\n
OCHA Weekly Briefing Notes<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
Update for oPt (13 – 19 October 2004)<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
INSIDE<\/strong><\/span>INSIDE<\/u><\/strong><\/span>: Casualties — Incidents involving ambulances — Curfew — House demolition\/Demolition orders\/People displaced — Land levelling\/Requisitions —<\/strong><\/span> <\/span>Closures\/restrictions on movement — Access to schools — Labour movement to Israel — Other — Appendix<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
1.<\/strong> Casualties<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Palestinians: Deaths: 25; Injured: 82 (approximate)<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Israelis: Deaths: 1; Injured: 3<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Sources: OCHA FCU, PRCS, UNRWA, IDF website, Israeli MoFA.<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
2. <\/strong>Incidents involving ambulances and medical teams<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
West Bank<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
Denial of access<\/strong>: 1<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Delay (30 minutes)<\/strong>: 0<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Shooting\/Damage to Ambulance<\/strong>: 0<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Gaza<\/u><\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
Denial of access<\/strong>: 0<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Delay (30 minutes)<\/strong>: 0<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Shooting\/Damage to Ambulance<\/u>: 0<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Sources: OCHA FCU, PRCS, Palestinian MoH<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
3. <\/strong>Curfews<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
Curfew was reported in the following locations:<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Sources: OCHA FCU, Village Councils, UNRWA, Palestinian DCL<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
4. <\/strong>House demolitions\/Demolition orders\/People displaced<\/u><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
West Bank<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>13 October<\/strong>: Eleven persons lost accommodation after the IDF demolished a house in Hebron city where a “wanted” Hamas leader was allegedly hidden. The house belonged to the father in law of the “wanted” man.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>13 October<\/strong>: A one-storey house, shelter for one family, was demolished in Jalbun village east of Jenin. The IDF called for the owner of the house, a “wanted man”, to surrender. The man was not present before demolition began. The inhabitants were not given time to evacuate belongings. When trying to remove some of the furniture from the demolished house, the brother of the owner was injured and transported to a hospital in Jenin.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>14 October<\/strong>: Nine persons lost accommodation after the IDF demolished a house in Hebron old city. The house belonged to the father of the Be‘er Sheva suicide bomber. Four neighbouring houses were also partially destroyed during the demolition operation.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Gaza<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>13 October<\/strong>: The IDF demolished 29 houses and partially destroyed five houses in Block J and Al Barahma area in Rafah.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>15 October<\/strong>: The IDF demolished two two-storey houses in the area west of Brazil quarter in Rafah.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>16 October<\/strong>: The IDF demolished four houses in Block O west of Brazil quarter in Rafah.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Sources: OCHA FCU, UNRWA<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
5. <\/strong><\/span>Land levelling\/Requisitions<\/u><\/strong><\/span>1<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
West Bank<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>14 October<\/strong>: The IDF uprooted 11 olive and fig trees near Road 505 belonging to a resident of Marda village, Salfit district, under the pretext that children throw stones from the area at military jeeps.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>16 October (ongoing)<\/strong>: Israeli contractors guarded by IDF and security guards started levelling land for the construction of the Barrier in Beit Mirsim village, Hebron district.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Sources: OCHA FCU, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, UNRWA, Palestinian DCL, Village Council<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
6. <\/strong><\/span>Closure<\/u><\/strong><\/span>2<\/sup><\/span>\/Restrictions on movement<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Tulkarm\/Qalqiliya\/Salfit governorates<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>In Tulkarm Governorate, the IDF maintained the restricted movement on the local populations by manning all parts of the Kafriat checkpoint and only allowing vehicles through if the occupants had special permits. In general, only residents of Jbara and Shufa have been able to cross the checkpoint in their own vehicle without needing a special permit.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>The IDF, on 13 October, imposed restricted movement on the local population in Qalqiliya town following a security alert, which lasted the whole week. The restriction also resulted in a closure of the tunnel between Habla and Qalqiliya town. The DCO checkpoint has been manned and everyone has to be checked. Vehicles are also checked.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t\t<\/span>At Jaljoulia checkpoint a gate has been installed between the two ends of the Barrier on each side of Road 55 enabling the IDF to physically close the checkpoint.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>In Salfit district, the movement between the villages continues to be hampered by the existence of roadblocks and earth mounds, and the restrictions to travel on the main roads. The roadblock at Yasuf village east of Salfit town was temporary removed by the IDF some two weeks ago to allow trucks to enter in conjunction with the rehabilitation of the road between Salfit town and Iskaka. The IDF has informed the Palestinian DCL that the roadblock will be back in place 23 October. Meanwhile, the IDF controls the movement through a flying checkpoint, which has been present under the bridge between Iskaka and Salfit town since the removal of the roadblock.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
•\t<\/span>Barrier Gates:<\/p><\/div>\n\n
\t<\/span>Opening hours remain erratic – which is somewhat due to the fact that the same military jeep is responsible for opening multiple gates that have the same opening hours. Despite three announced opening hours, the IDF rarely opens the gate at the announced mid-day hours unless farmers are waiting. In general, farmers report that opening hours are in conflict with the celebration of Ramadan as last hours are too late and mid-day hours are too early to return from harvest.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
15 October<\/strong>: The Azzun Atma gate in Qalqiliya Governorate was reported closed between 6am and 10am.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
15 to 16 October<\/strong>: The Kfur Thulth gate was reported closed 15 October and during morning hours on 16 October. Farmers from Ad Dab’a also use this gate to bring produce to the olive press in Kfur Thulth. They were prevented from crossing the gate these two days and were thus forced to take a detour through the Ras a Tira gate.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n
_______________<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
1<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>4 dunums = 1 acre; 10 dunums = 1 hectare<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n