22 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT FMR 26 Territorial fragmentation of the West Bank by David Shearer
A combination of checkpoints, physical obstacles One key impact of the closure system is the way it has isolated residents of and a permit system has cut the West Bank into the West Bank from East Jerusalem, three distinct areas – in addition to East Jerusalem. the traditional centre of Palestinian Within these areas, sub-enclaves have been created, religious and cultural life and where isolating many Palestinian communities, restricting important health and education services are located. Reaching the their access to services and stifling commerce. Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of the most holy sites for Muslims, The closure system in the West and trenches. The total number of for example, is no longer possible Bank refers to a series of restrictions these has steadily risen since last for most West Bank Palestinians. placed by the Israel Defense Forces year, from 376 in August 2005 to (IDF) to control the movement of 535 in June 2006 – a 25% increase. The construction of the Barrier more than 2.3 million Palestinians has meant that Palestinians can no living there. The Israeli government n The Barrier that Israel has longer travel through Jerusalem states that these closure measures constructed loops inside the but instead have to take a winding are required to prevent Palestinian West Bank and has created a road around the city. Once the militant attacks on Israeli civilians. number of enclaves between Barrier is completed this road will the Barrier and the Green Line pass under the Barrier through The closure system has become that are difficult to access. specially constructed tunnels thereby steadily more sophisticated and has preventing Palestinians from using increasingly channelled Palestinian n There are increasing numbers of Israeli roads that go to settlements. traffic onto smaller, local roads, ‘flying’ or random checkpoints leaving main – often recently – averaging more than 160 a The urban and manufacturing hub of purpose-built – routes reserved week – throughout the West the main towns of Nablus, Ramallah, exclusively for Hebron and Jericho, that Israeli checkpoint Israeli settlers to are critical for Palestinian near Qalandiya travel to settlements jobs and the economy, refugee camp inside the West are also difficult to Bank. There are access because of tight now approximately restrictions. Jericho, for 430,000 settlers example, is encircled by living in the a ditch on three sides and West Bank. International Jeffrey/ACT Paul all traffic is funnelled through two checkpoints Restrictions on that frequently close. movement are at the heart of Prior to the start of the Palestinian the second intifada economic decline. in September 2000 Poverty rates for more than 150,000 Palestinians have soared to 56% and Bank that create unpredictable Palestinians worked in Israel. Nearly are predicted to rise to 74% by the closure and often extensive delays 90% of those people have now lost end of 2006. Commerce and trade for Palestinian movement. their jobs. Many have turned to depends on the free movement farming as one of the few economic of goods and services. But in the n The IDF have implemented a alternatives for the increasing number West Bank economic activities range of different permits to of unemployed. But movement have become severely restricted restrict the use of many routes restrictions prevent good returns. due to the closure system. within the West Bank. Getting into Increasingly, vendors of perishable the enclave areas, for example, products such as vegetables and Closure is imposed by one or is increasingly difficult for fruit have no access to markets. a combination of methods: Palestinians as Israel is narrowing the eligibility criteria for permits The Jordan Valley has long been an n Manned checkpoints and a series that are needed to pass through the important Palestinian agricultural of physical obstacles such as road Barrier to land on the other side. area. Today, no Palestinian who is blocks, road gates, earth mounds not originally from that area can FMR 26 PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT 23 go there unless they have a permit Economy spiralling downwards Palestinians. But the private sector to work in an Israeli settlement. relies on the free movement of goods Jordan Valley farmers cannot rely on The economy is predicted to contract and labour – and both are severely moving their goods to markets and by a further 25% in the coming curtailed by the closure system. often spend hours at checkpoints months if Palestinian Authority (PA) resulting in substantial losses of employees continue not to receive As the economic crisis deepens, highly perishable agricultural crops. salaries. Following the Hamas victory humanitarian aid is increasingly in the January elections, PA revenues being looked upon as a primary As the closure system becomes more dried up. Half of the PA’s income support mechanism for Palestinians. institutionalised it has a myriad of came from taxes on Palestinian But it is insufficient and aid alone other impacts. Many communities goods that entered through Israeli is not capable of maintaining PA depend on water tankers for ports. Israel has suspended passing institutions. Furthermore, vital access domestic water supplies during the on those revenues, as it is obligated by humanitarian agencies is becoming summer but the closures can make to under the Protocol on Economic increasingly difficult. International it impossible for water trucks to Relations between the Government of humanitarian organisations report reach their destination and meet Israel and the PLO it signed in 1994.1 increased access incidents in the community needs. Families often find Donors have also halted payments form of delays and denials of access themselves separated by a checkpoint, to the PA. Instead their attention at IDF checkpoints throughout the earth wall or the Barrier from relatives has focused on the private sector as West Bank. UN staff can no longer be and friends who live close by or from an alternative to maintain services guaranteed to get to their places of their regular schools or health clinics. and economic opportunities for work and are being asked to adhere to a variety of unpredictable
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs checking procedures, despite Territorial fragmentation of the West Bank previous agreements with the Israeli authorities.
The Government of Israel MEDITERRANEAN SEA states that the closure regime J e n i n is to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks. But the regime has separated off sections of the West Bank from each other T u b a s T u l k a r m and created tiny enclaves West where people struggle to Bank pass through an increasing Gaza a array of obstacles just to move e Q a l q i l i y a Strip S N a b l u s d
a
e around their communities. D
As the Israeli settlements in the West Bank expand, so too S a l f i t does the sophistication of the ISRAEL restrictions to protect them, all at a cost to Palestinian livelihoods. Increasingly, affluent settlements protected behind walls, fences R a m a l l a h and an array of obstacles sit EGYPT JORDAN J e r i c h o side-by-side with impoverished and increasingly embittered J e r u s a l e m Palestinian communities. LEGEND Just that reality alone is fuel TRISECTION BOUNDARIES for an ongoing conflict.
ENCLAVE BOUNDARIES B e t h l e h e m David Shearer is Head of the UN CONSTRUCTED AND PLANNED BARRIER Office for the Coordination of 1949 ARMISTICE LINE (Green Line) Humanitarian Affairs, Jerusalem. OCHA oPt works to coordinate
H e b r o n humanitarian response within the UN community in the West Bank and Gaza. Email: ochaopt@ un.org. Regularly-updated briefing notes and reports are at: www.humanitarianinfo.org/opt Kilometers
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United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1. www.palestinecenter.org/cpap/documents/ The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion Cartography: OCHA - oPt - May 2006. Base data: PA MoP, July 2000, OCHA update 2006 whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area For comments contact