UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN CITY NOVEMBER 2013

KEY FACTS

� Pursuant to a 1997 agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has continued to exercise full control over 20% of Hebron City, known as H2. � The population of H2 includes approximately 40,000 living alongside several hundred Israeli settlers, who reside in four separate settlements. � Current legal proceedings may lead to the establishment of a fifth settlement (the “Rajabi House”) in one of the most sensitive areas of H2. � Over 6,000 Palestinians live in neighbourhoods adjacent to the four settlements, including the bulk of Hebron’s Old City (hereafter: the restricted areas). � There are over 120 physical obstacles, deployed by the Israeli military, which segregate the restricted areas from the rest of the city, including 18 permanently staffed checkpoints. � Several streets in the restricted areas that lead to the Israeli settlements are prohibited for Palestinian traffic and some also for pedestrian movement. � 512 Palestinian businesses in the restricted areas have been closed by Israeli military orders and at least 1,100 others have shut down due to restricted access for customers and suppliers (Hebron Rehabilitation Committee). � More than 1,000 Palestinian homes in the restricted areas, over 40% of the area’s residences, had been abandoned, according to a survey (B’Tselem & ACRI). � Since the beginning of 2012, approximately 700 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces or Israeli settlers in Hebron city, and 44 Israelis were injured by Palestinians.

1. Access restrictions imposed by the Israeli au- the city, as well as other Israeli visitors, and to allow thorities in H2, compounded by systematic settlers to lead a normal life. However, as with all harassment by Israeli settlers and, occasion- other Israeli settlements, the settlements in the ally, by Israeli forces, have resulted in the dis- heart of Hebron City are illegal under inter- placement of thousands of Palestinians and national humanitarian law.1 the deterioration of the living conditions of those who stayed. Support provided by Palestin- 4. There are serious gaps in the enforcement ian authorities and NGOs in recent years, however, of the rule of law on Israeli settlers involved has enabled the re-population of some parts of H2 in violence and intimidation against Palestin- that were abandoned in the past. ians. Incidents include acts of vandalism, property damage, physical attacks, verbal abuse, and the ha- 2. Palestinians living in the restricted areas face rassment of children on their way to school. The serious challenges in accessing basic services, large majority of complaints about settler attacks including schools, emergency health services filed in recent years have been closed by the Israeli and water and sanitation. For example: water Police without indictment. tankers are unable to reach many households, de- nying people a main coping mechanism for water 5. As the occupying power, Israel is obligated to shortages; access of ambulances is often delayed due ensure that the humanitarian needs of Pal- to coordination requirements; some schools can be estinians living in Hebron are met and that reached only on foot and require children to un- they are able to exercise their human rights, dergo daily searches at checkpoints. including their right to freedom of movement and their right to be free from discrimination. Israel also 3. The Israeli authorities justify the restrictions has an obligation to ensure that those responsible imposed on the Palestinian population as a for violence and intimidation are held accountable means to protect the Israeli settlers residing in under Israeli law.

1. UN Secretary General report to the General Assembly on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, A/68/513, 9 October 2013.

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