- The Violation: Closing the entrances to three Palestinian villages.
- Location: the villages of Rantis v, Deir Nizam and Shuqba, Ramallah Governorate.
- Violation Date: 02/4/2020.
- Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.
- Affected party: the citizens of those communities.
Violation details:
On Thursday morning, April 2, 2020 AD, the Israeli occupation army closed the entrances to three Palestinian villages north of Ramallah under security claims. But, in reality, the occupation army has been applying this tactic as a moral and psychological pressure on Palestinian citizens and as a tool to obstruct their freedom of movement.
Through the field research of the center, the closure of the entrances to the following three villages was observed:
- The northern entrance to the village of Shuqba: This entrance is located along the bypass road (465) and connects between Shugba village, on one hand, and a number of other villages north of Ramallah, on the other hand including the villages of A’bud, Luban AlGharbi, and Desi Abu Misha’al. The closure of Shugba village entrance will increase the travel distance by 5 km.
It is noteworthy that this road was originally closed about a month ago by using an iron gate, and today the occupation reinforces this closure by using earthen mounds next to that metal gate, which harms about 6000 people, who live in Shugba village.
Photo 1: The closed entrance to the village of Shuqba
- The eastern entrance to the village of Rantis: The occupation army used earth mounds to close the eastern entrance to the village of Rantis, which connects it with the bypass road No. 446. This action will force the citizens of the village to use the western entrance adjacent to the bypass road No. 465, and will increase the travel distance by 3 km.
Photo 2: Rantis village’s closed entrance
- The northern entrance to Deir Nizam village: the occupation army re-closed the northern entrance to the village, using earth mounds and concrete blocks, causing harm to the people of the village. The target entrance connects the village with the bypass road No. 465. To reach destinations, the citizens are obliged to use an unpaved agricultural road.
During the current year, the same entrance was closed by the occupation army several times under security pretexts, noting that this entrance is old and has been in existence before the establishment of Israel as a linking point for many villages north of Ramallah with the rest of the villages in the northern West Bank.
Photo 3: The closed entrance to the village of Deir Nizam
Legal commentary:
International texts and covenants related to the prevention of freedom of movement:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, (Article 3) states: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and safety of his person.
- Likewise Article (5): No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, brutal or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Article (9) on detention at checkpoints: No person may be arrested, detained, or arbitrarily exiled.
- Article (13): – Every individual has freedom of movement and choice of residence within the borders of each country.
- Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and he has the right to return to it.
- International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights: Article 7: No one shall be subjected to torture, nor to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article (9):
- Everyone has the right to freedom and security of his person. No one shall be arbitrarily arrested or detained. No one may be deprived of his liberty except for reasons stipulated by law and in accordance with the procedure established therein.
- Anyone who is arrested must be informed of the reasons for this arrest upon its occurrence, and he must be informed promptly of any charge brought against him.
