OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes – (14 – 20 July 2004) – OCHA report

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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 (14 – 20 July 2004)

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

1. Casualties

Palestinians:

8 deaths

43 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 : 4 incidents

• At Beit Furik, a 65-year old patient’s heart stopped beating and he stopped breathing while waiting at the checkpoint. IDF refused to let the medical crew evacuate him to the ambulance and they started giving him treatment on sites. He was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Delay (up to 1 hour): 5 incidents

• IDF used dogs  to search the ambulance.

Shooting/Damage to Ambulance: 0 incidents

Detention of medical crew:  1 incident

Additional information:

• Both PRCS and the MoH report about experiencing significant difficulties operating inside Beit Hanoun; neither PRCS ambulances nor MoH could reach the besieged areas of As Sika, Sultan Abdel Hamid, Al Farrata, An Nazaza and Al Masria to deliver health care services and/or to evacuate patients.

• 19 July : PRCS reported on denial of access to Seida and Illar villages in Tulkarm district during the military operation despite the attempt by the ICRC to co-ordinate access through DCL. The PRCS ambulances were allowed to enter the villages only after the military operation had ended.

 

Sources: OCHA FCU, PRCS

 

3. Curfews

Curfew was reported in the following location:

Sources: OCHA FCU

  

4.   House demolitions/Demolition Orders/People Displaced

• 14 July : Three demolition orders were issued by the IDF for two animal barracks and one shop in Akkaba in Tulkarm governorate on administrative grounds. According to the orders, the buildings were illegally built.

• 19 July : The IDF handed 5 demolition orders in the area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron District. 2 orders were handed in Khirbet Jinba and 3 orders in Khirbet Al Fakheit.

• 19 July : A military order to halt construction of one house in Deir Ballut, Salfit district was issued. According to the military order, the family has been granted the right to appeal their case to the Israeli High Court of Justice.

• The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on to halt the demolition of a textile factory for one week. According to Jenin Palestinian DCL another 20 to 30 building are expected to be demolished.

5. Land levelling/Confiscation¹

Gaza:

• Land levelling operation is still ongoing in Beit Hanoun particularly in the eastern and western areas. To date there are no exact figures for the total area of land levelled as access to these areas remains difficult for security reasons.

• 14 July : 53 dunums of olive and other trees were uprooted in Abu El Ajeen village, east of Deir El Balah. IDF bulldozers and the tanks also caused severe damage to the roads and the infrastructure in the area.

• 15 July : 100 dunums of olive trees and agricultural land were levelled in Abu El Ajeen village, east of Deir El Balah.

 

Sources: OCHA FCU

 

¹ 4 dunums = 1 acre

6. Closure ² /Restrictions on movement

Tulkarm/Qalqiliya/Salfit governorates:

• 14 July : Numerous flying checkpoints were established in all three districts following a high security alert. In some places in Tulkarem (e.g. on road 57) long queues and delays were reported about people waiting to cross the checkpoints. However, the IDF facilitated access of ambulances and international organisations. Most checkpoints in Tulkarm and Qalqilya were reported to be difficult to cross. In Salfit district, Deir Ballout checkpoint was reported closed from 14:00 onwards. More than 200 villagers from Masha and Ar Zawiya were not being allowed to return home until 22:00 in the evening. The restriction was strictly maintained despite attempt to co-ordinate access by both the Palestinian DCL and the ICRC.

• The Habla gate was reported closed for several hours preventing farmers to access to their land.

• The work on preparation for the Barrier construction in Ar Zawiya is still suspended following a decision from the Israeli High Court of Justice. Also the preparation work around Ariel settlement is suspended pending new court decision.

• On 15 July, the IDF closed the ‘Anabta gate again. The gate has been open for approximately a month enabling Palestinian-Israelis access to Tulkarm town for shopping and social purposes. The gate functions once again as a back-to-back system for public transport.

