حقائق

• ترش إسرائيل مع مطلع كل عام مبيدات كيميائية على طول السياج الأمني الممتد على طول نحو 40 كيلومترا شرق قطاع غزة
• تعتبر حرفة الزراعة الاعتماد الرئيسي ومصدر الدخل لسكان المنطقة الحدودية ، فيما تشكل مساحة الأراضي الزراعية على الشريط الحدودي 25% من إجمالي مساحة قطاع غزة الزراعية التي تعّد مصدر الغذاء الرئيس
• يزيد مجموعة مساحة الأراضي التي تتضرر محاصيلها جراء رش المبيدات من الجانب الإسرائيلي بما يقارب 2000 دونم وان قيمة الأضرار المادية التي لحقت بالمحاصيل الزراعية نتيجة تعرضها للمبيدات السامة، ( مليون و ربع المليون دولار للعام 2020 ).
• في الفترة الممتدة بين 2014 و2018، تسببت المبيدات الكيماوية الإسرائيلية بحرق 13 ألفا و723 دونما
• إن المنطقة التي تعتبرها إسرائيل فاصلة بين السياج وغزة، والتي تمتد ثلاثمئة متر في عمق أراضي غزة، تشكل 25% من الإنتاج الإجمالي للاقتصاد في غزة، وتمثل مصدر الرزق الوحيد لمئات العائلات الفقيرة وهي بغالبيتها أراضٍ مزروعة وتمثل سلة غذاء أساسية لسكان القطاع، ويعمل فيها نحو 30 ألف مزارع
• تقوم إسرائيل بعمليات رش فجائية وبدون تحذير مسبق في شهري نيسان وديسمبر من كل عام، بمبيد زراعي هو مبيد الاوكسي والجلايفوس، وهي مبيدات أعشاب تحرق المجموع الخضري للمزروعات، ويصل رذاذها الي داخل القطاع مسافة 1200 متر، مستهدفة محاصيل شتوية وصيفية مما يودي الي حرق المزروعات وتكبد المزارعين خسارة فادحة، خصوصا وأن المادة المرشوشة تمكث مدة 70-80 يوم بالتربة، وهو ما يعني أن المادة تستغرق وقت طويل للتحلل وهذا من شأنه أن يؤثر على جودة التربة، يما يضعف خصوبة التربة ويتسبب بأضرار كبيرة لها.
• وفقاً للدليل الإرشادي الصادر عن المصنع المنتج لمادة (أوكسجال Oxygal) في (إسرائيل أنها تسبب حالة من الهيجان الشديد عند تعرض العين أو الجلد لها، ويجب أن تُستخدم بمحاذير محددة، بعد عزّل الكائنات الحية عن أماكن الرش، وهذا من شأنه أن يهدد المواشي التي ترعى في تلك المناطق، وتصبح حياة ونسل الأغنام والأجنة معرضةً للخطر وبالتالي فإن عملية الرش تلحق اضرار في الثروة الحيوانية التي يتواجد أكثر من 70% منها في الشريط الحدودي. وخصوصا خلايا النحل الي تتعرض للتهجير والضرر المباشر نظرا للرش المفاجئ.
• ويذكر أن المحكمة الإسرائيلية العليا كانت قد حظرت استخدامها من قبل إثر عملية رش قامت بها “دائرة أراضي إسرائيل” لحقول في القرى غير المعترف بها في النقب في سنة ٢٠٠٧، واعتبرتها المحكمة الإسرائيلية حينها خطراً على حياة وصحة البشر والمحاصيل والكائنات الحية.
• وتتكرر عمليات رش الأراضي الزراعية بالمبيدات الكيماوية خلال فترتين سنويًا (ديسمبر-يناير-إبريل/كانون أول-كانون ثاني-نيسان)، لضمان استهداف المحاصيل الشتوية والصيفية.
• و أن عمليات الرش تجري بشكل "فجائي" ودون تحذيرٍ للمزارعين، وبمواد كيماوية "مجهولة فترة الأمان".
• كذلك فأن مادة "الغلايفوسات" المادة الفعالة في العديد من مبيدات الأعشاب المستخدمة من قبل الجيش الإسرائيلي ضد الأراضي الزراعية تعتبر مسببة للأورام السرطانية لدى البشر.
• طائرات الاحتلال ترش لمدة اسبوعين متتاليين مبيدات كيماوية تجاه الأراضي الزراعية، شرق قطاع غزة في الفترة ما بين 11-22 يناير من عام 2020 م

