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Bethlehem Governorate: Fragmentation and Humanitarian Concerns January 2015

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Bethlehem Governorate: Fragmentation and Humanitarian Concerns January 2015 UNITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory BETHLEHEM GOVERNORATE: FRAGMENTATION AND HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS JANUARY 2015 KEY FACTS � Around 210,000 Palestinians currently live in Bethlehem governorate, including some 6,000 in 17 residential areas located in Area C, which is directly controlled by Israel. � 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 Jerusalem 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 Gush Etzion 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). P. O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem 91386 l tel. +972 (0)2 582 9962 l fax +972 (0)2 582 5841 l [email protected] l www.ochaopt.org Scan it! with QR reader App United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs BETHLEHEM GOVERNORATE FRAGMENTATION: MAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN 2014 oPt Settlements' Nature Reserves Closed Military Zone Area C Israeli Civil Palestinians1 October kidnap and Israeli authorities 25 August: 12 June: 24 September: Municipal Boundaries for training C AdministrationD declares 3,799 E subsequently killThe three FICA Israeli announced youths. theirpromote G plan to build 2,610H housing I J K L dunums as “state land”. intention to construct a newunits in Giv’at HaMatos settlement. Yeshiva 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 Gilo 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 Beit Jala 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 Green Line released during the “Shalit deal” 18 Akko July Efrat Start of Gaza offensive 7 Ovnat College Haifa Palestinian boy kidnapped and killed 2 Tiberias Nahal Gevaot Bodies of 3 Israeli youths found 30 Neve Daniel 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 El'azar settlers opened a road , despite HCJ Area A/B ) Pal. National Consensus 2 ne Jenin Bat Ayin injunction forbidding works in the area, Area C Li Government formed Allon Shevut Teqoa n connectingEfrat athe outpost referred to by Israeli Nature Reserve 20 NM e settlers as Givat Eitam to the settlement Oslo Accords re Surif Kefar Ezyon Settlement municipal area 21 (G Tulkarm Tubas of Efrata. The later was approved by Tuqu' Noqedim e Nablus 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 “Nakba day”N demonstrations e Qalqilyah W e s t 5 Governorate Boundry ic A dunums east of the barrier rout near t D s B a n k R i 3 NM Tel Aviv Salfit Khirbet al Nahaleh. Barrier O m J r Jan ‘09 - Nov ’12 Beit Fajjar Constructed A Lod R 9 RamallahEnd of Israeli PalestinianE negotiationsBe24it Ummar Under Construction Ramla V 4 I April 9 Fatah andJer Hamasicho concludeR a unity pact 23 1 4 July Planned Route Palestine Accession to 15 1 Beit ummar Jerusalem International Treaties Settlers take over a forest near Beit Fajjar 4th phase of Prisoners releaseK armei Zur and announce establishment of ‘tourist A 29 18 NM E cancelled S site’ in commemoration of the three Bethlehem 22 D Beit Ula A Israeli youths killed in June 2013 Ma'ale Amos Metzoke Dragot E Jabaliya March D TarqumiyaGaza Hebron Halhul Ein Gedi - S6 aApril'ir Asfar (Mezad) Khan Yunis Halhul Sa'ir Rafah The ICA declared 1,000 dunums of land BTeearsrhqebua miya G a z a Ras as ‘state land’. Mitzpe Shalem I6d NMhna al Joura Ash Shuyukh Fishing limit 6 July: Settlers open a road through Palestinian 4 July: Settlers take over forest 6 April: Israeli Civil Administration declare 1,000 Nov’12 S t r i p landsTelem connecting Efrata settlement to Giv’at Ha’Eitam and announce the establishment of dunums of land as ‘state land’, part of which has been 23 Idhna agricultural farm. a ‘tourist site’. already allocated for settlement development. D e a d Adora S e a I S R A E L E G Y P T Taffuh Kiryat Arba Bani Na'im 24 Dura Beit 'Awwa Nahal Negohot J O R D A N Haggay Al Fawwar Pene Hever Elat 25 F O A B F A L Q U A G Yatta.
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