 

² For a reference West Bank checkpoint map please check the following link: http://www.reliefweb.int/hic–opt/maps/Closure/mar/checkpoints_march04.pdf

 

Nablus/Jenin/Tubas governorates:

• 14 July: IDF closed Huwwara, Beit Furik and Al Badhan checkpoints for Palestinians leaving Nablus. At

13:00 IDF also closed the same checkpoints for people trying to enter the city. Thousands of Palestinians were waiting and several cases fainting were reported as a result of the heat. At Huwwara checkpoint IDF forced the people to stay 300m away from the checkpoint denying them access to the water tank which was installed by IDF. At the same time at Beit Furik checkpoint east of Nablus, Palestinians having been denied access for more than four hours marched towards the barbed wire near the checkpoint managing to reach the other side of the checkpoint despite the efforts of the soldiers at the checkpoint to prevent them. The checkpoints were opened from 19:00 –  22:00 allowing thousands of Palestinians to reach their homes.

• 15 July : Major delays occurred at Beit Furik and Za'atara (Tappuah) checkpoints during the day. At the same time flying checkpoints were erected on road 60 near Al Lubban ash Sharqiya and Eli settlement forcing Palestinian cars to queue for hundreds of meters.

• 17 July : IDF closed Al Bahdan checkpoint for all traffic including humanitarian agencies. According to Nablus DCL the closure is indefinite and reinstalled as a punitive measurement after the reopening was exploited by militants.

• 17 July : Major delays occurred at Za'atara (Tappuah) checkpoint, flying checkpoints were erected on road 60 near Al Lubban ash Sharqiya and on road 505 near Marda.

• 17 July : Three flying checkpoints were erected on road 585 near Ya'bad and Araba villages.

• 19 July A section of Road 90 near Bardala village (Tubas) was closed for several hours while IDF was searching the area from air and ground.

 

 

Ramallah/al-Bireh governorate:

• Construction of the Barrier continues on the western edge of Budrus, Beit Sira and around Beituniya.

• 15 July : The IDF established a second checkpoint on the western road opposite At Taybeh checkpoint where Palestinians faced long delays for three days. After the at Tayba mayor contacted the IDF Liaison Officer the second checkpoint was removed on 18 July.

• 18 July : At around 12:00, the IDF closed An Nabi Salih gate for several hours and Palestinians from the Bani Zeid area had to use alternative roads to move out of the cluster. The gate is often manned during rush hours.

 

 

Jerusalem/Jericho governorates:

• 15 July : The IDF established a flying checkpoint for cars travelling from east to west on R437, some 200m east of the northern entrance to Anata. Checking lasted for several hours and resulted in an approx. 100m long queue.

• 16 July : Palestinians not residing in Jerusalem were denied access to Friday prayers at al Aqsa Mosque.

• 17 July : Bir Nabala checkpoint was closed several hours in the morning.

• Jericho remained closed during the week for Palestinian west bankers unless with permits to enter.

 

Jerusalem Envelope Barrier:

• EAST : Construction of the Barrier from is ongoing in An Nu’man, Ash Sheikh Sa’ad, Sur Baher, Sawahriya ash Sharqiya, Abu Dis and Al ‘Eizariya.

• NORTWEST : Construction of the Barrier is still on halt in Biddu, Bet Duqqu, Bet Ijza and Al Qubeiba. Construction is continuing in Qatanna and Kharayib Umm Al Lahim.

• NORTH : The road from Qalandiya checkpoint to 150m north of Al Ram checkpoint is now only open for traffic from south to north on the eastern lane only. Preparation work continues. No work has started on the planned “Bir Nabala Enclave”.

• NORTHEAST : Land levelling for the construction of the Barrier has started north of Anata as well as west of Hizma.  

Bethlehem/Hebron governorates:

• 14 – 16 and 20 July: The IDF set up a flying checkpoint on Halhul Bridge, Hebron District. During these days long delays and searches were experienced restricting the movement of people and vehicles out of Hebron City.

• 14 – 16 July: The IDF manned the gate into Halhul at Sa'ir Halhul junction, Hebron district, restricting the movement of Palestinian vehicles in and out of Halhul.

