Occupied Palestinian Territories
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 6 AUGUST 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE PALESTINE 6 AUGUST 2009 ContentsU PrefaceH LatestH news EH VENTS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES H FROM 16 JUNE TO 5 AUGUST 2009 RH EPORTS ON THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES H PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 16 JUNE AND 5 AUGUST 2009 Paragraphs BackgroundH information 1. GH EOGRAPHYH ..........................................................................................1.01 MapH s...............................................................................................1.07H 2. EH CONOMYH ..............................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORYH ................................................................................................3.01 TheH Palestine Mandate: 1917 – 1947H ...........................................3.01 Arab/IsraeliH wars and Palestinian refugees: 1948 – 1987H .....3.03 TheH Peace Process: 1991 to presentH...........................................3.10 OsloH Accords – September 1993H ...............................................3.12 CampH David Summit - July 2000H ................................................3.14 Al-AqsaH Intifada (Second Uprising) and Israeli DisengagementH from the Gaza Strip: 2000 to 2005H ...................3.15 PalestinianH National Authority (PNA) – 1996 to 2007H ................3.22 DisintegrationH of the PNA in 2006H ...............................................3.27 IsraeliH SettlementsH ........................................................................3.31 SettlerH violenceH .............................................................................3.36 TheH Separation Wall .....................................................................3.38H 4. RH ECENT DEVELOPMENTSH ........................................................................4.01 IsraeliH ‘siege’ of the OPTsH ............................................................4.02 TheH Gaza War: December 2008 to February 2009H ......................4.05 HamasH takes control of the Gaza StripH ......................................4.05 TriggeringH the “Gaza War”H .........................................................4.06 EventsH between February and June 2009H...................................4.10 5. PH ALESTINIAN REFUGEESH ........................................................................5.01 DifferentH ‘categories’ of refugeeH ..................................................5.01 SizeH of the refugee populationH.....................................................5.03 TheH United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA)H ..........5.05 UNRWAH Services to Palestine refugeesH .....................................5.06 6. PH OLITICAL SYSTEMH ................................................................................6.01 HumanH RightsH 7. IH NTRODUCTIONH .......................................................................................7.01 8. SH ECURITY SITUATIONH .............................................................................8.01 9. SH ECURITY FORCESH.................................................................................9.01 OverviewH H ........................................................................................9.01 PoliceH and Security ApparatusH ....................................................9.02 ArbitraryH arrest and detentionH .....................................................9.05 TortureH H ...........................................................................................9.08 IsraeliH ForcesH .................................................................................9.11 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 15 June 2009. ii Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 5 August 2009. 6 AUGUST 2009 OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 10. JH UDICIARYH ...........................................................................................10.01 OverviewH H ........................................................................................10.01 OrganisationH H ..................................................................................10.02 IndependenceH and fair trialH ..........................................................10.04 11. DH EATH PENALTYH ..................................................................................11.01 12. H ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTSH ............................................12.01 13. PH RISON CONDITIONSH ............................................................................13.01 14.H POLITICAL AFFILIATIONH ........................................................................14.01 FreedomH of political expressionH ..................................................14.01 FreedomH of association and assemblyH .......................................14.02 PoliticalH prisoners/violenceH .........................................................14.04 15.H FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIAH .........................................................15.01 16.H HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTSH .............16.01 17.H CORRUPTIONH .......................................................................................17.01 18.H FREEDOM OF RELIGIONH ........................................................................18.01 19.H ETHNIC GROUPSH ..................................................................................19.01 20.H LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONSH .....................20.01 LegalH rightsH ...................................................................................20.01 GovernmentH and societal discriminationH ...................................20.05 21. WH OMENH ...............................................................................................21.01 OverviewH H ........................................................................................21.01 SocioH Economic/Legal RightsH .....................................................21.04 ViolenceH against womenH ..............................................................21.09 HonourH CrimesH ..............................................................................21.14 22. CH HILDRENH ............................................................................................22.01 OverviewH H ........................................................................................22.01 CivilH rights, childcare and protectionH..........................................22.06 ViolenceH against children.............................................................22.07H EducationH H ......................................................................................22.13 HealthH and welfareH ........................................................................22.17 23.H MEDICAL ISSUESH ..................................................................................23.01 GeneralH healthH ...............................................................................23.01 HealthcareH systemH ........................................................................23.02 HealthH care deliveryH ......................................................................23.04 MentalH HealthH ................................................................................23.10 DrugH availabilityH ............................................................................23.14 24.H HUMANITARIAN ISSUESH ........................................................................24.01 25.H FREEDOM OF MOVEMENTH .....................................................................25.01 SeparationH WallH .............................................................................25.10 TravelH permits and ID cardsH .........................................................25.13 26. CH ITIZENSHIP AND STATUSH .....................................................................26.01 StatelessH PalestiniansH ..................................................................26.01 StatusH of Palestinians in East JerusalemH ...................................26.02 27.H FORGED AND FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTSH ..............................................27.01 28.H EXIT AND RETURNH ................................................................................28.01 AH NNEXES AH NNEX AH – HChronology of major events H AH NNEX B H – HCamp Profiles – West Bank & Gaza Strip AH NNEX C H – HNon-state Armed Groups AH NNEX D H – IDH Cards AH NNEX E H – HGuide to acronyms AH NNEX F H – HReferences to source material iii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 15 June 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 5 August 2009. PALESTINE 6 AUGUST 2009 PrefaceU i This Country of Origin Information Report (COI Report) has been produced by COI Service, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA), for use by officials involved in the asylum/human rights determination process. The Report provides general background information about the issues most commonly raised in asylum/human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. The main body of the report includes information available 15 June 2009. The ‘Latest News’ section contains further brief information on events and reports accessed 16 June 2009. The report was issued 6 August 2009. ii The Report is compiled