On 11 October, around 1:00 PM, the IOF closed checkpoints leading to the city of Nablus, as well as the roads and entrances to several surrounding towns and villages, imposing a siege on the city after the killing of an IOF soldier. Not only are these operations violating fundamental rights guaranteed to the protected Palestinian population under the Fourth Geneva Convention, they are also in serious breach of Palestinians’ right to freedom of expression and freedom of association. In addition to the heavy deployment of occupying forces, Palestinians in the besieged areas of Shuafat and Anata witnessed IOF and settlers under IOF protection infiltrate and damage residential buildings and shops, as well as suppress peaceful marches formed by the residents protesting the seige. This delay resulted in her giving birth on the road, en route to the hospital. In another instance, on that same day between 5:00-6:00 PM, the severe overcrowding and delay at the checkpoint prohibited the safe and urgent transportation of a woman in the midst of giving birth, requiring her to be carried through a pedestrian path at the checkpoint, while she was undergoing labor and screaming, “God will help me, the baby will be born. In one instance, on 12 October 2022, an elderly, disabled Palestinian man, in need of urgent medical attention, was turned away at the checkpoint and told that if his urgency to reach a hospital was necessary he could take an ambulance, an option that is not only cost-prohibitive (costing around 550 NIS), but is in blatant violation of his right to movement and access to medical care. Įven during the limited instances in which occupying forces open checkpoints, all movement is slowly and meticulously inspected, lasting hours and arbitrarily prohibiting passage, regardless of military necessity. The prolonged closures, and the resulting restrictions it imposes upon access to essential services, are in violation of Israel’s international human rights obligations to the Palestinian population to provide access to “all basic and life-giving services,” as well as its responsibility to ensure “the free passage of all consignments of medical and hospital stores”. As an Occupying Power, Israel must ensure that Palestinians have access to medical services. They have also prevented at least 3,000 patients in the besieged areas from receiving required daily medical treatment, including 350 patients in need of dialysis to prevent kidney failure. The closures have stopped 15,000 Palestinian workers from attending their jobs and 15,000 students from going to their schools and universities. The entrances to Shuafat and Anata were respectively closed by the IOF, depriving approximately 130,000 Palestinians of their right to movement, work, education, access to medical treatment and worship. These measures are ongoing and Al-Haq continues to monitor the escalating situation. Al-Haq calls for the immediate suspension of Israel’s operations that amount to collective punishment against the Palestinian people, in violation of Article 50 of the Hague Regulations, Article 33 of the Geneva Conventions and widespread and systematic acts of persecution against the civilian Palestinian population.īeginning on 12 October 2022, Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) have maintained a siege and launched repeated incursions against Palestinians living in the Shuafat refugee camp and in the village of Anata, located within the city of Jerusalem. Israel has been implementing collective punishment measures against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) with the closure of Palestinian cities, villages and roads, violating the human rights of Palestinians, including freedom of movement throughout the Palestinian territory.
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