained one year ago.  Five families were made homeless.   Four other houses were partially damaged during the demolition.

 

Sources:  OCHA FCU, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, PCHR

5. Land levelling/confiscation1

West Bank:

8 June: The car park opposite the entrance to Al Quds University, in Jerusalem, was bulldozed for the construction of the Separation Barrier.
9-15 June:  Land levelling is continuing in Ar Zawiha village, Salfit, for the construction of the barrier with daily clashes taking place between peace activists and protestors.
9-15 June: Following the issuance of the confiscation order last week, land levelling has begun in the area of Janata close to the Noqedim checkpoint, Bethlehem District, to extend the Za'tara bypass road.
14 June: According to a copy of military confiscation order T/55/04 40 dunums of land will be taken for military use in the area of An Nu'man.  It is reported that the land will be used to build a military base in front of the village of An Nu'man and Al Khas, in Bethlehem District.
14 June:  Bulldozers and surveyors are working in an area of 4 kilometers between Salfit and Ariel settlement.  According to the IDF, negotiations are due to take place with local Palestinians to remove the uprooted olive trees and place them elsewhere.
15 June:  Military confiscation order T/43/04 issued by the IDF will seize 4 dunums of land belonging to the village of Rameen, Tulkarm, for military purposes.

Gaza:
10 June: 6 dunums of agricultural land have been levelled north west of the Netzarim settlement in Gaza.
10 June: 20 dunums of olive trees have been uprooted in Al Qarara area south of the settler's Kissufim road.
11 June: 8 dunums of olive trees, 2 dunums of vegetables and 1 dunum occupied by greenhouses have been destroyed in the area of Abu El Ajeen north of Kissufim settler's road.
12 June: 230 dunums of olive and citrus trees have been uprooted in Bait Hanoun.  Two animal/chicken farms were destroyed along with a well.
13 June:  50 dunums of olive trees have been uprooted in the area south east of Kissufim settler's road in Al Qarara.
14 June: The IDF uprooted 5 dunums of olive and palm trees next to Netzarim junction.
15 June: The IDF uprooted 10 dunums of citrus trees next to Netzarim junction.
15 June: The IDF closed the Abu Houli – Gush Katif road with roadblocks and sand barriers, keeping the checkpoint closed all day.

Sources:  OCHA FCU

____________

1 4 dunums = 1 acre

6. Closure2/Restrictions on movement

Tulkarm/Qalqiliya governorates:

During the reporting period, the easing of movement through checkpoints in both Tulkarm and Qalqilya governorates continued and no additional restrictions were imposed on the local population.  In Salfit district, movement between the villages is still hampered by road blocks and earthmounds and the restriction to travel on the main roads.  No closures have been removed in either Salfit or Qalqiliya.
Significant delays in the opening hours at gates continue to occur and Palestinians are subject to thorough searches by the IDF particularly at the Azzoun Attma checkpoint.
Anabta gate, in Tulkarem district, was opened to buses moving with the surrounding governorate; the gate was previously used for back-to-back for both taxis and buses.
11 June:  earth mounds in the village of Bait Lid were removed.

___________

2For a reference West Bank checkpoint map please see the following link:  http://www.reliefweb.int/hic-opt/maps/Closure/mar/checkpoints march 04.pdf

Nablus/Jenin/Tubas governorates:

Men from Nablus over 30 years old were allowed to cross checkpoints around Nablus without special permits.  Men between 16 and 35 years old were previously required to obtain special permits.  Local and international humanitarian organizations continued to face difficulties and denials of access at Huwwara checkpoint.
Flying checkpoints were erected on road 60 between Al Lubban Ash Sharqiya and Turmus 'Ayya villages and between Sarra junction and Dir Sharaf junction throughout the reporting period.
15 June:  Flying checkpoints were erected on the entrances of  Tubas city.

Ramallah/al-Bireh/Beituniya governorates:

12 June:  Atara [partial] checkpoint was totally closed for more than four hours during the morning rush hours and when reopened a full checkpoint was in operation for the rest of the day.
15 June:  Residents of Silwad, except special medical cases, are still prohibited from travelling to Jordan (via Allenby Bridge).  This restriction on the whole village has been in force for about one month.
15 June:  The Israeli DCL has given permission to the Palestinian DCL to surface the side road from route 354 to Atara checkpoint.  This road is in an extremely dilapidated state due to the heavy volume of traffic (cars, trucks and military vehicles) that now use this road after the IDF erected a roadblock across the main road to  Bir Zeit two years ago.
15 June: The IDF has agreed to open the earth mount between Yabroud and Silwad, according to the Palestinian DCL.

Jerusalem/Jericho governorates:

The Wadi Nar checkpoint, the main one between south and north West Bank, continues to be difficult, with Palestinians waiting up to several hours before being allowed to cross.

