Violation: closing villages‘entrances

Location:  Aorta, Aqraba, Osrin and Burin

Date:  November 20, 2015

Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation forces

Victims:  residents of the villages

Details:

As part of the collective punishment policy, the Israeli occupation forces closed on November 20, 2015 the main four entrances of Nablus villages on the claim of “Security Purposes”.

The entrance of Aqraba village:

The Israeli occupation authorities closed the entrance of Aqraba from the southwest. Note that the entrance links the village to the bypass road number 60 and other Palestinian towns and cities. Residents of the area are now forced to take a substitute route to reach for their daily destinations.

It should be marked that the road was closed in the 2000 to be re-opened in mid 2013. As for the current time, the occupation repeatedly closes and opens it as a collective punishment.

Photo 1: the southern entrance of Aqraba closed with earth and rocks

Photo 2: an aerial photo illustrating the geographical location of the village

 

The entrance of Osrin village:

The Israeli occupation authorities closed the southern entrance of Osrin. Note that the entrance links the village to the bypass road number 60 and other Palestinian towns and cities. Residents of the area are now forced to travel to Aqraba village then walk in sub-roads to reach Nablus city.

It should be marked that the road was closed in the 2000 to be re-opened in mid 2012. As for the current time, the occupation repeatedly closes and opens it as a collective punishment.

Photo 3: an aerial photo illustrating the geographical location of the village

The entrance of Aorta village:

Aorta was not safe from the measurements of the Israeli occupation authorities, which closed the northern entrance of the village on the claims of “Security Purposes” and “Colonists’ Security”. Note that the entrance links the village to the bypass road that leads to Huwwara checkpoint and military camp.

It should be marked that the road was closed through the period between the years of 2000-2014.

Photo 4: the northern entrance of Aqraba closed with earth mounds

Photo 5: an aerial photo illustrating the geographical location of the village

 

The entrance of Burin village:

The Israeli occupation authorities also closed the eastern entrance of Burin village that links it to the bypass road.

The road serves as a linking point between the villages of Madama and Asira Al-Qabaliya in addition to Nablus and Burin.

Closing the road will create a real crisis and restrain people’s movement and interaction with the neighboring cities and villages.

Photo 6 the eastern entrance of Burin closed with earth mounds

Photo 7: an aerial photo illustrating the geographical location of the village

 

Land Research Center sees that the policy of roads closures as a collective punishment to limit down Palestinian’s movement. Tens of executions took place at checkpoints since “Al-Quds Uprising” in 2015. In addition, many death cases were recorded to occur at checkpoints due to holding ambulance back in there.

Land Research Center documented the setting up of 57 Israeli checkpoints, not mentioning the expansion of other checkpoints.

International conventions and laws regarding freedom of movement which Israel unabatedly violates:

• Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”.
• Article 5: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
• Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”.
• Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

• Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.”
• Article 9: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.

 

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC