Dear Colleagues,
HaMoked has received
a response to its petition under the Freedom of Information Act for figures of
Palestinians forcibly transferred to Gaza on the basis of their registered
address, and those who may be considered at high risk for forcible transfer under
the new orders. The full translated document is attached, but in short, it
shows that nearly 35,000 individuals must be viewed as being at high risk:
7919 residents of the
Gaza Strip entered the West Bank under "Safe Passage" and remain in
the West Bank to date.
23,348 Palestinians
from Gaza traveled to the West Bank from 2001 through April, 2010, using
individual entry permits and "permits of stay" and remain there.
Prior to the end of the year 2000, the number is 935.
Additionally, there
are 2,479 Palestinians who were born in the West Bank but who have registered
addresses in Gaza, usually because one or more of their parents have registered
addresses in Gaza.
This brings the total
number of individuals who must be considered at risk for forcible transfer to
Gaza to 34,681.
As political focus in
recent days remains on changes to the movement of goods, it is critical to
remember the broader policy of the siege on Gaza, which includes restrictions
on freedom of movement and the isolation of Gaza from the West Bank, and the
human element of the siege, apart from the growing humanitarian crisis on the
ground. Along these lines, the military orders on infiltrators exist as a tool
to aid in the implementation of this policy by forcibly transferring Palestinians
to Gaza on the basis of their registered address. In this sense, although the
flow of goods may have been eased, Gaza's population of 1.5 million is still
held captive, and the human face of the siege may be lost in the political
rhetoric.
I must emphasize
again that, regardless of how the bodies of state promise to implement the
orders, as long as they remain in force, these 35,000 Palestinians must live
under the threat that their lives and livelihoods may be uprooted at any
moment. This situation is truly unacceptable, and I urge you to use all
channels available to you to call for the orders' revocation. It is clear from
the state's many responses that it does not intend to make any substantive
changes, and that it will not do so without significant external pressure.
Also, please find
attached HaMoked's response to the State regarding the military orders, sent in
reply to the letter I passed along to you in my last update.
As always, please do
not hesitate to contact me for further information.
Sharon Rose Goldberg
Development
Coordinator
Hamoked: Center for
Defence of the Individual
4 Abu Obeidah St.,
97200, Jerusalem
Tel: 972.2.627.1698;
Fax: 972.2.627.6317
Mobile:
972.52.7315127
www.hamoked.org
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