Updates

On 15 Aug. 2018, at about 2:00 A.M., soldiers with dogs entered 10 homes in the village of ‘Azzun. They woke the inhabitants, kept some confined to rooms in their homes, intimidated children and conducted violent searches. Raids on homes in the dead of night, in which soldiers wake families and ransack their houses, are by now a routine part of the occupation in the West Bank. These actions, which are clearly intended to intimidate the population, are unjustified. This is yet another example of daily Palestinian life under occupation.

Since 7 Dec. 2017, soldiers have patrolled daily near the main gate to the al-‘Arrub campus of the Palestinian Technical University and detained students. Therefore, students – including those from the nearby al-‘Arrub R.C. – now take detours to enter the campus via other gates and so avoid the soldiers. This harassment infringes upon students’ rights to move freely, study and maintain ordinary social ties. For the hundreds of students on campus, basic rights are subject to the whims of the military, which views them as privileges that can be revoked at random, with no accountability.

Since 30 March 2018, at protests near the Gaza fence, over 3,600 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli live gunfire, and dozens – incl. at least 12 minors – have been killed. Gaza’s healthcare system, already failing after a decade under Israeli blockade, cannot provide them the care they need. Rehabilitation options are also few and too expensive for most. Israel is responsible for this situation: it ordered the unlawful shooting, brought the Gazan healthcare system to the verge of collapse and is denying rehabilitation, in or out of Gaza. These are the stories of three boys who were injured. Two have lost a leg. Their lives will never be the same.

Over the last year, the Civil Administration revoked permits to work in Israel or settlements from hundreds of Palestinians who share the family name of an attack perpetrator. The workers and their families depend upon these permits, which were revoked months ago and have not been returned. This is yet another example of Israel’s arbitrary actions in the West Bank, which governs the Palestinians’ lives and form part of organized state violence aimed at perpetuating Israeli control over a civil population that is denied political rights.

Over the past six months, B’Tselem carried out a special project documenting how the settlement of Beit El, established in 1977 near al-Jalazun Refugee Camp, affects life in the camp. As part of this project, B’Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad collected dozens of testimonies from local residents that bring to light different aspects of this impact. The photos below show what life is like in the camp, with its crowded, neglected streets; the absence of children’s playgrounds; settlement homes built right beside the school; and the attempt to lead normal lives in these conditions.

Since 30 March 2018, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli live fire at protests near the Gaza fence. Doctors there report unusually severe injuries and the healthcare system, already failing after a decade of Israeli blockade, cannot provide proper care. Rehabilitation options are also few and too expensive for most. Israel is responsible for this state of affairs: it ordered the unlawful shooting, brought the Gazan healthcare system to the verge of collapse and is denying the wounded rehabilitation – in or out of Gaza.

Settler violence against Palestinians has long since become a part of life under the occupation. During plowing season, the military uses a “coordination system” supposedly meant to allow Palestinians to access their farmland, with soldiers there for protection against settlers. B’Tselem’s research of the season this March in Ramallah District reveals that, as in past years, settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers. In some cases, soldiers were present and did nothing, and in others they joined in. In this way, Israel removes Palestinians from their land, paving the way to land grab.

Al-Jalazun R.C., north of Ramallah, has some 14,000 residents, 5,000 of them minors. The settlement of Beit El, built nearby in 1977, has expanded toward the camp and the schools at its entrance, resulting in a constant military presence on the roads leading to the school, which, in turn, leads to recurrent clashes with the local Palestinian residents. The Israeli military’s conduct during these clashes disrupts classes and puts students in danger as they walk to and from school and even inside the school, as the teargas the soldiers so often fire penetrates the classrooms.

On 4 Feb. 2018, 20 members of the Qabaha family from the village of Tura al-Gharbiya who work in a settlement industrial zone discovered that their work permits had suddenly been revoked. For nearly three months, Israel has been denying them and their families their livelihood without offering any explanation. This is but another example that illustrates the injurious impact of Israel’s policies in the Occupied Territories, the military’s arbitrary and indiscriminate use of power, and the blanket denial of Palestinians’ rights in the West Bank.

In 2000 the Israeli military blocked the road linking the southern Hebron neighborhood of Khirbet Qalqas (pop. 3,000) with the rest of the city. Ever since, residents have had to cross Route 60 on foot or travel by a roundabout route to reach the rest of the city. Six Palestinians have been killed crossing Route 60 in recent years. The military ignores residents’ demands to reopen the access road, and has met their protests with stun grenades and teargas. This is but another case of Israel’s repeated abuse of power, making decisions that radically disrupt Palestinians’ lives without consulting them. This situation will end only when the occupation does.