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Economic and Social Council Coordination and management Meeting New York, 14-16 July 2014

Economic and Social Council Coordination and management Meeting New York, 14-16 July 2014. The Note of the Secretary General on the

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Economic and Social Council Coordination and management Meeting New York, 14-16 July 2014

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  1. Economic and Social Council Coordination and management Meeting New York, 14-16 July 2014 The Note of the Secretary General on the Economic and Social Repercussions of the Israeli Occupation on the Living Conditions of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab Population in the Occupied Syrian Golan Prepared by: The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Presented by: Tarik Alami, Director, Emerging and Conflict Related Issues Division

  2. Legislative Mandate ECOSOC Resolution 2013/8: Concern over Israeli practices that violate international humanitarian law Movement restrictions [including the Gaza blockade] Violence against civilians Incarceration of Palestinians, including children under harsh conditions Destruction of homes and properties, and agricultural lands and orchards Expansion of Israeli settlements Construction of the wall Exploitation of natural resources GA Resolution 68/235: Reaffirms the inalienable rights of the peoples under Israeli occupation over their natural resources Demanding a halt to the exploitation, damage, or endangerment of natural resources Stressing the illegality of the wall and the Israeli settlements Calling upon Israel to desist from altering the character and status of the occupied territory, including East Jerusalem Calling for the cessation of all actions harming the environment Calling for the cessation of the destruction of Palestinian vital infrastructure Inputs and contributions by: UNCTAD, UNRWA, OCHA, ILO, FAO, WHO, UNSCO, UNEP, OHCHR, DPA, UN-Women, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, UNDP

  3. The Occupied Palestinian Territorya. Israeli Policies

  4. The occupied Palestinian Territory Israeli Policies Israeli policies amounting to "de facto segregation": • Inequality and separation in the use of roads and infrastructure • Unequal access to basic services and water resources. • Movement restrictions only affecting Palestinians • Discriminatory legal system (settler violence) Restrictive and discriminatory regime on Palestinian construction: • "Virtually impossible" for Palestinians to meet housing needs • Palestinians construction: 0.5% of Area C for v/s 8.5% for Israelis • 94% of Palestinian construction permit applications in Area C rejected by Israeli authorities (2000-2012)

  5. The occupied Palestinian territory Israeli Policies East Jerusalem: Israeli “Demographic Balance" policy: calls for a 60/40 demographic balance in favour of Jewish residents • 35% of Palestinian land confiscated for settlement use • 33% of Palestinian homes vulnerable to demolitions: over 93,000 Palestinians at risk of displacement • Display of Palestinian symbols punishable • Palestinian gatherings prohibited • Discrimination against Palestinian neighbourhoods in services • Discriminatory rules and laws governing residency status • 15,000 Palestinians de facto expelled • 10,000 unregistered Palestinian children

  6. The occupied Palestinian Territory Israeli Policies CERD censured Israel: urging it to prohibit and eradicate policies or practices of racial segregation and apartheid

  7. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryb. Excessive Use of Force and Detentions

  8. The occupied Palestinian Territory Excessive Use of Force and Detentions April 2013-March 2014: • 40 Palestinian civilians killed; another 3,654 injured • 5 Palestinian children killed; another 1,001 injured. Amnesty International investigated the killing of 25 Palestinians (West Bank, 2013): • All were unlawful killings • Some were wilful killings: amount to war crimes •Patterns of Israeli excessive use of force with impunity • 94% of Israeli criminal investigations against Israeli soldiers closed without any indictments. • In the rare cases that indictments are served, conviction leads to very light sentencing.

  9. The occupied Palestinian Territory Excessive Use of Force and Detentions • 4881 Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli prisons (Jan 2014) • 800,000 Palestinians detained since 1967 • Denial of due process rights • Ill-treatment that may amount to torture • Subject to Israeli military courts: 99% conviction rate • 183 Palestinian child prisoners: institutionalized ill-treatment • Including solitary confinement, sometimes for months • 107 cases of ill-treatment documented in 2013 (11 under the age of 14) • Confessions obtained under duress and used as the main evidence • Detained with adults in overcrowded cells in poor conditions • 175 Palestinian administrative detainees (Jan 2014) The Public Committee against Torture in Israel: no criminal investigation, prosecution or conviction for more than 776 complaints of torture since 1999.

  10. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryc. Home Demolitions, Property Confiscation and Population Displacement

  11. The occupied Palestinian Territory Home Demolitions, Property Confiscation and Population Displacement 663 Palestinian structures and homes demolished in 2013 • 98 in East Jerusalem • 1,103 people displaced • Demolition fees imposed on Palestinians • Palestinians forced to destroy their own homes to avoid fees In Gaza: • Shortfall of over 70,000 housing units • 12,500 people remain displaced from previous military operations Over 1 billion sq. m. of Palestinian land seized and allocated to Israeli settlements including approximately 40% of the West Bank

  12. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryd. Israeli Settlements and Settler Violence

  13. The occupied Palestinian Territory Israeli Settlements and Settler Violence Israeli settlements = illegal annexation; • Undermine viable Palestinian State, and right to self-determination • Israeli Governments directly promoted settlements, and their expansion • 100 settlements on the list of areas receiving the maximum benefits • 563,546 settlers living in 250 Israeli settlements in the OPT (2012) • 123.7% increase in 2013 in housing unit construction in settlements Transfer of Israeli citizens into occupied territory, which is prohibited under humanitarian and criminal international law

