OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes – OPT (31 Dec 2003-6 Jan 2004) – OCHA report

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P.O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem

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

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OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes

Update for oPt (31 December 2003 – 06 January 2004)

INSIDEINSIDE:  Casualties — Incidents involving ambulances — Curfew — House demolition — Land levelling/confiscation — Checkpoints/roadblocks/Separation Wall/restrictions on movement — Access to Schools — Labour movement to Israel — Other incidents

1. Ongoing military operation in Nablus:

The situation in Nablus was extremely tense as a result of the ongoing military operation that started 26 December. The humanitarian situation in the old city and in the Qarioun district in particular was serious as people inside were in need of food and medicine. ICRC, OCHA and local NGOs were in some cases able to intervene. The commercial life in Nablus came to a virtual standstill. On 31 December clashes occurred all over Nablus resulting in several injuries caused by live ammunition and tear gas. The Evangelical hospital in the Rafidia district was surrounded as IDF searched the hospital. The operation in the Qarioun district in the old city was escalated, and the Qasr Abdel-Hadi house was subjected to mortar fire causing substantial damage to its construction. Several other buildings in the area suffered substantial damages. On the same day IDF entered Osarin village south of Nablus. A 16-year old youth was injured during clashes between IDF and stone throwers. He was evacuated by the IDF to an Israeli hospital where he died. In addition, IDF announced curfew on Madama village south of Nablus and Beit Furik east of Nablus.

On the following day, 01 January 2004 a bulldozer knocked down the remnant structures of the Shoubi house in the Qarioun district. This house had been hit by air strikes during the operation defensive shield April 2002 killing seven Palestinians inside.

On 03 January Clashes in Nablus city centre led to the killing of three Palestinians within less than an hour as direct live ammunition was used by IDF. A fourth Palestinian was killed during the funeral of these. Eight were injured.

On 04 January IDF completely demolished another house the Qarioun district.

2. Casualties

Palestinians: 12 deaths, 70 injured
Israelis: 0 deaths, 2 injured

3. Incidents involving ambulances and medical teams

Denial of access: 2 incidents
Delay (1-2 hrs.): 6 incidents (one case the patient died)

Abuse/Attack on medical crew:  2 incidents

4. Curfews

Curfews were reported in the following locations: Nablus (6 days), al Yamun, al Funduq, Jinsafut and Beit Ummar

(4 days), Balata RC, Balata refugee camp, Beit Rima and Burqa (3 days), al Khadr (2 days), Madama, Beit Furik,

Jalbun, Birqin and Burdus (1 day); partial curfew was imposed in Hebron H2 (1 day).

5. House demolitions/Demolition Orders

6. Land levelling/confiscation 

• The land levelling in Aqaba in Tulkarem district, which was reported about last week, is complete.

• Ongoing land levelling near Gilo checkpoint, An- Nu’man and Al-Khas villages for the construction of the Wall and the bypass road.

• 3 January: IDF bulldozed land in Wadi Al-Ghawit, close to the settlement of Newe Daniel, south-west of Al-Khader town, and prevented farmers to reach their lands in that area claiming that it belongs to Israel.

• IDF issued 8 military orders to confiscate land between North West Jerusalem and Beituniya for the construction of the Wall. Most of this lands is agricultural.

Gaza: 

7. Checkpoints/roadblocks/Separation Wall/restrictions on movement

– Tulkarm/Qalqiliya governorates: 

• The following agricultural gates have been reported closed during the week; Qalqilya south, Zeita south, north, Attil, Salman, Isla, Jayyous south and Izbat Jalud. The opening hours of the other agricultural gates remain the same as previously reported.

– Nablus/Jenin/Tubas governorates:

• The majority of check points in the Governorate of Nablus were closed for Palestinians since 27 December.

• Flying check points were erected at the junction between Qabatiya, Jenin and Birqin.

– Ramallah/al-Bireh/Beituniya governorates:

• 2 & 3 January: Budrus village was under closure. Two checkpoints were installed at the entrances of the village restricting people movement in and out.

• 6 January: The entrance of Aboud village north Ramallah was closed by a flying checkpoint for few hours in the morning time.

• Ongoing construction of the Wall in Burdus village in Ramallah governorate.

Jerusalem/Jericho governorates:

Bethlehem/Hebron governorates:

• Many flying checkpoints were observed on main junctions and bypass roads checking people and vehicles.

