IHL in the occupied Palestinian territory

Jayyous agricultural gate in the Wall, November 2005. Photo: Matilda Svensson, EAPPI

Specific policies in the oPt

Below you will find a selection of Israeli policies that severely effects the daily life of Palestinian civilians. Here you can read more about movement restrictions, the wall, settlements and house demolitions from an international humanitarian law (IHL) perspective.

Movement restrictions

During the 40 years of military occupation (1967-2006) of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, Israel has imposed different types of movement restrictions on Palestinians.

These movement restrictions are commonly referred to by human rights organizations as the closure policy. The policy includes closing down access to vehicles as well as pedestrian roads and passages throughout the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and from the oPt to Israel and other countries. Movement limitations have increased and changed as the years passed by.

Movement is a prerequisite for accessing basic needs such as healthcare, education and government institutions; work places; maintaining social, cultural and family ties etc. The Israeli army (IDF) has ordered prolonged, systematic movement restrictions, with permanent characteristics. These restrictions impact most aspects of Palestinians lives and violate many of their basic rights and benefits under international law.

The Wall

The Wall in the West Bank is a combination of an 8 meter high concrete wall and/or ditches, trenches, fences, razor wire, electronic fences and military roads. Its construction began by Israel in 2002 and continues until today.

In general, most of the Wall is built inside the territory of the West Bank rather than on the Green Line, which is the de-facto internationally recognized border based on the Armistice Line of 1949.

To Wikipedia with more information about the 1949 armistice agreement

Israeli settlements

During the occupation, with the political, military, and financial support of the Israeli government, settlers have built settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). These lands were seized or expropriated from Palestinians by military orders.

House demolitions

The Israeli army (IDF) has implemented a continuous illegal policy of demolishing homes of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 1967 until today. Since property belonging to protected persons – public or private houses – is protected under international humanitarian law (IHL), there should be a legitimate legal justification for any demolition.