Jerusalem Envelope Barrier:
EAST:  Construction of the Barrier is continuing An Nu'man, Ash Sheikh Sa'ad, Sur Baher, Sawahriya ash Sharqiya, Abu Dis and Al 'Eizariya
NORTHWEST: Construction of the Barrier is continuing in Biddu, Beit Duqqu, Bet Ijza, Al Qubeiba, Qatanna and Kharayib Umm Al Lahim.
NORTH:  The road from Qalandiya checkpoint to the junction of Ar Ram/Bir Nabala is now open for traffic from south to north and only on the eastern lane.  In the middle of the road, preparations have been made to place some 4.5m high concrete wall slabs.  Also:
Entrances leading to neighbourhoods on the western side of the road are obstructed by roadblocks with only the main entrance to Bir Nabla left open.
A round-about has been installed just south of Qalandiya checkpoint, facilitating traffic from Ar Ram to road 45 east, towards Jaba' and west towards Atarot, where a new segment of road 45 has been asphalted, as well as towards road 404 and the  Bir Nabala checkpoint.  This is now one of two options Palestinian residents from Ar Ram/Dahiyat al Bareed can take who want to go to Jerusalem.  The alternative is to go east at the round-about towards Jaba' and then to Hizma checkpoint.

Bethlehem/Hebron governorates:

The IDF eased restrictions on movement of Palestinians in Bethlehem and Hebron districts by removing some closures hampering intra-district movement as well as traffic between the two Governorates.
9 June:  a hand-made road sign appeared on the road between Rachel Tomb and Gilo checkpoint, bethlehem, in the place where the Separation Barrier is likely to cut the road.  The sign reads:  "Israeli area, it is prohibited for those without permits to cross".
10 June:  The IDF removed the earth mound on road 356 at Wadi Sa'ir, Hebron district, allowing movement between Bethlehem and Hebron districts..
10 June:  The IDF opened the gate at the entrance of Idhna village at junction with bypass road 35, Hebron District, and removed the earth mounds at the entrance into Tarqumiya village..
12 June:  The IDF opened Zif gate on bypass road 317, Hebron District, allowing access to Yatta from the east.
12 June:  The IDF opened the gate at the entrance of Beit Ummar on the junction with the bypass road 60, Hebron District.
13 June:  The Border Police opened the Beit Jala DCO checkpoint, Bethlehem District.  Palestinian private vehicles need permits to cross and long queues and delays reported.

The enclosed areas in Gaza:

As-Seafa: Movement remains restricted by the IDF with the entry-exit gate opening twice daily for As-Seafa ID holders from 06:30 to 08:30 and 14.00 to 16.30. Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter since November 2000, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.  Since 17 April 2004, As-Seafa gate was closed; with new movement restrictions imposed. Since 22 April  IDF is allowing 3-4 people to go in and out, for one time only with prior coordination in order to bring food in.

Since 03 June, no one aged below 30 is permitted to enter or leave.

Al-Mawassi: IDF imposed restrictions remain, with the entry-exit gate at Tuffah checkpoint opening twice daily for Al Mawassi ID holders from 07.00 to 09.00 and 14.30 to 17.00. Since 10 May 2004, males aged below 30 years, are required to have prior coordination to move through Tuffah checkpoint. Since 06 June, prior coordination is required for unmarried females aged 18-25.  Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.

Tel Es-Sultan checkpoint was closed all week.

Kfar Darom.  The Palestinian area adjacent to Kfar Darom settlement was declared a Closed Military Zone following a suicide attack on 27 February 2004.  Since 20 July 2002 no vehicular movement was allowed as the IDF erected a fence around the area.  Movement restricted by the IDF with the entry-exit gate opening four times daily for Al Ma'ni ID holders from 06:30 to 07:30, 10:30 to 11:30, 13:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.

Sources:  OCHA FCU, UNSCO, UNRWA

7. Education

Nablus/Jenin/Tubas:
12 June:  The IDF dismantled the main gate, entered and searched the Bizzariya secondary school, north of Nablus city).
15 June:  15 teachers were delayed at Beit Furik check point until 0945 as they were going to the Tawjihi exams in Beit Furik and Beit Dajjan villages.
Jerusalem:  
Teachers coming from Nablus/Tubas areas, working in Jericho, still face difficulties at the northern checkpoints.  The Palestinian DCL officer in Jericho needs to coordinate with the IDF DCL unit to facilitate their access.
Sources:  OCHA FCU, UNICEF, UNRWA

8. Labour movement to Israel

West Bank:

Tulkarm/Qalqilya/Salfit:
150 trade permits for Tulkarm, no other permits for either Qalqilya and Salfit

Jerusalem/Jericho:
No working permits have been issued to Jericho for the period mid May to mid June.
The total quota number for commercial trade permits to the municipality is 300.   This month – from May 09 to 08 June – a total number of 91 out of a request for 110 permits were approved.

Gaza:

On 31 May, Erez Industrial Zone was reopened for some Palestinian workers aged 30 and above, while traders aged 35 and above were allowed to enter Israel.

Sources:  OCHA FCU, UNSCO, PMG

9.  Other:

9 June:  Israeli naval boats opened fire towards a fishing boat in the sea opposite the area of Al Sudaniya in the Gaza North area, severely damaging the boat, and arrested 2 fishermen.

END


Appendix:  Checkpoints status 09 – 15 June 2004


2019-03-12T18:03:31-04:00

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