UNITED NATIONS, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- For the first time in the history of the Security Council, a UN humanitarian official alerted the Security Council, even though during a closed-door meeting, to the impact of the Israeli settlement activity on the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Valerie Amos, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters following her briefing to the Council "with respect to the issue of settlement activity, I alerted the Council to my concerns about particularly the impact of higher level of settlement violence which has increased." "I also alerted the Council, in relation to East Jerusalem, to my concerns about the proposals for an additional settlement which would cut off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank," she added. She said she demonstrated to Council members, using a map, the impact of increased settlement activity in the West Bank and the impact of the continued Israeli blockade on Gaza and on their economic development.
She stressed that her particular concern is about the dismantling of the Corning crossing, which will lead to a decrease in the commercial activity into and outside of Gaza, further "de-developing" the Strip.
Asked about the mood in the Council, she said "the whole international community accepts that settlement activity is illegal under international law and this is certainly the position that was repeated in the Council today." On the situation in Gaza, she said although there has been progress in commercial activities, their level is nowhere near what it used to be five years ago. Morocco, the only Arab country in the Council, and other Council members belonging to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), last week invited Amos to brief the Council on the issue after the US blocked any Council action, arguing that it is a matter to be discussed bilaterally between Palestinians and Israelis.
Palestinians refused to resume serious direct peace talks with the Israelis until settlement activities stop, even though Jordan is trying this month to bring the two sides together.
Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Loulichki told reporters that "there was a conversion of views (in the Council) that the Israeli settlement activity impedes the normal life of Palestinians, and if everybody is genuinely committed to peace in the Middle East, the continuation of this policy has to end, and Israel has to show the political will" to do so and the intension to resume peace negotiations.
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour echoed that statement, praising French Ambassador Gerard Araud for the "very strong" statement he made in the Council behind closed doors.
The Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor criticized NAM countries for wasting the Council's "precious time" to deal with the settlement issue which is on the table between the parties in Jordan, and said the Council had better discuss Iran's nuclear programme and the "butchering" of the Syrian people.
According to a fact sheet on the West Bank prepared by OCHA, Israel established, since 1967, about 150 settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to some 100 outposts erected by Israeli settlers without official authorization.
The settler population now stands at about 500,000 and its rate of growth is about 5.3 percent per year, compared to 1.8 percent by the Israeli population as a whole.
While fenced or patrolled areas of settlements cover three percent of the West Bank, 43 percent of the occupied land is off-limits for Palestinian use because of its allocation to the settlement's local and regional councils.
More than 60 percent of the Palestinian-owned buildings demolished in 2011, supposedly due to the lack of permit, were located in areas allocated to settlements.
Israel's seizure of land for settlement building and future expansion in the West Bank has resulted in the "shrinking" of space available for Palestinians to sustain their livelihoods and develop adequate housing, basic infrastructure and services.
Besides, settlement expansion plans have led to extensive demolitions of Palestinian homes and the forcible displacement of people.
The failure to respect international law, along with the lack of adequate law enforcement vis-@-vis settler violence and takeover of land has led a state of "impunity," which encourages further violence and undermines the physical security and livelihoods of Palestinians.
Those protesting settlement expansion or access restrictions imposed for the benefit of settlements are "regularly" exposed to injury and arrest by Israeli forces. And while Israeli civil law is applied to settlers, military law is applied to Palestinians, thus discriminating against them.
The fragmentation of the West Bank "undermines the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, which is to be realized with the creation of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel," according to the fact sheet.
Another OCHA fact sheet on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank said the weekly average attacks on civilians and their property has increased by 40 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, and by over 165 percent compared to 2009.
Many of those attacks were carried out by settlers living in settlement outposts, which are small satellite settlements built without authorization, many on Palestinian land. Over 90 percent of Israeli police investigations into incidents of settler violence during the past six years were closed without indictment, thus contributing to continued violence.
Palestinians are discouraged from filing complaints against settlers because Israeli police stations are located inside the settlements.
Under international law, Israel is obligated to prevent attacks against civilians or their property and ensure that all incidents of settler violence are investigated in a thorough, impartial and independent manner.
According to another fact sheet on East Jerusalem, also prepared by OCHA, some 270,000 Palestinians live in the divided city along with 200,000 Israeli settlers living in settlements built since 1967.
While 35 percent of East Jerusalem's land has been confiscated by Israel for the construction of settlements, only 13 percent is zoned for Palestinian construction.
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem lack a secure legal residency status, and some 14,000 of them had their residency revoked by Israeli authorities since 1967. (KUNA
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