OPT: Protection of civilians – OCHA weekly report (16 – 22 July 2013)

WEST BANK

Limited clashes and injuries

Similar to previous weeks, the level of violence between Palestinian civilians and Israeli forces recorded during the week has remained relatively low, as reflected in the number of clashes and resulting injuries.

Nine civilians were injured this week in clashes that took place during search and arrest operations conducted by Israeli security forces in Nablus and Hebron cities on 19 and 20 July, respectively. Overall, however, the number of such operations during the week was almost 30 per cent below the weekly average recorded since the beginning of the year (53 vs. 80).

Six Palestinians, including a child, were injured in two weekly demonstrations held in protest at the encroachment of Hallamish settlement onto land belonging to An Nabi Saleh village (Ramallah) and the prolonged closure of one of Kafr Qaddum village’s entrances (Qalqiliya) reportedly for the security of the adjacent settlement of Qeddumim. On 17 July, five other Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces during a protest held by Palestinian journalists at the Qalandiya checkpoint (North of Jerusalem) demanding free movement to Jerusalem.

Five Palestinians and two Israelis injured and over 300 olive trees vandalized

During the reporting period, OCHA recorded seven incidents involving Israeli settlers that led to injury to Palestinian civilians and damage to Palestinian property, roughly consistent with the weekly average of such incidents so far in 2013 (8). Two additional incidents during the week were perpetrated by Palestinians resulting in Israeli injuries. These are the first Israeli injuries reported for five weeks.

On 20 July, four Palestinian farmers from Qwawis (South Hebron) were physically assaulted and injured during a clash with Israeli settlers and soldiers. Clashes erupted when settlers from Mitzpe Yair settlement outpost prevented the farmers from reaching their land next to the settlement, despite an Israeli court order issued almost a year ago allowing such access. Further clashes took place between Palestinians and settlers in the Old City of Hebron on 19 July after settlers stoned some houses. As a result, one settler was injured and a Palestinian house sustained some damage. Another Israeli was stabbed and injured by a Palestinian outside the Old City of Jerusalem on 16 July. Also this week, a Palestinian woman from Al Mazra’a al Gharbiya village (Ramallah) was physically assaulted and injured by settlers while she was working on her land near Nehali’el settlement on 18 July.

In two separate incidents on 18 and 22 July, settlers set fire to olive trees belonging to the villages of Al Jab’a (Bethlehem) and Mikhmas (Ramallah), respectively, damaging at least 300 trees. In addition, settlers uprooted 150 seasonal vegetable seedlings in Al Baqa’a area near the Old City of Hebron. There has been a significant increase in settler attacks in the past three weeks on Palestinian olive and other agricultural groves. In two remaining incidents in Ramallah, settlers threw stones at Palestinian-plated vehicles traveling on Road 60 in the Ramallah governorate, damaging one car; and sprayed “price-tag” graffiti on three Palestinian cars in the Sha’ar Binyamin settlement commercial area.

Lull in demolitions continues

For the second consecutive week, no demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures by the Israeli authorities in Area C or East Jerusalem were reported. In previous years, demolitions have come to a halt during the holy month of Ramadan. However during the reporting period, the Israeli authorities issued stop-work and demolition orders against seven residential structures, two water cisterns and two latrines in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron. An eviction order was also issued against a family in East Jerusalem on the grounds that the family failed to pay the rent designated by the Israeli custodian of Absentee Property and was instead paying an amount agreed with the previous Palestinian owner.

Over 2,000 trees to be uprooted

During the reporting period, the Israeli Nature Protection Department accompanied by Israeli forces marked around 2,270 trees (including olive, citrus, almond, fig and banana trees) for uprooting in the Wadi Qana area (Salfit). This followed the issuance of an Israeli court order allowing the uprooting of trees aged less than two years, on the grounds that they were planted in an area designated as a “nature reserve”. Palestinians from the nearby Deir Istiya village, who planted the trees, claim ownership over the land and have reported that some of the marked trees are over two years old.

Relative calm continues

This week, there were a few incidents reported in the Access Restricted Areas (ARAs) in the Gaza Strip, though overall the situation was relatively calm. In one incident, Israeli forces opened warning fire at two Palestinian civilians who were reportedly attempting to cross illegally into Israel through the fence; the Palestinians were later detained by the Israeli forces. On two other occasions Israeli forces conducted land leveling operations on the Gaza side of the fence. In an incident at sea, the Israeli navy opened fire in the air near Palestinian fishermen while they were reportedly sailing close to 6 nautical miles (NM) from the shore, forcing them ashore. None of these incidents resulted in injuries. In addition, Palestinian armed groups fired projectiles towards southern Israel, all of which landed in open areas in Israel; no injuries or damage were reported.

Tunnels update 

Fuel supply increases despite ongoing measures to shut down tunnels

While an increase in the volume of goods transferred into the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the tunnels was recorded during this week as compared to last week, the overall amounts were still a fraction of what entered prior to the Egyptian measures adopted since early June.

Fuel saw the most significant increase: local sources in Gaza reported that, on average, around 700,000 liters of diesel and 100,000 liters of petrol entered each day via the tunnels during the reporting period. While these are almost the same quantities as recorded prior to the recent events, there are outstanding shortages due to the reduced supply of fuel in previous weeks. Shortages of petrol, which is still entering in much lower quantities than diesel, are still resulting in long queues of vehicles at fuel stations across the Gaza Strip.

Approximately half of the diesel supplied through the tunnels continued to be allocated to the Gaza Power Plant (GPP), enabling it to keep operating three of four turbines, producing around two-thirds of its full capacity (80 out of 120 megawatts). The remaining amounts of diesel were rationed by the local authorities to support basic services, including hospitals (which rely on fuel to run backup generators due to the shortage of electricity) and water and wastewater systems.

By contrast, no increase has been reported in the volume of construction materials transferred through the tunnels which continued to enter at an estimated 800 tonnes per day – one-tenth of the amount that entered prior to recent events. Due to the ongoing shortage of building materials, the construction of 1,700-2,000 housing units and approximately 90 per cent of municipal infrastructure building projects has been halted. Import of basic construction materials via the crossing with Israel remains severely restricted.