• 14 July: The IDF set up a flying checkpoint at Sa'ir road 356.

• 14 – 15 July: The IDF prevented public vehicles and buses to approach the earth mounds at the Al Khadr – Husan junction, Bethlehem district, forcing people to walk a longer distance to reach public transport vehicles.

• 15 July: A gate was erected at the entrance of Tarqumiya with the junction of the bypass road 35, Hebron district. The gate has remained open since that time.

• Buses for public transportation are still prevented to enter Bethlehem through Beit Jala DCO checkpoint.

 

 

Gaza

The enclosed areas in Gaza: 

As-Seafa: Movement remains restricted by the IDF; the entry-exit gate opens twice daily for As-Seafa ID  holders from 06:30 to 08:30 and 14:00 to 16:30. Vehicles have not been permitted to enter since November  2000, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.  Since 17 April 2004, the As-Seafa gate has been largely closed, with very restricted movement. Since 22 April 2004 the IDF has allowed only 3-4 people to go in and out, for one time only, with prior coordination, in order to bring food in.

• Since 03 June, people under 30 are not permitted to enter or leave.

• Since 17 April, all males aged less than 30 years are not permitted to enter or leave.

 

Al-Mawassi: IDF restrictions remain, with the entry-exit gate at Tuffah checkpoint opening twice daily for Al Mawassi ID holders from 08.00 to 13.00 and 14.30 to 17.00. Since 10 May 2004 , males aged below 30 years, are required to have prior coordination to move though Tuffah checkpoint. Since 06 June 2004 , prior coordination is required for unmarried females aged 18-25. Vehicles are not allowed to pass, with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.

• Tel As-Sultan checkpoint closed all week.

• Tuffah checkpoint has been completely closed since 11 July.

 

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 has been allowed and the IDF erected a fence around the area. Movement restricted by the IDF with the entry-exit gate opening four times daily for Al Maa’ni ID holders only from 06:30 to 07:30, 10:30 to 11:30, 13:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 17:00.

 

Beit Hanoun:

On 29 June 2004, the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun was declared a closed military area following a Qassam rocket attack on Sederot on June 28 ^th , which killed two Israelis. All roads leading in and out of Beit Hanoun are blocked by sand barriers and/or trenches. Salah Ed Din street is blocked by two large sand barriers at Beit Lahia – Jaballia junction and at the by pass road south of Erez. As a result, vehicles are not allowed to enter with the exception of international agencies that have undertaken prior coordination with the IDF.

• 14 July, IDF allowed people to leave and enter Beit Hanoun village only on foot or by donkey cart via the road opposite Erez Industrial Zone which is controlled by an IDF tank.

• Local commercial vehicles can cross with prior coordination, via the municipality, with the IDF.

 

Source OCHA FCUs, UNSCO and UNRWA

7. Water:

• 14 July : A family in At Tuwani village, south Hebron, has been forced to rely on expensive tankered water following the contamination of its cistern by settlers from Ma'on Settlement

8.  Labour movement to Israel

West Bank:

• According to Palestinian DCL, approximately 200 work permits were renewed for Qalqilya district and 180 trader permits were renewed for Tulkarem district. No work or trade permits were renewed or issued for Salfit. Only people older than 35 and married with minimum two children are eligible to apply for work permits.

• No working permits issued for Jerusalem/Jericho governorates.

• The total quota number for commercial trade permits to the municipality of Jericho is 300. From mid July to mid September – a total number of approx. 200 permits were approved.

 

Gaza:

• A total of 1,984 permits have been issued for workers and 442 permits for traders aged 35 and above. However, only several hundred workers and traders were actually allowed to enter.

Sources: OCHA FCU, UNSCO, PMG

9. Other:

• The IDF has established a new military point on a hill behind the northern gate in Jayyous together with a number of tents and caravans.

• 18 July : IDF entered Bizzariya village (Nablus), firing sound bombs, tear gas and rounds in the air. Alia Mana'a 55 who suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes died after panicking. Her family could not evacuate her while the IDF was near her house.

 

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