United Nations A/56/428 General Assembly Distr.: General 3 October 2001 English Original: English/French Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 88 Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories Note by the Secretary-General* The General Assembly, at its fifty-fifth session, adopted resolution 55/130 on the work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, in which, among other matters, it requested the Special Committee: (a) Pending complete termination of the Israeli occupation, to continue to investigate Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, especially Israeli lack of compliance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and to consult, as appropriate, with the International Committee of the Red Cross according to its regulations in order to ensure that the welfare and human rights of the peoples of the occupied territories are safeguarded and to report to the Secretary- General as soon as possible and whenever the need arises thereafter; (b) To submit regularly to the Secretary-General periodic reports on the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem; (c) To continue to investigate the treatment of prisoners in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The Special Committee, as in previous years, reports to the General Assembly through the Secretary-General. * In accordance with General Assembly resolution 55/222, section III, paragraph 10, this report has been submitted on 3 October 2001 so as to include as much updated information as possible. 01-56233 (E) 191001 261001 *0156233* A/56/428 The attached periodic report of the Special Committee contains a summary of articles appearing in Ha’aretz (Hebrew-language daily) and the Jerusalem Post (English-language daily) over the period from 1 August 2000 to 30 April 2001. 2 A/56/428 Contents Paragraphs Page Situation of human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories: Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem ............................................ 1–207 4 A. Conditions that are restrictive with respect to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem..................................................... 1–71 4 1. Land ............................................................ 1–4 4 2. Housing ......................................................... 5–14 5 3. Settlements....................................................... 15–35 6 4. Roads ........................................................... 36–40 10 5. Identity cards, travel permits ........................................ 41–44 11 6. Closures ......................................................... 45–69 12 7. Checkpoints ...................................................... 70–71 17 B. Manner of implementation of restrictions .................................. 72–196 17 1. Interrogation procedures ............................................ 72–76 17 2. Administrative detention and conditions of detention .................... 77–80 18 3. Imprisonment and conditions of imprisonment .......................... 81–82 19 4. Question of the use of force ......................................... 83–195 19 5. Aspects of the administration of justice................................ 196 47 C. Economic, social and cultural effects that such a general system of regulation and the manner of its enforcement has on the lives of the people of the occupied territories ............................................................ 197–201 47 D. Situation of human rights in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan .................. 202–203 49 E. Other ................................................................ 204–207 49 3 A/56/428 Situation of human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories: Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem A. Conditions that are restrictive with response to a petition submitted by residents of the respect to Palestinians in Gaza, the village and sponsored by the Association for Civil West Bank and East Jerusalem Rights in Israel (ACRI). When the petition was first submitted, the army had been carrying out live 1. Land ammunition exercises near the village, as a result of which six residents were killed and 38 wounded. 1. On 15 August 2000, it was reported that the first According to the State, however, the last accident had seven months of 2000 had seen a total of 1,816 plots of occurred in 1996. Since then, the army had declared land in the settlements being put up for sale, El Akba a “dry training” area, where live ammunition accounting for some 13 per cent of the building in the was barred. It had also ordered soldiers to stay away country and three times the level of the construction from the houses and keep to the main road which carried out in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. bisected the village on the way from the army base to According to figures which Meretz Party Knesset the firing grounds. ACRI attorney Netta Amar told the member Mussi Raz had obtained from the Israel Land court that those changes were not enough. The villagers Administration, 1,366 of the properties had been put on wanted the army to keep off the road, so that El Akba the market in line with recommendations by the would no longer be considered a closed military zone Housing and Construction Ministry, 339 had gone on and would be able to develop normally. “Why should sale via tenders, while no tenders had been issued on the entire village be paralysed because of one road?” the remaining 111 properties. The figures also showed Amar said. “As it is, the soldiers can no longer train that since the beginning of July 2000, when National near the houses. Is there any justification to still hold Religious Party Knesset member Yitzhak Levy on to the village and cause it to be declared a closed resigned as housing and construction minister, no military zone?” The court had given the State 45 days properties in the settlements had gone on the market. to complete its arguments on the petition and another Raz said that the figures thus illustrated just how much 30 days for the petitioners to reply. It would then hand damage the former minister had caused the down its verdict without another hearing. (Jerusalem Government. The National Religious Party, however, Post, 21 September) claims the figures show how good and effective Levy was for the State, carrying out the vital development 3. On 14 February 2001, it was reported that under and settlement of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). infantry covering fire and using heavily armoured In related news, a clerk in the Prime Minister’s Office bulldozers, IDF had begun the previous day ripping up responded to reports that former residents of Mitzpe hundreds of dunams of Palestinian orchards abutting Hagit would soon be allowed to return to the houses the Gaza Strip border fence. Senior officers said they evacuated a year ago, saying that they, and residents of intended to create a 200-metre-wide “dead zone” along Mitzpe Erez, were allowed to do so as part of the the fence to make it more difficult for terrorists to set agreement signed between the Prime Minister and the up ambushes. Throughout the morning, the bulldozers Yesha Council of Settlements once the permits were had ripped up orange orchards along the fence between finalized. He added that the permit for residents to Nahal Oz and Beit Hanun on the north-eastern corner return to Mitzpe Hagit was nearly completed and was of the Strip. Soldiers guarding the bulldozers had currently being dealt with by the Civil Administration. periodically opened fire at the brush to deter would-be Within a matter of weeks, said the clerk, the matter attackers. Military sources said that IDF will be would be resolved. (Ha’aretz, 15 August) clearing trees and brush along the whole 57-kilometre border wherever a security threat was perceived. “We 2. On 21 September, it was reported that the High aren’t just plowing up the orchards for our good health. Court of Justice asked the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) We are doing it to reduced the threat to our troops”, to see whether they could find a way to stop using a said an officer in the Southern Command. (Jerusalem road that went through the West Bank village of Post, 14 February) El Akba, which had been declared a closed military zone for more than two decades. The hearing was in 4 A/56/428 4. On 9 April, it was reported that an Israeli- settlements. According to Palestinian sources, the army Canadian, Neta Golan, and a German of Palestinian had destroyed six homes belonging to six brothers in descent, Yasmin Khaial, had been arrested on Friday, 6 Mantar in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip. Some 50 April 2001, while protesting the uprooting of olive family members lived in the houses. (Ha’aretz, trees in the village of Deir Istiya in the West Bank. The Jerusalem Post, 5 February) High Court had allowed IDF to uproot the trees in 8. On 14 February, it was reported that in a move order to pave a road through the olive grove. IDF, aimed at boosting the population of Jerusalem, the however, had got permission to uproot fewer trees than Knesset the previous day had approved a law giving it had wanted. Stones had been thrown from behind the grants of NIS 80,000 for apartment purchases or trees at Israeli cars several times, the IDF spokesman additions in the city. Under the new law, anyone said. (Ha’aretz, 9 April) eligible for government housing subsides who buys an apartment in Jerusalem will get an extra grant of NIS 2. Housing 60,000 to NIS 80,000. (Ha’aretz, Jerusalem Post, 14 5.