• 31 December: Late at night IDF closed the Al- Fawar – Dura junction, in the district of Hebron, with earth mounds and reopened it on the 1st of January in the evening.

• 5 January: OCHA Hebron visited An-Nu’man village and observed contractors working on both the construction of the Wall as well as the bypass road coming from Teqoa settlement despite a Supreme Court order issued on 17 December requesting the IDF to come up with an alternative route due to the hardship caused to the villagers in An Nu’man and Al Khas. Consequently to further deterioration of the situation in the village of An Nu’man, residents are now prevented by the private Israeli security staff on site to travel out of the village by car, as the only road connecting them to the West Bank will be cut off by both the Wall and bypass road.

• In Bethlehem, 1,200 special permits have been issued this week for Christians Palestinian in conjunction with the holidays to visit their relatives and holy shrines inside the green line, a total of 2,277 special permits have been issued so far.

• 31 December: The total number of valid permits for buses of the Hebron National Bus Company is 24, of which 17 for public transport between Hebron and Bethlehem and 7 for movement between Hebron and Jericho.

Gaza crossings/checkpoints

• 6 January: IDF has erected a 200- meter barbed wire across the 2 sides of Kissufim road. IDF forced a Palestinian family to evacuate the house since it’s lined on the new security zone.

The enclosed areas:

• Al Seafa: Movement remains restricted by the IDF with the entry-exit gate opening twice daily for Al Seafa ID holders from 07.00 to 09.00 and 14.30 to 17.00. Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter since November 2000, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.

• Al Mawasi: Al Mawasi. IDF imposed restrictions remain, with no passage possible for male Al Mawasi ID holders aged 15-23 without prior coordination. Youths aged below 15 must be accompanied by a guardian. Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.

8. Labour movement to Israel

West Bank:

• Additional 250 trade permits were issued in Qalqiliya.

Few permits for workers, traders and buses were issued since the old permits were suspended in Hebron and Bethlehem. In Hebron, there are currently 53 valid workers’ permit and 10 valid traders’ permits. In Bethlehem district all permits have been suspended after the Tel Aviv attack on 25 December. 50 new permits were issued for Palestinian private vehicles to drive on bypass roads in by Hebron DCL office.

Gaza

• Permits for 13,963 Palestinian agricultural and construction workers were issued and 1,810 for merchants. Since 4 January, permits are again issued for married Palestinians over 28.0

9. Other incidents

Tulkarem/Qalqiliya governorates

• Since 5 January, IDF started to benchmark and take measurements in the northern parts of Habla for building a tunnel that links Habla with Qalqiliya.

• Continuous search and arrest campaigns took place during the week in Tulkarm.

Nablus/Jenin/Tubas governorates

• 31 December: A man was exiled from Nablus to Gaza.

• 05 January: IDF entered Tubas city with several armoured vehicles conducting house searches in the city. At the same time 3 IDF vehicles entered Tammun village and erected a flying check point between Tubas and Tammun.

• Arrest campaigns continued in Jenin Governorate during the week.

Ramallah/Al-Bireh/Beituniya governorates:

• Several demonstrations against the Wall took place in Burdus village during the week. IDF beat and shot at demonstrators and peace activists causing several injuries.

Hebron/Bethlehem governorates:

• Israeli news reported that the Supreme Court postponed by 15 days the dismantling of four illegal outposts in the West Bank to give time to settlers to appeal. Two of these settlements, Bat Ayin north of Surif village and Havat Magen David east of Susya settlement, are in Hebron area.

• 2 January: Three settlers from the Magen David outpost in the Hebron district (which the Government of Israel agreed to dismantle) have expelled a Palestinian Bedouin from his cave in Qwawis village and have moved in it.

• 4 January: The building of new houses started on the eastern part of Kharsina settlement; 144 new housing units are expected to be built in the area.

• 5 January: 8 persons from one family were injured at Al-Walajeh village as they tried to protect one of the family sons from being beaten by IDF soldiers.

• Search and arrest campaigns took place during the week.

Gaza

• During the last week: 46 mortars, 5 homes made rockets and 7 anti tanks missile have been fired towards the Israeli settlements and northern towns of, Negev, Sederot, Neve Dekalim, Dugit, Netzarim, and Gadid. No injuries were reported.

(Source: OCHA field units, UNRWA, UNSCO, PRCS, MoH, UHHC, Governors’ office, Israeli MoFA & IDF web sites, Al Mizan, PCHR)

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