The Forbidden Road Regime in the West Bank - An Apartheid Practice
1 أيار/مايو 2002
Israel's Military Operation has Ended but Curfews and Sieges Remain
Following more than three weeks of massive military operations throughout the West Bank, the IDF officially announced the end of "Operation Defensive Shield." Yet, the end of the operation did not bring an end to the extensive military presence in and around Palestinian villages, towns and refugee camps. Many places remain under curfew, confining residents to their homes for weeks on end. The entire West Bank continues to be under complete internal closure (siege), meaning that Palestinians cannot travel from one town or village to the next.
While the extent of these restrictions on freedom of movement is unprecedented, they are not a new phenomenon. Curfews and sieges have been imposed on the Palestinian population throughout the course of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, resulting in grave human rights violations, disrupting all aspects of daily life, and devastating the Palestinian economy for years to come.
The following reports provide just a few examples of the continued suffering resulting from the prolonged curfews and sieges imposed by Israel.
No Way Out - Beit Furiq, Nablus District
At about 3:00 PM on April 4, 2002, border police jeeps drove into Beit Furiq, a village just outside of Nablus, and announced by megaphone that the village was under curfew. The policemen threw several percussion grenades in the streets, and left the village several minutes later. Since then, no soldiers or border policemen have come to announce that the curfew has been lifted. The 8,500 residents of the village have been under curfew for 25 days straight. After more than three weeks of obeying the curfew, the residents of the village have begun to leave their homes in order to obtain food supplies and other basic necessities.
While there are no soldiers present inside the village to enforce the curfew, Israeli security forces surround the village, blocking any movement in or out of Beit Furiq. The siege on the village affects every aspect of daily life and has grave consequences for the residents.
- The village of Beit Furiq is not connected to a running-water network, so the residents rely on water tankers to bring water from wells located outside of the village. As a result of the siege, the tankers have been unable to reach the village since April 4, leaving the residents without water for themselves or their flocks.
- The medical clinic in the village has almost run out of medicine, and the siege makes it impossible to bring in the much-needed supplies.
- The siege has also affected the education system. Of the 174 teachers who work at the schools in the village, 74 are unable to reach Beit Furiq, as they are from other villages in the area.
- Many village residents eke out a meager living by raising chicken and sheep. Due to the closures, they cannot reach markets to sell their goods, and even if they could, there is little demand for these products, as many people cannot afford even these most basic staples.
- As the economic situation has deteriorated since the beginning of the intifada, the municipality lacks the tax income to provide necessary services for residents.
Cut off from the Cities - Bethlehem District
Bethlehem and the surrounding villages (including Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, Al Khader, and A-Duha), which have a population of approximately 100,000, have been under curfew since April 2, 2002. The Israeli military has lifted the curfew 7 or 8 times for periods of 2 to 4 hours, although not always for the entire area. Badra Musa al-Shaer from the village of Takua, which is just outside of Bethlehem, told of a shortage of medicine, milk, and diapers in the village. "There are no vegetables, fruit, meat, or dairy products available. We eat mostly lentils and rice, and the little bit that we have grown in our backyards."
One of the most troubling outcomes of the siege is the inability of residents in small villages to obtain medical care, as they are dependent on hospitals and clinics in the nearby towns. The village of al-Walaja has been under curfew and closure since April 2, 2002. Women in labor have no place to give birth. The village lacks a medical center, and those in need of medical treatment normally rely on the hospitals in Bethlehem and Beit Jala, which they are now unable to reach. Halima al-Atrash, a resident of the village, gave birth in her car after soldiers at the checkpoint refused to let her through to reach the hospital in Beit Jala. Other village residents with chronic medical problems have run out of medicine and have not been able to receive any treatment since the beginning of the month.
Death of a Newborn - Azmut, Nablus District
On April 29, 2002, at around 7:00 PM, 28-year-old Amal 'Afaneh who was seven months pregnant, began feeling extreme abdominal pain. 'Afaneh's relatives considered taking her to the hospital in Nablus by car, a distance of only 5 to 6 kilometers from their village of Azmut. They decided against it, as they feared being shot by Israeli soldiers who are positioned at the entrance to the village and along the road between Azmut and Nablus. The family called the Red Crescent and the Red Cross to request that they send an ambulance. The family was told that this could only be done following coordination with the Israeli military.
While the Red Crescent and the Red Cross worked on obtaining the required Israeli approval, the family called a nurse who lives in the village. The nurse gave 'Afaneh preliminary treatment, and herself called the Red Crescent to urge them to hurry, as 'Afaneh needed treatment that she could not provide.
At 9:00 PM, the family was told that approval had been received and an ambulance was on its way. In fact, the Red Crescent ambulance had already arrived at the entrance to 'Azmut, but was detained for thirty minutes by an Israeli tank crew. The soldiers ordered the ambulance driver, Samir Abu Seir, and the paramedic, Jamal Abu Hamdeh, to open the doors of the ambulance, and take off all their clothes. The soldiers then took away their identification papers, turned off their walkie-talkies, and made them sit on the ground. After searching the ambulance, the soldiers ordered the two men to return to Nablus. The ambulance was forced to leave without 'Afaneh.
When 'Afaneh's relatives heard that an ambulance had been seen leaving 'Azmut, they called the Red Crescent again, and were told that the IDF denied the ambulance entry into the village, and nothing more could be done.
At 9:30 PM, Amal 'Afaneh gave birth. Her baby did not survive. She remains at home, still unable to reach the hospital for follow-up treatment.
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B'Tselem has discontinued its daily briefing, which were intended to provide an indication of the very severe harm to the civilian population during from the IDF incursions. We will now publish a weekly update, reporting on human rights developments in the Occupied Territories.