FACTFINDINGMISSIONTO MAY GAZAANDTHEWESTBANK 2009 AreportbytheBritain-PalestineAllPartyParliamentaryGroup THE DELEGATION ThedelegationfromtheBritain-PalestineAllParty ParliamentaryGroup(BPAPPG)visitedGazaandthe WestBankfrom14thto20thFebruary2009primarily toviewtheimpactofIsraelimilitaryoperationsin Gazafrom27thDecember2008to18thJanuary 2009.1 ThedelegationwasledbyRichardBurdenMP, ChairoftheBPAPPGandincludedTonyLloydMP,Ed DaveyMP,SarahTeatherMP,AndySlaughterMP,Martin LintonMP,SaraApps(OfficeofMartinLinton)and DuncanSinclair(OfficeofRichardBurden).Graham Bambrough(CAABU2)wasalsoamemberofthe delegationandcoordinatedthevisit.Thedelegation wassponsoredbyWelfareAssociation.3 Thedelegationheldarangeofmeetingswithofficials, diplomats,organisationsandindividualsandvisited Ashkelon,GazaandtheWestBank.Theofficialsand institutionstheymetincludedPalestinianPrimeMinister, SalamFayyad,RaffiqHusseini(ChiefofStaffto PalestinianPresidentMahmoudAbbas),UnitedNations ReliefandWorksAgency(UNRWA),UnitedNations OfficefortheCo-ordinationofHumanitarianAffairs (UNOCHA)andtheBritishConsulGeneralinEast Jerusalem.Thedelegationrequestedameetingwith Israel’sMinistryofForeignAffairs,butthisdidnotmeet withapositiveresponse.TheNGOs,civilsocietygroups andindividualswhothedelegationmetincluded: WelfareAssociation,theQattanCentrefortheChild, Palestinianhumanrightsgroups(Al-HaqandPalestinian CentreforHumanRights),Palestinianbusinesspeople, medicalstaff,teachers,academics,politicians,UKand Palestinianjournalists,andotherresidentsofAshkelon, GazaandtheWestBank. TheBritain-PalestineAllPartyParliamentaryGroup wishestothankCAABUandtheWelfareAssociation fortheirassistancewiththisvisit.Thanksalsotoall thoseinternational,PalestinianandIsraeligroupsand Britain-PalestineAllParty individualswhosehelptothedelegationwasinvaluable ParliamentaryGroup inmeetings,inprovidingpersonaltestimoniesandin c/oRichardBurdenMP organisingvisitswithinPalestineandIsrael. HouseofCommons London *Coverphoto(l-r):RichardBurdenMP,SarahTeather MP,MartinLintonMP,AndySlaughterMP,TonyLloyd SW1A0AA MPandEdDaveyMP. *Backcoverphoto:SeparationWall,EastJerusalem. 1 IsraelimilitaryoperationsinGazaduringthisperiodnamedbyIsraelas‘Operation 3 WelfareAssociation(WA-UK)isaBritishregisteredcharity(Reg.number1020238) CastLead.’ withhumanitariananddevelopmentprojectsinPalestineandLebanon.WAhelpedto fundthisAllPartyDelegation.FormoreinformationonWelfareAssociation,visit 2 CAABU(CouncilfortheAdvancementofArab-BritishUnderstanding)provides www.welfareassociation.org.uk. SecretariatservicesfortheBritain-PalestineAllPartyParliamentaryGroup.Formore informationonCAABU,visitwww.caabu.org. CONTENTS Executive Summary............................................................................................................................1 1. The Gaza Strip ..................................................................................................................................2 1.1Introduction.......................................................................................................................................2 1.2Accessforgoods...............................................................................................................................2 1.3Movementofpeople........................................................................................................................3 1.4Thewoundingandkillingofcivilians ............................................................................................3 1.5Widespreaddestructionofcivilianareas ....................................................................................4 1.6Attacksoneconomicinfrastructure ............................................................................................4 1.7Attacksonhospitalsandmedicalfacilities..................................................................................5 1.8Attacksonschools..........................................................................................................................6 1.9Humanitariansituation....................................................................................................................6 1.10Useofwhitephosphorous...........................................................................................................7 1.11Accountability..................................................................................................................................7 2. The West Bank.................................................................................................................................8 2.1Settlementexpansion......................................................................................................................8 2.2Ma’aleAdumimsettlementandtheE1Plan...............................................................................8 