JERUSALEM, April 20, 2010 (WAFA)- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, yesterday, that “the sudden escalation of violence that swept across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) in March the overall the, and the vulnerability of the civilian population. Israeli-Palestinian violence resulted in the largest number of Palestinian casualties (deaths and injuries combined) in a given month since the end of the “Cast Lead” offensive.”
In its monthly report “The Humanitarian Monitor – March 2010,” OCHA said that in the West Bank, rioting and other incidents resulted in four Palestinians killed and 349 injured, compared to 44 injuries among Israeli forces. Most injuries occurred in clashes in East Jerusalem between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli police. Although the immediate trigger was the opening of a synagogue in the Old City and subsequent calls by some Palestinian political leaders “to protect” Al Aqsa mosque, other factors had contributed to heightened tensions. These include a series of decisions, reports and statements concerning the expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, one of which would entail extensive demolitions of Palestinian homes. The establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the oPt is illegal under international law and has also had a significant humanitarian impact on the Palestinian population, including a reduction in the space available to address Palestinian needs.
OCHA continued on saying that the Gaza Strip also saw a significant increase in casualties. The majority of the Palestinian casualties (four deaths and 39 injuries), as well as damages to civilian homes and agricultural property, occurred as a result of a series of airstrikes launched by the Israeli Air Force. The airstrikes followed the killing of a foreign national employed in southern Israel by a rocket launched by a Palestinian faction. Although this was the first fatality in Israel from rocket fire since the end of the “Cast Lead” offensive, indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza has been ongoing for years, endangering the lives of the Israeli civilians living along the border and exposing Palestinian civilians to the risk of Israeli retaliations. Also this month, three Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes with Palestinian militants; three others were injured.
As the Israeli blockade of Gaza continues, poor living conditions were exacerbated this month by deteriorating electricity supply. This was due to the continuing decline in the import of fuel to the Gaza power plant following a funding crisis that began in December 2009. However, in March, the Israeli authorities implemented some relaxations in the blockade, including the approval of the entry of materials needed for a UN sewage project, spare parts for the repair and maintenance of the electricity network, and the continuation of the import of glass needed to repair shattered windows. Also this month, the Israeli authorities informed the UN Secretary General that the materials needed for the finalization of an UNRWA housing project (150 housing units), will soon be approved for entry. While welcome, these steps are still far from addressing existing reconstruction needs. The completion of the UNRWA housing project, for example, would only address less than one percent of the estimated housing needs in Gaza. These measures will not suffice either to contain the collapse of the private sector, or avoid continued erosion of livelihoods.
As emphasized by the UN Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, in his visit to the Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory this month, “people need to be given the opportunity to live normal and dignified lives. For this to happen, marginal improvements here and there are not enough. More radical changes of policy are required. In Gaza, the crossings must be fully reopened; in the West Bank, illegal demolitions and evictions should stop and natural development should be allowed in East Jerusalem and Area C,” OCHA finally said.
