Violation: closing a road

Date:  July 31 2017

Location: Birin- Hebron governorate

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Forces

Victims: residents of Bani Na'im

 

Details:

The Israeli Occupation Forces on July 2017, closed the road linking Yaqin area, south Bani Na'im village to the bypass road number 317 and Birin village.

Residents of the area asserted that the Israeli occupation forces set up the metal gate without any prior notice. The residents are now concerned of the obstacles and the restrictions imposed as a result, they will face difficulty moving around and will have to take substitute roads that are more fatiguing and expensive in cost of transportation.

Photos 1+2: the recently closed road

 

The new substitute road will travel extra 5km through neighboring villages after the road was only 2km before the closure. Noteworthy, communities located to the west of Bani Na'im village will be denied the right free movement.

The closure is reported to restrict the movement of school children and teachers since they travel from Bani Na'im village to Birin school.

It should be noted here that the occupation army monitors the area through a watchtower established in the area, which also serves the security of Bani Haiver colony founded on confiscated lands from the village.

Photo 3: the watchtower in Bani Na'im village

A map illustrating the checkpoints closed via metal gates

Birin hamlet:

It is located to the southwest of Bani Na’im village and is inhabited by 300 people. The hamlet is edged by Bani Haiver colony from the east and the bypass road no. 60 from the west. Residents of the area were expelled from Negev area and now depend on agriculture and livestock husbandry as main sources of income. The hamlet accommodates one only primary school (1st- 7th grades). Birin (two water wells) was named after two water wells founded in the area.

Land Research Center sees that the policy of roads closures as a collective punishment to limit down Palestinians' movement.

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