  14. The occupied Palestinian Territory Israeli Settlements and Settler Violence Increase in racist violence and acts of vandalism on the part of Israeli settlers in 2013: • 146 Palestinians injured; • 306 attacks on private property • 49 Palestinian children injured • 13,097 trees uprooted • Since 2008, 30 arson/vandalism against mosques and churches Impunity continues: • Attacks during daylight hours • Video and photographic footage • Identities of perpetrators well known • 84% of investigations into settler violence closed without indictments compared to 90-95% of cases of Palestinian violence that go to court

  15. The Occupied Palestinian Territorye. The Wall

  16. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryf. Mobility Restrictions and Closure Policies

  17. The occupied Palestinian Territory Mobility Restrictions and Closure Policies • Blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip since June 2007: • collective punishment in direct violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention • 1.7 million people ‘locked in’ • Most fundamental parameters of Israel’s blockade remain in place • Movement of Palestinians in and out difficult and largely banned • Limited access of humanitarian assistance • Importation of basic construction materials heavily  restricted • Buffer zone within the Strip • Denying Palestinians access to 35% of the Strip’s agricultural land • Sea areas beyond 6 nautical miles barred for Palestinians • Profitable fishing areas start at 8 nautical miles • Fishermen regularly fired upon • Confiscation and damaging of fishing • boats and equipment Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  18. The occupied Palestinian Territory Mobility Restrictions and Closure Policies • Mobility in the West Bank: • Discrimination • Restrictions • 40% (settlements)+18% (firing zones)+10% (wall) • 68% of West Bank • off limits to Palestinians • 65.12 km of roads classified for the sole use of Israelis • 6.72 km of internal roads in Hebron for Israeli motor traffic only • Access to East Jerusalem: restricted for Palestinians only Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  19. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryg. Impact on Natural Resources and the Environment

  20. The occupied Palestinian Territory Impact on Natural Resources and the Environment Israel controls West Bank water resources: • Most Palestinians receive 60 l/capita/day (WHO standard = 100 /capita/day) • Israel withdraws 90% of water resources • 56 water springs taken over by Israeli settlers or in risk of takeover • 313,000 Palestinians not connected to a water network • 300,000 Palestinians at risk of acute water scarcity Gaza blockade and military strikes increase pressure on water resources: Denial of water used to trigger displacement, particularly in areas allocatedfor settlement expansion Israeli settlers receive 6 times the amount of water received by Palestinians • 90% of the water from the aquifer is not safe for drinking • Households in Gaza spend up to 1/3 of their income on drinking water • bacteriological contamination putting 1,1 million people at risk

  21. The occupied Palestinian Territory Impact on Natural Resources and the Environment Impact of the Blockade and military operations on sanitation infrastructure in the Gaza Strip: • Infrastructure cannot cope with existing demand • 90 million litres of sewage released daily into the Mediterranean Sea • Pollution, health hazards and problems for the fishing industry • Restrictive permit regime and settlements in the West Bank: • 68% of the West Bank population not connected to wastewater network. • No sewer networks in rural areas: hazardous septic tanks or cesspits • 5.5 million m3 of settlement wastewater released into the West Bank Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  22. The Occupied Palestinian Territoryh. Social and Economic Indicators

  23. The occupied Palestinian Territory Social and Economic Indicators • Economy: negative trend continued • GDP: slowdown 1.5% increase (2013) v/s 12.2% (2011) • Unemployment: 25.2% (Q4 2013) – 39% (among youth 15-29) • Large-scale deskilling of workers; discouraging investment • 26% below poverty line (2011) – 30% in Gaza: direct consequence of the occupation policies • Fiscal crisis of the government of Palestine: Israel’s repeated withholding of taxes and custom revenues Israeli restriction on economic activity in Area C limit the development potential of the economy Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  24. The occupied Palestinian Territory Social and Economic Indicators Dramatic rise in food insecurity (2012): • 1,570,000 Palestinians (34%) food insecure • 57% of Gaza households food insecure • 800,000 refugees depend on food assistance • “Marginally secure“/"vulnerable" groups expanding 53% of Palestinian households are food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity The blockade has a severe impact on the Gaza Strip health sector: Major public health problems: • Low quality and quantity of water • Inadequate wastewater treatment Public health system fragile: • Dependent on aid /borders • 15,000 patients had to leave Gaza for medical treatment Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  25. The occupied Palestinian Territory Social and Economic Indicators Impact of the Gaza Blockade on education: • Inability to build new schools: 67% of Gaza government schools and 85% of UNRWA schools run double shifts • 250 new schools needed in 2012, another 190 needed by 2020 • Education staff cannot receive training abroad West Bank students /teachers vulnerable to harassment/violence (2013): • 36 boys and 9 girls were injured • 164 attacks or threats on schoolchildren • 4 settler attacks on schools • 5,000 students face daily delays at checkpoints Israeli restrictions lead to poor quality education infrastructure (Area C): • 10,000 Palestinian students attend classes in tents, caravans or tin shacks • Area C schools have poor sanitation contributing to school dropout rates Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  26. The Occupied Syrian Golan

  27. The Occupied Syrian Golan • 20,000 Israeli settlers in 33 settlements • Israeli incentives to encourage settlement growth • Discrimination in water allocation, access to land, housing and basic services • Syrian agricultural sector unable to compete: • 30% the water allocated to Israeli settlements/discretionary pricing system • Unequal access to markets • Exploitation of Golan natural resources: petroleum exploration contacts granted • Israel neglects to protect Syrians in the Golan from landmines Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  28. Conclusion The Israeli occupation institutionalized discriminatory measures: • Illegal under international law • Obstacle to peace • Violation of Palestinians and Syrians rights Map Courtesy of OCHA-OPT

  29. Conclusion Comprehensive peace can only be achieved by: • Ending the occupation • Attaining Palestinian and Syrian rights • Implementing United Nations resolutions • Adhering to international law and norms

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