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The siege is imposed on almost all towns and villages in the West Bank. It imprisons entire populations within their communities or in a small geographic area and limits their access to other parts of the West Bank. The IDF enforces the siege by blocking access roads. To do this, it uses concrete blocks, dirt piles, deep trenches, and roadblocks staffed by soldiers. The degree of "effectiveness" of the siege differs from place to place, depending on the topography and the number of alternative routes residents manage to create to avoid the checkpoints. Entry into and exit from relatively isolated villages, located in the hills, such as those in the Hebron and Ramallah areas, are much more difficult than from villages located on flat areas, such as in the Jenin District. The level of IDF enforcement of the siege in the various areas is affected by another variable: the IDF is generally stricter in blocking access roads to villages near Israeli settlements than roads in areas where settlers do not live.
The situation in the Gaza Strip differs slightly from that in the West Bank. The Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip is concentrated in contiguous areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. However, there, too, the IDF imposes harsh restrictions on freedom of movement. Several times, the IDF closed the main road that traverses the length of the Gaza Strip, partially severing the southern part of the Strip (Khan Yunis and Rafah) from the central and northern parts (Gaza City and refugee camps). The road leading to the agricultural area al-Mawasi, an enclave of 6,000 Palestinians within Gush Qatif, was closed to Palestinian vehicles, and the residents have been almost entirely severed from the rest of the Strip. Other IDF acts cut the Strip into three areas severed from each other: Gaza City and the adjacent refugee camps to the north; the refugee camps in the central part (a-Nuseirat, al-Bureij, Deir al-Balah, and al-Maghazi); and Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south. The siege policy has grave implications on all aspects of life in the Occupied Territories. The Palestinians are unable to lead normal lives. Routine acts such as purchasing goods, visiting relatives, and studying at university have become complicated, and in many cases impossible, tasks. Israel's policy also impairs access to medical treatment of Palestinians, and to residents of the villages, which are home to about one-half of the Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories, in particular. The latter are dependent on travel along roads in the Occupied Territories to obtain medical services, which are primarily provided in hospitals and clinics in the cities. Contrary to statements by senior government and IDF officials that restrictions on movement are not imposed in emergency medical cases, B'Tselem documented many instances in which soldiers at checkpoints prevented or significantly delayed patients and wounded from crossing, which led to deterioration in their condition and even death. Furthermore, the IDF's extensive use of physical, unstaffed roadblocks that can be removed only by heavy machinery does not offer the besieged residents an opportunity to speak with soldiers to allow them to pass the roadblock in emergencies. Palestinians who do not suffer from serious medical problems, but require treatment or medical follow-up, are prevented from obtaining these services, creating an intolerable problem that grows worse with time. It should be mentioned that the primary purpose of the siege is to protect the settlers. The settlements are, however, illegal, thus aggravating the nature of Israel's violation insofar as the restrictions are imposed on the Palestinians to protect illegal settlements. Even if the siege contributes to the safety of IDF soldiers and civilians – which some senior defense officials themselves question – the appalling human consequences make the siege a classic example of collective punishment, which is prohibited by both Israeli and international law. |
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Road 443
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