On the 40th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Amnesty International and its supporters in Wales today called on the Israeli authorities to end the land-grabbing, blockades and other violations of international law carried out under the occupation.
A 45-page report published today, Enduring Occupation: Palestinians under siege in the West Bank, illustrates the devastating impact of four decades of Israeli military occupation. The report documents the relentless expansion of unlawful settlements on occupied land that deprives the Palestinian population of crucial resources and documents a plethora of measures that confine Palestinians to fragmented enclaves. These measures include a 700km fence, more than 500 checkpoints and blockades, and a complicated system of permits.
Jill Evans MEP (Plaid Cymru), a member of the European Parliament Palestinian Delegation said:
"I very much welcome the timely publication of this report. I have visited Palestine many times and seen at first hand the suffering and despair of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. Each time the situation has been worse. On my last visit in October public services were on the verge of collapse and life for the Palestinian people was becoming unbearable. The Israeli wall had stolen 14,000 hectares of Palestinian land and isolated 50 of their groundwater wells. The closure of the borders by Israel meant that agricultural produce would rot by the roadside and farmers would get no income. Forty one Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council had been abducted by Israeli forces and imprisoned. The killing of civilians went on.”
"Each time I have returned from visits I have written articles for the press about my experiences. Each time I have been overwhelmed by the reaction of people in Wales who care very deeply about the suffering in Palestine and who want to help bring about change.”
"This report is a major contribution to that change. It records graphically and accurately what daily life is like for the Palestinian people. It is shocking and, tragically, it is realistic. I recommend anyone with an interest in human rights and justice to read the report and lobby the government and the European Union to adopt its recommendations. We are witnessing in Palestine a rapid economic deterioration and escalating crisis. On this, the fortieth anniversary, we must do all in our power to prevent total collapse."
Cathy Owens, Programme Director for Wales of Amnesty International said:
“We have all heard about the conflict in the this part of the world, but most of us would be unaware of the impact of illegal security measures on the way in which people can go about their day to day lives, on family life, going to work, farming their land accessing healthcare and education. We take such things for granted here. “
“How would you react if a you could not drive your sick child through a checkpoint to the hospital on the other side of a fence?”
“Harsh restrictions are leading to the virtual collapse of the economy, increasing levels of despair and deprivation. Most Palestinians now rely on aid for subsistence and families are selling assets essential for their livelihoods.”
In its report, Amnesty International acknowledges Israel’s legitimate security concerns and the government’s obligation to protect the population within its borders, but says that this does not justify blatant violations of international law, such as the construction of the fence inside the West Bank on Palestinian land.
Amnesty International is calling on the Israeli authorities to:
Lift the regime of blockades and restrictions on Palestinians in the OPT, which constitute collective punishment, and ensure that restrictions imposed in response to specific security threats only target the individuals concerned – not entire communities.
Halt the construction of the fence/wall inside the West Bank, and remove the sections already built there
Cease the construction or expansion of Israeli settlements and related infrastructure in the OPT as a first step towards removing Israeli settlements and ‘outposts’
Cancel all demolition orders on homes in the OPT, and provide reparation to Palestinians whose homes and properties have already been destroyed.
