TITLE: Israel Tightens its Siege

AUTHOR:

ORG: Al-Haq

DATE: March 12, 2001

Urgent Action Alert For Immediate Release Israel Tightens its Siege, Dividing the Palestinian Territories, and Isolating the Palestinian People. Hundreds of Thousands are Unable to Travel and are Left Without Proper Access to Medical Care and Food. One Palestinian is Killed, and more than Thirty are Wounded in Clashes at the New Blockade Between Ramallah and Bir Zeit. During the last week the Israeli Occupation Forces have increased their presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and intensified the siege imposed upon the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The internal closure of the territories has been tightened. All major roads have been blocked. Access to cities has been cut off, and hundreds of villages have been isolated leaving villagers with out proper access to food, supplies, and medical care. Israeli sources have openly stated that this siege is being implemented in order to punish the local population and destroy the Palestinian infrastructure. Israel no longer denies that these actions are being taken purely for security reasons, but has stated that they are also punitive measures being implemented to discourage the intifada. During his meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated that if the Palestinians ended the intifada he would end the economic sanctions upon the Palestinian Territories. This is the first time that the Israeli Authorities have clearly stated that they have taken action not only to prevent violence, but also as punitive measures. The Israeli authorities seem to believe that if the Palestinian people suffer enough they will become disheartened and will then push the Palestinian leadership to end the Intifada. Starting last Wednesday Israeli Forces began to increase their presence in the West Bank and tighten their closure. An increased number of troops were deployed around every major Palestinian city and most villages. Roads across the West Bank were also blocked with piles of earth, ripped up, or cut across with trenches. In several locations all three of these actions were taken. North of Ramallah the only road leading to Bir Zeit and its surrounding villages was destroyed. This road is not only a vital link between Bir Zeit and Ramallah, but serves as one of the main arteries connecting the northern and central areas of the West Bank. A tank accompanied by an armored personnel carrier and several military jeeps sits on a hill over looking the blockade. This has blocked access to Bir Zeit University and has forced it to close. Over 5,000 students attend the University. All over the Occupied Territories Palestinians are being denied their right to an education as thousands of teachers and students are blocked from reaching their schools. South of Ramallah a new checkpoint has been added near Qalandiya Refugee Camp on the main Ramallah-Jerusalem road, blocking all automobile traffic in either direction. All side roads leading into Jerusalem have also been blocked by Israeli forces, cement blocks, or earthen barriers. At times Palestinians are allowed through the blockades on foot, but at other times all passage is forbidden even to those in need of urgent medical attention. Ambulances have been stopped at barricades; unable to reach areas to provide service, sick individuals are forced to either walk or be carried to help. In other areas of the West Bank the same story has been repeated. Jericho, Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, and Nablus have been surrounded by the Israeli Military. More than 90 new checkpoints and barricades located on Palestinian roads have literally divided the West Bank into over 100 separate isolated Bantustans that have no connection to the outside world. No supplies are getting through and stores are beginning to run low on vital items. In Gaza Israeli forces have implemented many of the same measures. The internal closure of Gaza, which has been in effect for several months, has been tightened to disallow any travel between the North, South, East, West, and Central regions of the Gaza Strip. More than 1,000,000 Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, which is only 20 miles long and 5 to 8 miles wide. Additionally, the closure of the Territories from Israel and East Jerusalem has been tightened, making it virtually impossible for many Palestinians to reach their jobs and for goods to reach the Palestinian population. These blockades have ostensibly been put in place to discourage violence. Israeli military and government spokesmen have said that the blockades are being used to "discourage confrontations". However, most of these blockades have been placed in locations at which no confrontations have previously occurred. This serves as confirmation of the recent statements made that these actions being implemented as punitive measures to discourage the Intifada. They cannot possibly serve the purpose that the Israelis claim they are supposed to serve, but will only serve to increase tensions and violence. This morning a peaceful non-violent protest organized by Bir Zeit University was held at the blockade between the village and Ramallah. An estimated 1,500 people took part in the demonstration. At the time of the writing of this release one Palestinian was confirmed dead, at least 28 others were seriously injured, and numerous others sustained minor injuries. Protestors arrived with bulldozers to attempt to remove portions of the barricades so that cars could pass through. Israeli forces immediately opened fire randomly on the crowd using live ammunition. Abdul Qader Mohammad Hamdan, a resident of Jelezone Refugee Camp, which is located just north of Bir Zeit, died after being hit in the chest with by a live bullet. Abdul Qader was 28 years old and a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service. This protest and its bloody outcome was the result of the intense pressure under which the Palestinian people are living. It is likely that unless the Israeli economic sanctions and siege end such occurences will increase. These Israeli Actions are a blatant violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws and regulations, which expressly prohibit all forms of collective punishment. It also violates Palestinians' basic human rights such as the right to an education, the right to free movement, the right to medical care, the right to work, etc. as laid out in the Bill of Rights and several other binding international documents. In light of the deteriorating situation and Israel's continued violations of Palestinians' rights, al-Haq again calls upon the international community to take action and asks its friends and supporters to take the time to contact their local and national leaders to demand protection for the Palestinian people. Al-Haq also calls upon the UN Security Council to approve the immediate deployment of an international protection force in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Finally, al-Haq calls upon the international community to take steps to pressure Israel to fulfill its legal obligations to the Palestinian people, to respect human rights, and to end their illegal and belligerent occupation. -END- AL-HAQ, an NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and the West Bank affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists-Geneva, was established in 1979 by a group of Palestinian lawyers in order to uphold the rule of law and defend Palestinian human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. AL-HAQ, P.O. Box 1413, Ramallah, Palestine. Tel: ? 2 295 4646, Fax: ? 2 295 4903, E-mail: haq@alhaq.org, Website: www.alhaq.org END top