HEBRON, February 20, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Saturday violently quelled a peaceful rally calling for lifting the Israeli longstanding closure imposed on the Old City of Hebron over 20 years ago.
Forces reportedly attacked protesters with the butts of their rifles, as well as used tear gas canisters against them, causing many to suffocate due to tear gas inhalation.
A journalist, who was identified as Ma’moun Wazooz, was struck in the foot by a stun grenade, and was transferred to hospital for medical treatment.
Israel has restricted Palestinians’ access to al-Shuhada Street in Hebon’s Old City, after Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli settler, broke into the Ibrahimi Mosque and killed 29 Palestinians in 1994.
Israel closed the road in late 2000 during the second intifada (uprising) and installed military checkpoints that restrict Palestinians’ access to the area in order to secure protection for dozens of settlers living in illegal settlements in the area.
Israel has also suffocated Palestinian commercial activities in the area, issuing military orders to extend the closure of over 500 Palestinian stores in the area and forcing over 1,000 others to close.
According to a story issued by the Israeli human rights center in early 2011, B’Tselem, “Over the years, Israel established a number of settlement points in and around the Old City of Hebron which had traditionally served as the commercial center for the entire southern West Bank.”
“Israeli law-enforcement authorities and security forces have made the entire Palestinian population suffer in the process of protecting Israeli settlement in the city. The authorities impose a regime intentionally and openly based on the ‘separation principle‘, the result of which is legal and physical segregation between the Israeli settlers and the Palestinian majority.”
The center stressed that this policy led to the economic collapse of the center of Hebron and drove many Palestinians out of the area.
B’Tselem, in a new 2016 report explained that, the city center of Hebron used to be the commercial hub for the entire southern part of the West Bank. However, over the years, Israeli governments have allowed the establishment of several small settlements there, in the heart of the Palestinian population.
“In this area, defined as H2 in the Oslo Accords, the military has for years imposed draconian restrictions on the movement of Palestinians. This has led to the large-scale abandonment of the area by Palestinian residents and to the paralysis of commercial life there.”
In early November 2015, further restrictions have been imposed on Palestinians in the area since October 2015, following the increase in attacks and attempted attacks against Israeli security forces and civilians, said B’Tselem.
“Among other steps, the military has installed concrete blockades at the entrance to some streets in the Old City, closed off the Tel Rumeidah neighborhood to non-residents, and introduced lengthy inspections at checkpoints, as well as erecting flying checkpoints with no prior warning.”
The center maintained, “These new restrictions prevent residents from maintaining any kind of reasonable routine – on top of the daily challenge already posed by existing ations on movement.”
“The policy of separation that Israel implements in Hebron has already destroyed the economy of the city center and led Palestinians to desert it in droves, unable to live under the strict restrictions imposed upon them. The new restrictions imposed since October [2015] give cause for concern that the authorities hope to push residents still living in the city center to leave their homes, with the aim of emptying yet more areas in Hebron of Palestinians.”
The Israeli human rights center said, “The sweeping restrictions imposed by the security forces on the movement of Palestinians in Hebron constitute collective punishment of residents unfortunate enough to live or work close to areas where settlers have chosen to live. As such, these restrictions are immoral and unlawful.”
T.R.
