The vicious cycle of violence in the occupied Palestinian
territory will not stop unless Israel ends its occupation,
instead Israel’s election results forecast a new government
intent on permanent rule over Palestinians, the Norwegian Refugee
Council’s Secretary General Jan Egeland warned today.
“I'm alarmed by the rise in tensions in occupied Palestinian
territory I witnessed first-hand this week. I look at the
everyday lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and
there is simply no respite for them. Palestinians’ hopes for a
normal future dwindle each day people are forced to live under a
prolonged and repressive occupation. We need determined
international action to secure this does not escalate further,”
said Egeland on a visit to the occupied Palestinian territory
this week.
Israel, as the occupying power, has a responsibility for the
welfare of Palestinians but instead they dole out systematic and
institutionalised discrimination and oppression that leaves
Palestinians dispossessed and destitute.
“The occupation means that teenagers in Gaza have spent the
entirety of their lives under siege and will have known nowhere
else because they cannot get out. It means that for villagers in
the West Bank, there are chances that they will get shot at,
detained without charge or have their home knocked down. It means
that settler violence is constantly on the rise, often with total
impunity under the protection of Israeli forces,” Egeland said.
Currently, NRC is supporting over 4,000 families with legal cases
on demolition, forced eviction, and residency revocation. These
represent just a portion of the growing number of cases as
Israeli authorities continue with their unlawful practices.
“Israel and its allies in the US, Europe and the Arab world
continue to brush off the suffering of millions of Palestinians.
Our message to Israel is clear: end your unjustifiable occupation
of Palestinian territory. Like any violator of human rights and
international law, Israel must be held accountable for its acts.
Without justice there can be no solution,” said Egeland.
Tuesday’s Israeli election came amid recent waves of violence. In
the occupied West Bank, 118 Palestinians have been killed since
the Israeli military launched its new operation on 31 March,
including 29 children under the age of 18. This number puts 2022
on track to be the deadliest year on record for Palestinians in
the West Bank.
Israeli authorities have also demolished 697 structures in the
West Bank in the first 10 months of 2022, including homes,
civilian infrastructure, and agricultural facilities. This means
that 2022 is projected to match last year’s five-year high in
demolitions. These acts constitute violations of international
law.
In Gaza, which has been under Israeli siege for 15 years, at
least 48 Palestinians were killed during a three-day escalation
of hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian Islamic
Jihad (PIJ) in August.
“This week I met mothers in Gaza. They told me how they had lost
the home they had built with their family after it was hit by
missile strikes. That their children do not know what the outside
world looks like. That they are not allowed to go farther than an
hour’s drive because of the Israeli-imposed siege,” said
Egeland.
NRC urges the Israeli government to reverse its movement
restrictions on people and goods in line with international legal
obligations to allow sustainable economic recovery and
development. The international community must push Israeli
authorities to immediately cease the forcible transfer of
communities in Area C, which continue to witness excessive use of
force, property destruction and settler violence. NRC further
encourages UN Secretary-General Guterres to prioritise an urgent
visit and engage the parties, first and foremost Israel, the
occupying power, to prevent additional loss of lives, further
suffering, and injury to Palestinians and Israelis.
“NRC continues to support thousands of Palestinian families to
recover from the multiple shocks of violence, evictions, economic
meltdown and occupation,” added Egeland. “But this is neither
sufficient nor sustainable if Israel continues its brutal
occupation.”
