Protection Cluster

Monthly Update November 2013

 The Israeli Military Court sentenced two soldiers to 5-6 Highlights from the Protection Cluster Working Group months of prison for beating a Palestinian man who had Protection Concerns crossed into Israel through the fence near Gaza in 2011.  A 14 year old child was moderately injured in Joher El-Deek in  During November, 5 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces the Middle Area after he hammered a mortar shell fuse. in the West Bank, and 1 died of wounds sustained earlier in According to UNMAS, there has been a total of 26 casualties 2013. 304 Palestinians, including 123 children, were injured due to ERW incidents in 2013, including 22 children. by Israeli forces in the West Bank. Out of them, 127 (including 65 children) were injured in the context of demonstration; Updates from Protection Cluster Sub-Groups another 94 (including 19 children) in the context of military operations; and 10 (including 3 children) in the context of Child Protection Working Group search and arrest operations. One Israeli adult and one Israeli  The CPWG is developing a document on child protection in child were injured by Palestinians. humanitarian action and key issues affecting the protection of  Israeli authorities demolished a total of 25 Palestinian children in the State of . The purpose of the document residential and livelihood structures, including 19 structures is to support CPWG members in their resource mobilisation in and 6 in East Jerusalem. As a result, 61 persons, efforts with the donor and the diplomatic community, as well including 29 children, were displaced. as to inform the programmatic response and advocacy.  Since September, PU-AMI has noted an increase in incidents of  A second experts consultation on children in Israeli military land-levelling of Palestinian private property in Yanoun, Urif, detention was held to inform the design of the pilot test of Burin and . The majority of incidents occurred in areas summons for children in two areas of the West Bank, in lieu of where Palestinian access is restricted areas. The purpose of night arrests. The consultation identified and reviewed a the levelling and identity of those responsible have not been number of proposed success factors deemed critical for the determined. success of the pilot. Gaza MRM Working Group on Grave Violations against Children  On 1 November, the Gaza power plant shut down due to the  The MRM Working Group held two meetings in Gaza and the fuel shortage, increasing the electricity deficit from 34 to 60% West Bank for a strategic reflection on the implementation of and exacerbating the power supply crisis across the Gaza the monitoring and reporting mechanism in Israel and Strip. As a result, power outages increased from 8-10 to 16 Palestine. The methodology was based on a strengths, hours a day. Sewage pumping and garbage trucks were weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, grounded due to lack of affordable fuel. On 13 November, a visioning exercise and plenary discussions, with the view to sewage pumping facility in Gaza city malfunctioned and producing an outcome document that sets the direction of the 35,000 cubic metres of raw sewage flooded a neighbourhood. MRM Working Group through to the end of 2016.  During November, the Rafah crossing to Egypt was completely Legal Task Force closed for a total of 18 days, and movement remains limited to West Bank specific categories including medical cases, students, people  Residency permits: The Israeli Ministry of Interior is allowing holding visas and foreign nationals. At least 3,200 persons, expulsions of foreign citizens and Palestinians while they who match the criteria for travel and are registered with the await decisions on residence permits in Israel and East DFA Ministry of Interior, are waiting in Gaza to travel. While Jerusalem: these cases were previously immune from such a the Israeli authorities allowed more Palestinians to cross step. The policy change was announced on the website of the through Erez crossing to Israel and the West Bank during the Population and Immigration Authority on 1 October. last four months (average 28%), the permits do not meet actual demand and the criteria applied has not changed.  Mount Scopus National Park Plan: The Ministry of Interior announced the District Planning and Building Committee’s  Israeli forces detained a 24-year-old Palestinian patient from approval of the Mount Scopus Slopes National Park plan, to be 14 to 26 November upon a security interview following a located between the Palestinian communities of Issawiya and permit request. WHO reported that October recorded the A-Tur and adjacent to the highway leading to E-1. This move highest monthly number of permit denials for medical reasons signals a dramatic push in Israeli efforts to solidify control of and number of patients called for interrogation in 2013. the E-1/Ma'ale Adumim land mass, thereby undercutting the Israel’s denial of permits is compounded by the closure of possibility of a viable Palestinian state. JLAC will appeal to the Rafah, leading to the inability of patients to seek medical district court drawing on deficiencies in the process. treatment which is not available in Gaza.  Susiya: In October, the Israeli Civil Administration’s Sub-  The construction sector is close to collapse due to the tunnel committee for Planning and Licensing issued a detailed closure, affecting the livelihoods of around 70,000 people. decision to reject the plan submitted by RHR. At the same Starting 13 October, Israel banned all imports of construction time, the Subcommittee for Supervision decided to issue final materials, including for the international organizations, demolition orders against all structures in Susiya, and gave an reversing a previous decision in September to allow, for the extension of 60 days for appeals to the courts. The written first time since 2007, construction materials for the use by the decision to reject the plan begins with the Planning private sector. As a result, 19 out of 20 construction projects Subcommittee stating that it refrained from providing detailed run by UNRWA were suspended.

