UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory GOVERNORATE: FRAGMENTATION AND HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS JANUARY 2015

KEY FACTS

� Around 210,000 currently live in , including some 6,000 in 17 residential areas located in , which is directly controlled by . � There are over 100,000 Israeli settlers residing in 19 settlements and settlement outposts across the governorate, including in those parts de facto annexed by Israel to the municipality. � More than 85% of Bethlehem governorate is designated as Area C, the vast majority of which is off limits for Palestinian development, including almost 38% declared as “firing zones”, 34% designated as “nature reserves”, and nearly 12% allocated for settlement development.1 � Less than 1% of Area C in Bethlehem has an outline plan approved by the Israeli authorities allowing Palestinians to build legally. � Since 2009 the Israeli authorities demolished 118 Palestinian structures in Area C of Bethlehem governorate, citing lack of building permits, displacing 174 people; around half of the structures demolished were funded by donors. � 56 km of the Barrier’s route are located within Bethlehem governorate, of which 42% are complete and 20% under construction. If completed as planned, 12 communities, will be physically separated from the rest of the governorate. � Farmers in at least 22 communities across the governorate require visitor permits or prior coordination to access their privately-owned land located behind the Barrier or in the vicinity of settlements. � From 2009 through 2014, OCHA recorded 162 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage, as well as 73 Palestinian attacks resulting in Israeli casualties or damage to property throughout the governorate. � In 2014, four Palestinians, including two children, were killed by Israeli forces in clashes that erupted during protests and military operations across Bethlehem, and another 1,292, including 614 children, were injured.

Israeli policies and practices applied since the A range of restrictions on the access of Palestinian beginning of the occupation, which have accelerated farmers to land that was not seized for settlement in recent years, have resulted in the increasing development or military training have undermined fragmentation of the Bethlehem governorate and its the agricultural livelihoods of many families. Access population. These include the annexation of areas to to private land located within the outer limits of Israel; the seizure of land and its allocation for settlement settlements, in areas where settler violence is recurrent, development and for military training; the imposition or behind the Barrier, is subject to a permit system or of physical and administrative access restrictions; the to prior coordination with the Israeli authorities. The inadequate planning and zoning regime; and ineffective limited number of days allocated via these mechanisms enforcement of the law on Israeli settlers, among others. and the related restrictions on the entry of vehicles and machinery to these areas have been negatively impacting The establishment and continuous expansion of Israeli productivity. settlements throughout the governorate is one of the key drivers of vulnerability among Palestinians. The Israeli authorities fail to effectively enforce the The declaration of large areas as public land (also known rule of law in regard to acts of violence and takeover as “state land”) and their allocation for settlement of land by Israeli settlers, further undermining the development has contributed to the shrinking of space safety, mental health, and livelihoods of Palestinians. available for Palestinians to sustain their livelihoods and Israeli forces often fail to stop attacks and follow-up develop adequate housing and services. The Barrier afterwards is inadequate or poorly conducted. The policy planned around the settlement block, if to retroactively ‘legalizing’ settlement outposts built on completed, will separate Bethlehem’s rural hinterland public land taken over without any official authorization from the urban centre and impair people’s access to contributes to an atmosphere of impunity. services. As the occupying power, Israel is obligated to Palestinian building is prohibited in the absolute ensure that the humanitarian needs of Palestinians in majority of Area C across the governorate, resulting Bethlehem are met and that they are able to exercise in the demolition of structures built without permits their human rights, including their right to enjoy their and the displacement of people. It has also resulted natural resources and to be free from discrimination. Israel is the movement of young couples to Areas A and B also has an obligation to ensure that those responsible for in order to meet their housing needs. This prohibition violence and takeover of land are held accountable. The is implemented as part of planning processes and transfer of Israeli population into the occupied territory is institutions, which exclude Palestinian participation while prohibited. fully integrating Israeli settlers.

1. These figures include areas designated as “nature reserves” in the context of the 1998 Wye River Agreement between Israel and the PLO, which are de facto administered as Area C. The three categories within Area C partially overlap (see map).

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BETHLEHEM GOVERNORATE FRAGMENTATION: MAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN 2014 oPt

Nature Reserves Area C Israeli Civil Palestinians1 October kidnap and Israeli authorities promote Settlements' Closed Military Zone 25 Aug: 12 June: 24 Sept: Municipal Boundaries for training C AdministrationD declares 3,799 E subsequently killThe three FICA Israeli announced youths. theirplan Gto build 2,610 housingH units in I J K L dunums as “state land” intention to construct a newGiv’at HaMatos settlement. and houses on 70 Abu Dis Qedar Qalya dunums of land previously East Talpiyyot

October 38% declared as “state land” near Jabal al Mukabbir 12% 34% 85% Al Walaja 1 Oct: Israeli Civil Osh al Ghurab area Beit Safafa Administration publishes Wadi Nar 19 an outline plan for the Sur Bahir establishment of a Jewish 25 August religious school in an area September Har Homa Al 'Ubeidiya previously declared as The ICA declaredHar G 3,799ilo dunums Gilo Occupied Palestinian ‘state land’. of land as ‘state land’ , reportedly End of Gaza offensive 26 Wadi Fuforkin the expansion of the Givaot Territory L E B A N O N settlement.

August Tunnels International Ad Doha Beit Sahur Border I S R A E L Al KhadrAd Duheisha Camp Re-arrest of Palestinian prisoners Betar Illit 20 released during the “Shalit deal” 18 Akko July Start of Gaza offensive 7 Ovnat College Haifa Palestinian boy kidnapped and killed 2 Tiberias Nahal Bodies of 3 Israeli youths found 30 Neve Daniyyel NazarethAl Jab'a M E D I T E R R A N E A N Al 'Asakira Rosh Z6u rJulyim Legend S E A June 3 Israeli youths kidnapped 12 Efrata Area A/B settlersEl'a zaopenedr a road , despite HCJ ) Pal. National Consensus 2 ne injunction forbidding works in the area, Area C Li Government formed Allon Shevut n connecting the outpost referred to by Israeli Nature Reserve 20 NM e settlers as Givat Eitam to the settlement Oslo Accords re Kefar Ezyon Settlement municipal area 21 (G of Efrata. The later was approved by Tuqu' Noqedim e May Israeli as an “agricultural outpost” includ- Israeli closed military area 12 NMin Gush Etzion Bertini Lcommitment ingM i2,500gdal O housingz units on about 1,700

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