The month of October was characterized by a phenomenon that gradually expanded: Closure of residents in their communities for many days without the possibility of entering or leaving. The closure is a collective punishment for tens or even hundreds of thousands of people.
Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem:
Since 1967 the Shuafat refugee camp was incorporated into the Jerusalem municipal district. It is bordered by other neighborhoods and since the construction of the Separation Wall the camp is cut off from the city. Entry and exit are only possible throughout checkpoints.
On August 10, Udai Tamimi shot and killed Noa Lazar, a soldier at a Shuafat refugee camp checkpoint. Another security guard at the checkpoint was seriously injured.
In the following five days, the camp was completely shut. Residents could not enter or leave, patients could not attend medical treatments, including 3000 people with chronic diseases, and medical teams could not enter to provide aid. Entry of food supplies and basic products was blocked and garbage has piled up dangerously.
Special units of the military and the police raided the camp, using trained dogs, throwing stun grenades, firing tear gas, Sponge bullets and live ammunition. Arrests were made. Businesses were ordered to close.
The residents of the camp organized a non-violent protest and held prayers near the closed checkpoint. These were quelled by the occupation forces.
After five days the checkpoints were opened but long lines were formed there due to tough security checks. Tamimi was caught and killed a few days later while shooting at Maale Adomim checkpoint soldiers.
The city of Nablus:
After several shooting events on soldiers and settlers in the city of Nablus, a siege was enforced on the city and on its surrounding villages. Roads were blocked with mounds of dirt, making entry and exit almost impossible. One could try to bypass the barriers but it took a long time, sometimes up to 10 hours even. Since all roads were blocked, the only way Children could attend school was by foot, through dirt paths. The siege lasted for three weeks.
The city of Al Khalil (Hebron):
A settler was killed and four other were injured during a Palestinian gunman attack in the city of Hebron. Even though the gunman was killed during the event, the Palestinians residents of the city were collectively punished, and the city was shut for one day.
Masafer Yatta:
The residents of the villages in the Masafer Yatta area are about to be deported from their homes any day now. The occupation forces harass them on a daily basis. The military declared a firing zone for no apparent reason, preventing entry and exit from the villages. Human Rights activists are not allowed access and the ability to document. Tear gas and smoke grenades are fired daily, sometimes directly into houses, hitting a family's home one day, while they were having lunch.
The State of Israel prevents the occupied Palestinians population from the right to earn a living, and the right for basic social services such as primary health care, clean water, proper sanitation and basic education.
By doing so, the State of Israel thereby violates its basic obligations toward the subjects in the occupied Palestinians territories, for their lives and well being it is responsible.
Collective punishment as a response to resistance. This how occupation looks like. This is how Apartheid looks like.
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