Press Release

Israeli Occupation Forces Continue Provocation Measures Against Palestinian Civilians

 

Ref: 119/99

Date: 21 November 1999

This morning, 21 November 1999, settlers, under the protection and with the support of Israeli soldiers, closed the two major roads leading to the Mawasi area, west of Rafah and Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian civilians were denied access into or out of this area. Hundreds of students were unable to attend school, farmers and fishermen were denied access to their places of work, and teachers were unable to get to the schools where they teach.

The closure of the Mawasi area is apparently reaction to Palestinian workers decision to boycott work in Israeli settlements. Almost 3000 Palestinian workers boycotted work in settlement areas as a protest at settlement activities in the Gaza Strip.

It is worth mentioning that settlement activities and provocative measures by Israeli soldiers and settlers against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip have escalated markedly in the past months. On 14 November 1999, the settlers excavated about 10 dunnams of land from a plantation of trees with a total area of 100 dunnams. This plantation is located in the Al Mawasi Rafah area, alongside and to the south of Beat Sadah settlement.

PCHR condemns the collective punishment policy adopted by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians and repeats its call for the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to fulfill their obligations in relation to Israel’s grave violations of the Convention, and to take all necessary and legal measures to protect Palestinian civilians and their property