Policies and practices implemented by the Israeli occupation authorities under the guise of security concerns have resulted in the forcible transfer of Palestinians from their homes in al-Khalil city reducing a once thriving area to a ‘ghost town’ according to a press release by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Israel exercises direct control over 20% of al-Khalil city known as H2 which is home to approximately 40000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers living in five settlement compounds noted the release.
OCHA maintained that the living conditions of those Palestinians who remain in the closed and restricted areas have been gradually undermined including with regard to basic services and sources of livelihood.
It said the isolation of the settlement area and its surroundings from the rest of the city has severely disrupted the family and social life of the Palestinians living there and undermined their dignity and psycho-social well-being.
“Attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers have been key components of the coercive environment exerted on Palestinians living in the vicinity of the settlement area” the press release read.
As the occupying power Israel must protect Palestinian civilians in al-Khalil city ensure that their humanitarian needs are met and that they are able to exercise their human rights including their right to freedom of movement and to be free from discrimination the release further stressed.
