RAMALLAH, May 7, 2009 (WAFA)- 'Only approximately 13 percent of the Bethlehem governorate’s land is available for Palestinian use, much of it fragmented,' said an OCHA report issued, Thursday.

Part of a series by OCHA examining the impact of Israeli measures, such as the Barrier, settlements and closures, on Palestinians in the West Bank, this report focuses on the Bethlehem governorate, examining both the contraction of its central-urban core and the fragmentation of its eastern and western parts.

'After four decades of Israeli occupation only approximately 13 percent of the Bethlehem governorate’s 660 km² is available for Palestinian use, much of it fragmented,' the report states, 'furthermore, access to East Jerusalem has been severely reduced.'

The report makes clear that Israeli measures have led to this reduction in Palestinian access and space; explaining that these measures include the continued expansion of Israeli colonies and colonial outposts, construction of the Israeli Apartheid Wall, and the zoning of the majority of the Bethlehem governorate as Area C, where Israel retains security control and jurisdiction over planning and construction.

'The physical and administrative restrictions allocate most of Bethlehem’s remaining land reserves for Israeli military and settler use, effectively reducing the space available to the Palestinian inhabitants of Bethlehem,' the report states.

'As a result,' OCHA said, 'Bethlehem’s potential for residential and industrial expansion and development has been reduced as well as its access to natural resources. The traditional mainstays of the Bethlehem governorate economy, such as work in Israel, tourism, agriculture, herding and the private sector have been undermined. Continuation of these Israeli measures compromises the future economic and social development of the Bethlehem governorate.'

OCHA enumerated some major factors behind this reality, including the annexation of approximately 10 km² to Jerusalem in 1967; an annexation not recognized by the international community. Moreover, the construction of Jewish colonies and related infrastructure in the section of Bethlehem annexed into Jerusalem.

Regarding settlements, Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the Occupying Power from transferring its civilian population into the territory it occupies. The illegal status of Israeli colonies has been confirmed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 465 (1980) and the International Court of Justice in 2004.

In addition, restrictions on entry into East Jerusalem  beginning in the 1990’s, when new Israeli measures further fragmented the Bethlehem governorate and constrained the movement of its Palestinian inhabitants.

The construction of the Bethlehem bypass road which consists of two tunnels and a bridge .The tunnels checkpoint, subsequently constructed on this road, controls entry into Jerusalem from the south-western West Bank.

About 66% of the Bethlehem governorate was designated as Area C, where Israel retains security control and jurisdiction over planning and construction. Until today, permits for Palestinian construction are rarely granted. These administrative restrictions effectively limit Bethlehem’s residential and industrial expansion to the east and south-east. In addition, the majority of the obstacles to Palestinian movement, roadblocks, earth-mounds, etc., put in place by the IDF since September 2000, are also located in Area C.

Finally, the construction of the Israeli Apartheid Wall in 2002 has compounded the territorial restrictions in the northern and western parts of Bethlehem. The completed section of the Wall in the north, not only seals the separation of Bethlehem from East Jerusalem, but prevents the urban growth of Bethlehem northwards. The western section of the Wall, if completed, will further devastate the governorate. Approximately 64 km², including some of the most fertile land in the governorate and nine Palestinian communities with approximately 21,000 residents, will be isolated; the latter will face reduced access to Bethlehem City, the major services centre for health, education, markets and trade.

The report concluded that Israel must act in accordance with international law and not cause long-term detriment to the local Palestinian population. In practice, Israeli measures have radically reduced the space available to the inhabitants of Bethlehem, compromising the future economic and social development of the governorate.

Steps can be taken to prevent further deterioration. Many of the administrative measures taken by the Israeli authorities are reversible and the Wall's route is not yet finished. Actions including halting construction of the rest of the Wall in the West Bank, opening up closed military areas and nature reserves for sustainable Palestinian development, along with the international call for a freeze on colonization activity and related actions like ‘state land’ declarations, would restore parts of the lost space to the governorate and improve the humanitarian and economic situation in Bethlehem. In the long term, these types of immediate steps would contribute to ensuring compliance with international law and UN resolutions and lay the groundwork for a durable political solution in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.