and professional instructions to the planner because of a lack village, and a man with mental disability was shot and injured of substantive justification for advancing the plan in this at 300 metres from the fence near Al-Qarara, east of Khan location. This case also demonstrates the importance of the Younis. On 22 November, 2 Palestinians were shot and injured principled appeal to return planning rights to Palestinians in by Israeli soldiers near the Muslim Cemetery east of Jabaliya Area C. in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli army spokeswoman  Al-Qirami buildings, Old City: Adv. Hussam Yunis reported that stated that Palestinians "sabotaged" the fence and Israeli legal representation for the families in Qirami is ongoing and forces responded by "opening fire on their lower extremities”. that documents for renovation permits will be lodged shortly.  On 23 November, 3 Palestinian children were arrested by The municipality indicated that the required permits will be Israeli forces near the fence east of Gaza valley; they were issued in matter of days of receipt of the application. released later the same day and returned to Gaza. Another  Wadi Fuqin: St Yves reported a success in this case, in which Palestinian was reportedly detained on 26 November after eviction orders were frozen as the owner proved the crossing through the fence. boundaries of the Turkish Tabu, and could apply to register  At sea, restrictions continued to be imposed on Palestinian the additional land. In another case, a neighbouring access to fishing areas, including use of live fire against community has been given the right to apply to register their fishermen. Israeli naval forces reportedly arrested a total of 6 land and in the judgment it was noted that the ‘owner’ does fishermen in northern Gaza strip, including after opening fire not have to prove ownership beyond reasonable doubt, just at them. On 10 November, 2 fishermen were arrested and what is reasonable for a reasonable authority. their boat confiscated at 3 NM west of Beit Lahia. On 17  Ashayah: Ashayah is zoned a Jewish cemetery and demolition November, 2 fishermen were arrested and their boat and orders are being issued for the houses in the area. NRC is fishing equipment confiscated at 1 NM, close to the 1.5 km no- representing one case in which the order was given during fishing zone in northern Beit Lahia. On 27 November, another construction, but there are at least 10 families (about 70 2 fishermen were arrested and their boat was confiscated at people) in the same situation who bought apartments with 500 metres from the Rafah coast. such orders. Legal options are almost exhausted and a civil  Shortage of affordable fuel has reportedly resulted in only 370 suit has been filed to challenge the original ‘agreement to the out of 3,700 fishermen being able to go to sea. Only 5-7 out of demolition’ and arguing that IPCC are working on a plan and 20 trawlers and one third of the number of small fishing boats trying to change the order from an administrative order. The are operational. demolition is likely to be implemented early next year. There are also ongoing judicial demolition order cases. The only way Advocacy Initiatives to provide assistance from a planning perspective is through collective planning, as individual plot plans will be rejected as Reports, outputs and events by PCWG members the whole land needs to be re-zoned from cemetery.  On 21 November, the HCT Advocacy Working Group organized  Sheikh Jarrah (Sabbagh case): A court hearing was held on 21 an advocacy event in Gaza to mark one year since the ceasefire November, and a decision will be given on 17 February 2014 understanding that ended the escalation of hostilities in Gaza whether to dismiss the ownership case or continue the and southern Israel in 2012. The Humanitarian Coordinator hearings. In the meantime, the defence must submit the list of undertook a field visit to a community centre in Jabalia Camp, cases/precedents that prove ownership of the land and its arranged in cooperation with the Palestinian Center for response to the validity of the Jewish Committees registration Democracy and Conflict Resolution, Bina’ for Development in the Table of Rights. The claimant will respond after 30 days. and UNICEF, followed by an HCT press conference for national and international media at an UNRWA school in Jabalia camp. Settler Violence Core Group  On 24 November, Bab al Shams Village Council and the Jahalin  During November, 26 settler-related incidents were recorded, Association attended the Hilversum Palestinian Film Day, out of which 23 resulted in property damage and 3 resulted in where the film Nowhere Left to Go, about the planned forced injuries. 11 Palestinians, including 9 children, were injured, displacement of Jahalin Bedouin from the Jerusalem periphery and 641 trees and 8 Palestinian vehicles were damaged. 4 E-1 area, was screened. The film was also screened at the incidents by Palestinians against settlers led to the injury of 7 Universities of Antwerp and Amsterdam. settlers and the damage of one settler vehicle.  On 14 November, the SVCG discussed the significant increase Protection Mainstreaming in settler/Israeli violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem during 2013 (compared to 2012). Based on  OHCHR, representing the Protection Cluster, participated in incidents documented by OCHA and monitored by OHCHR in the WASH Cluster vetting panel for HPC 2014 projects in Gaza 2013, the number of incidents of settler/Israeli violence in and the West Bank. East Jerusalem increased by 56% and the number of incidents resulting in Palestinian injuries doubled: the most affected Key Dates for December 2013 areas are the Old City and Sheikh Jarrah.. The SVCG mapped Gaza: organizations providing responses to settler/Israeli violence  PCWG @ OHCHR Gaza, 17 December in East Jerusalem, including monitoring, legal assistance and protective presence. West Bank:  The SVCG continued to coordinate protective presence  PCWG @ OHCHR Ramallah, 17 December interventions during the olive harvest, feed reported incidents  SV Core Group @ OHCHR Ramallah, 3 December of settler violence into the documentation of incidents by  LTF West Bank @ NRC, 16 December OCHA, and to assess cases received and refer them for  CPWG @ LACS, 5 December protection responses as appropriate.  MRM WG @ LACS, 11 December Access Restricted Areas Core Group For additional information, contact:  During November, 4 Palestinians were injured in the ARA on PCWG: [email protected]; Settler Violence Core Group: [email protected] land and 6 fishermen were detained at sea. ARA Core Group: [email protected]; LAG: [email protected];  On 13 November, Israeli forces shot and injured two LTF: [email protected]; CPWG: [email protected]; Palestinians in the ARA on land. A farm worker was shot and MRM: [email protected]; MHPSS WG: [email protected] injured around 500 metres from the fence in Al Musadar