2.3ConfiscationofPalestinianpropertiesandthecolonisationofEastJerusalem .................9 2.4TheSeparationWall .........................................................................................................................9 2.5Checkpointsandclosures............................................................................................................10 3. Conclusions and Recommendations of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group Delegation ..............................................................................................11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY oneofthelargestsettlementsintheWestBank,near EastJerusalem.Theywerefamiliarisedwiththenearby ThedelegationfromtheBritain-PalestineAllParty E1Planwhichwouldeffectivelycutoffthenorthern ParliamentaryGroup(BPAPPG)visitedGazaandthe partoftheWestBankfromthesouthernpartthrough WestBankfrom14thto20thFebruary2009.They theconstructionandexpansionofsettlements.The witnessedthewidespreaddestructionofcivilianareas delegationwitnessedtheimpactofroadblocks, inGazaandmetwithmanyfamilieswhohadlost segregatedroadsystemsandtheSeparationWall,all membersandweretryingtocareforthosewhohad restrictingthemovementofPalestinianresidentsof sustainedhorrificinjuriesindesperateconditions.They theWestBank.Thecompletefreezeofsettlement talkedwithanumberofschool,hospitalandNGO activityisoneofIsrael’sprimaryobligationsunderthe directorstolearnabouttheirexperiencesduringthe RoadMapandthiswasupheldattheAnnapolis bombardmentandvisitedsomeoftheworstaffected ConferenceinNovember2007.However,thishasnot areasofGaza,includingBeitHanoun,BeitLahiyaand takenplace;onthecontrarysettlementshave IzbitAbedRabbo.Theyvisitedschoolsandhospitals continuedtoexpandapace,renderingtheachievement damagedduringthewar,andprojectsmanagedbylocal ofaviableandcontiguousPalestinianstateevermore andinternationalNGOs. difficult.Theregimeofclosuresthatimpedeinternal movementintheWestBankcontinues.Theeffectof Therealityofthesituationwasstark.Aswellasthe themorethan600obstaclestomovement–ofgoods physicaldestruction,people–andinparticularthe andpeople–continuestoparalysethePalestinian children–werepsychologicallytraumatised.Theover- economyintheWestBankandpreventtheeconomic ridingimpressionwasthattheIsraeliattackonGaza developmentpromotedbyTonyBlairinhiscapacityas haddisplayedaseriousdisregardoftheimpactofits theSpecialEnvoyoftheQuartet. actionsoncivilians.Subsequenttestimoniesemerged fromIsraelisoldiersregardingverylooserulesof The recommendations of the delegation engagementinthisregard.Thedelegationalsoheard are summed up as follows: repeatedallegationsthatincendiarywhite phosphoroushadbeenusedillegally,endangeringand • Theopeningofallthecrossingpointsinandoutof maimingcivilians,andtheysawforthemselves Gaza evidenceindicatingthatthiswasthecase.Theyalso • Anindependentandimpartialinquiryinto sawevidenceofwidespreaddestructionofschools, allegationsthatwarcrimesandotheroffences hospitalsandothercivilianinfrastructure. againsthumanitarianlawwerecommittedbyboth sidesduringIsrael’sattackonGazaandthefiringof Inadditiontodealingwiththeimmediateaftermathof rocketsintoIsrael,andtheholdingofallrelevant themilitarycampaign,thepeopleofGazaare partiestoaccount continuingtolivewithaprolongedblockadebyIsrael • AninternationalembargoonarmssuppliestoIsrael whichhasdecimatedtheeconomyinrecentyearsand toaccompanytheactionalreadybeingtakenbythe reducedthemtohighrelianceonhumanitarianrelief. internationalcommunitytopreventthesupplyof AlreadyinMarch2008,UKcharitiesreportedthat armsintoGaza about80percentofGaza’spopulationwasdependent • Concertedactiontobringaboutacomplete onfoodaid.Thesituationhasdeterioratedfurther, settlementfreeze,includingahalttotheE1Planand withtherestrictionofhumanitariangoodsandmedical ahalttotheremovalofresidencyrightsof suppliesenteringGazacausingfurtherhardship. PalestiniansinEastJerusalem • TheliftingoftheclosureregimeintheWestBank ThedelegationspentaneveningandnightinAshkelon • ConditionalityenforcedinrespectofEU-Israel insouthernIsrael.Theywereshownanumberofsites agreements,withIsrael’stradeprivilegesunder which,althoughnowrepairedorintheprocessof thoseagreementsbeingsuspendeduntilitfulfilsits repair,hadbeenhitbyPalestinianrocketsinrecent ownhumanrights,andother,responsibilitiesunder months.Theyweretoldofresidents’fearofrocket thoseagreements attacksfromGaza. • Supportforthere-forgingofinternalPalestinian dialogueandreconciliation ThedelegationalsovisitedtheWestBank,toassess • Aninclusiveapproachtointernationalpolitical theimpactofongoingsettlementexpansion.Theysaw engagementwithallkeystakeholdersintheregion, theexpansionofIsraelisettlementactivityinsideEast toachieveaneffectivepeaceprocesstowardsa JerusalemandmetwithPalestinianfamiliesbeing