2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Gaza and West Bank
Israel
In Gaza, Israel as occupying power continues to violate its responsibility to
ensure basic needs, including through the enforcement of its ongoing
military blockade - which may amount to collective punishment. ³ Now in
its 15th year, the blockade imposes dependence and heavily restricts access
and movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza limiting Palestinians
from accessing basic services, quality health care, aid, resources,
livelihoods, housing, opportunities, legal documentation and justice.
Combined these limitations aggravate suffering of civilians, degrade living
conditions and hamper infrastructure development, economic recovery
and employment growth. The result of the above listed factors is the near
collapse of Gaza's economy, as well as its separation from the rest of the
Palestinian economy. Gaza has one of the world's highest unemployment
rates (47% peaking among youth at 60%), and more than half of its
population lives below the poverty line, including 400,000 children.5 Nearly
half the population rely on food aid and there are severe shortages of
medicine and medical supplies, energy, fuel resources and other necessary
operational needs. Many chronic diseases cannot be treated in Gaza and
patients are often delayed or prevented by Israeli authorities from traveling
to other parts of the opt or abroad to receive medical care and face great
challenges in doing so, due to a cumbersome exit permit system imposed
by Israel. Some die while waiting to travel for potentially life-saving care.
Further, the majority of the population has no access to safe water, or a
proper sewage system and there are prolonged electricity blackouts of up
to 12 hours a day, and internet disconnections continue.
Inside Gaza, Israel continues unilaterally declaring access restriction in
specific areas, thereby closing off access to an estimated 25% of farmland
and an estimated 15-20% of farmers are unable to irrigate crops due to
restrictions. Common ways Israeli Forces (IF) enforce restrictions include
regular use of live ammunition towards Palestinian farmers, the levelling of
farmland and damage to property with bulldozers, the spraying of
herbicides in the vicinity of the perimeter fence (including using substances
deemed hazardous for human health and the crops) and the manipulation
of natural water flows into Gaza causing floods. Israel also intermittently
reduces or completely closes the fishing zone. Along the Gaza coast, the
Israeli Navy continues to enforce unilaterally imposed access restrictions,
shoot at and using water cannons on Gaza fishermen while conducting
patrol operations, mostly within the authorized fishing zones. In 2022, the
Israeli Navy arrested significantly more fishers (41 as at early June 2022, as
opposed to 11 in total in 2021) and confiscated their fishing boats, seriously
impacting the livelihood of many. The situation in the restricted areas on
land and at sea raises serious human rights concerns for people who reside
there or who are dependent on those areas for livelihoods (fishermen,
farmers, shepherds or rubble collectors) and remain vulnerable to threats
to life and security, arbitrary arrest and detention, loss of livelihoods,
restricted access to services and potential displacement. Communications
by Israeli authorities about the scope of the access restrictions on land and
at sea remain inconsistent and therefore arbitrary. 10
Israel also engages in repetitive rounds of violence and conflict with armed
groups in Gaza, the most recent in May 2021 - which resulted in the killing
and serious injury of Palestinians and raises concerns about violations of
International Humanitarian Law (IHL). A total 261 Palestinians were killed
3A/76/333,para. 36; A/75/336 para. 24; A/74/468, para. 22; A/73/420 para. 7.
4
According to the PCBS report for the first quarter of 2022:
https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=4232
5 https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/a75d310_en_1.pdf
6
OCHA 2020
7
8
The extent of the land restricted area may vary. Up to 300 metres from the Israel-Gaza fence is
considered a no-go zone and up to 1,500 metres a high-risk area.
A/72/565, para. 34, A/73/420, para 44. See, also https://forensic-
architecture.org/investigation/herbicidal-warfare-in-gaza/
9A/75/336, para. 38.
10 A/73/420, para. 45.
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