December 2015 Report

(Ramallah, January 2016) The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) follows up intensely the Israeli violations against the Palestinian farmers to expose the brutality of the occupation to the local and international world.

West Bank

The last three months witnessed the most significant escalation in Israeli violent attacks and clashes across the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The number of martyrs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has reached to 144 Palestinian civilians, including 27 children, while more than 15,000 were wounded with live ammunition and rubber bullets, and suffocated by the teargas, and 2,663 were arrested including 480 children.

Damages to the agricultural sector & Violence against farmers:-

• Israeli forces confiscated ten tents provided as humanitarian assistance in response to the demolition of 14 residential tents and animal shelters in the Area C herding community of Al Hadidiya (northern Jordan Valley) on grounds of lack of Israeli-issued building permits. Five Palestinians were otherwise affected, including a pregnant woman who was physically assaulted and injured by an Israeli soldier while she was trying to gather belongings prior to the demolition.
• During the week, Israeli forces carried out at least five confiscations of vehicles and equipment in the West Bank, including: eight public transport busses in Nablus city (Nablus) citing their use to transport “people involved in riots”; a privately-owned truck loaded with natural fertilizers on its way to Tammun (Tubas), for “carry out materials for illegal works”; a privately-owned bulldozer for carrying out “unauthorised works in Area C” in Beit Dajan (Nablus); and four water pumps in Ad Deir herding community in the northern Jordan Valley.
• 13 Palestinian families living in the Humsa al Buqai’a herding community (Tubas), including 46 children, were displaced from their homes for six hours to make way for Israeli military training
• Additional incidents of obstruction of Palestinian movement and intimidation were reported, including preventing children and teachers from reaching their school in the H2 area of Hebron city
• In Area C, the Israeli authorities bulldozed a farming area next to Shufa village (Tulkarm), on the grounds that it is “state land”, and in the process destroyed a large tomato greenhouse, 4.5 dunums of land planted with spinach, as well as an irrigation network, uprooted and confiscated 150 olive and 40 lemon trees. The affected property was the main source of income for nine families, comprising 59 people
• the Israeli authorities declared 30 dunums of land in the villages of Jinsafut (Qalqiliya) and Deir Istiya (Salfit) as “state land”, for the retroactive legalization of structures as well as new construction in the Israeli settlement of Karnei Shomron
• Around 130 Palestinian families in East Jerusalem are subject to legal proceedings instigated by organizations advancing settlement activities in East Jerusalem, or by the Israeli authorities 
• Ten Israeli settler attacks leading to injury or damage to property were recorded, uprooting 45 olive saplings in al Lubban ash Sharqiya village, injuring of 5 Palestinians; and killing a sheep and attacking the 14-year-old herder.
• Other Violations
• Israeli forces raided a radio station in Hebron City, confiscated equipment therein and delivered a military order to close it for six months, alleging incitement against Israelis
• Israeli forces intensified movement restrictions and searching procedures across many West Bank areas, resulting in long delays and disrupting the access of large parts of the population to services and livelihoods, especially, in Hebron, all routes (including dirt roads) leading to the main traffic arteries (Roads 60, 356, 35 and 317) were either blocked by cement blocks, dirt mounds and metal gates, or controlled by flying checkpoints. . In the Jerusalem governorate, around 20,000 Palestinians continue to be affected by the closure of the main entrance to Ar Ram town, and a permanent checkpoint placed at one of the entrances to Hizma village
• The Israeli authorities served three Palestinian families with eviction orders in the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem to be implemented within 20 days. This follows an Israeli court ruling in favour of the ‘Ateret Cohanim settler organization, which claims ownership over the building
• On 16 December, four Palestinian families residing in the Old City of Jerusalem received notices that Israeli settlers have initiated eviction proceedings against them, claiming ownership of their homes.

Demolitions

During December/2015 at least 15 Palestinian structures were demolished in different Palestinian communities); the explosions severely damaged another 8 homes, rendering them uninhabitable. In addition, the Israeli authorities issued 1 demolition orders against a three-storey building in Jabal Al Mukabbir due to the lack of a building permit, according to the weekly reports of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Gaza

• According to the World Health Organization, on 25 November, Israeli authorities announced raising the minimum age of patient companions eligible to apply for a permit to cross via Erez crossing, en route to hospitals in the West Bank and Israel, to 55 years
• 14 Palestinian fishermen were arrested, including a child, in the context of Israeli restrictions on access to the sea. A staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society was also detained while exiting Gaza via Erez Crossing
• Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians or their property on at least 23 occasions in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) at land and sea, causing injury to four Palestinian fishermen, shepherds and farmers. Israeli forces also entered Gaza on four occasions, during which they carried out land leveling and excavation activities.

Note: numbers and facts rely on the United Nations office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs weekly reports, unless stated otherwise. 

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