الانعكاسات السلبية للمبيدات على المزارعين والأراضي الزراعية:

• تهديد مباشر لحياة الكائن الحي (الإنسان والماشية) في حال تناولها لنباتات مرشوشة، وهو ما يترتب عليه زيادة غير طبيعية في الوزن والذي يعتبر خطراً على صحة هذه الكائنات.
• فقدان الشعب الفلسطيني في قطاع غزة لأمنه الغذائي بفعل السياسات الإسرائيلية، نتيجة الضرر المباشر الذي يلحق بالأراضي الزراعية شرق القطاع وتحديدا منطقة خانيونس. ويضرب بعمق الخطط التنموية الفلسطينية خصوصاً وأن القطاع الزراعي الفلسطيني هو أحد اهم القطاعات التنموية المتوفرة للشعب الفلسطيني.
• دفع المزارعين في المنطقة إلى هجرة أراضيهم، وفقدانهم لمصادر دخلهم الرئيسية، وهو ما من شأنه أن يدفع بهم إلى هاوية الفقر والبطالة، وتهديد الاستقرار الاقتصادي والاجتماعي لأسرهم.

التوصيات:

• مطالبة المجتمع الدولي والمنظمات الدولية وخصوصا منظمة الأغذية والزراعة (الفاو) ومنظمة الصحة العالمية بإجراء تحقيقات واسعة بالوقوف على الاثار الكارثية الناجمة عن رش المبيدات، والقيام بواجباتها القانونية والأخلاقية. فيما يتعلق بتحميل دولة الاحتلال مسئوليتها المباشرة عن الأضرار التي تلحق بالقطاع الزراعي في قطاع غزة.
• دعوة المجتمع الدولي من تمكين وزارة الزراعة من اجل إقامة مختبر خاص لتحليل النباتات التي تعرضت لعملية الرش السامة من قبل الجيش الإسرائيلي.
• دعوة مجلس حقوق الانسان وكافة المؤسسات والهيئات والوكالات الدولية، ذات العلاقة باتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لوقف عمليات الرش الجوي للمبيدات.
• إيجاد آلية واضحة من اجل دعم صمود المزارعين في شرق خانيونس، وتعويضهم عن الاضرار التي لحقت بها، وتقديم المساعدة في إعادة تأهيل وتطوير التربة الزراعية من خلال توفير مضادات زراعية تساعدهم على مواجهة الأثار المدمرة للمبيدات الإسرائيلية.

مراجع الورقة:

1. وزارة الزراعة
2. مركز ميزان لحقوق الإنسان
3. الوكالة الدولية لأبحاث السرطان (IARC) التابعة لمنظمة الصحة العالمية،
4. المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الانسان

للاطلاع على ورقة الحقائق بصيغة PDF

تأتي هذه الورقة ضمن أنشطة مشروع "الشباب الفلسطيني كمدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان" ، و أن الاتحاد الأوروبي غير مسؤول عما ورد بها من معلومات.

Introduction

At a time in which world governments are combating the COVID-19 pandemic that threatens the global health and economy, Israel is intentionally aggravating the impact of the virus on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This includes the perpetual violation of Palestinian basic rights, such as the right to life, right to health, and right to enjoy an adequate standard of living.

In addition to the imposed siege on the Gaza Strip for more than 13 years, Israeli aircraft have been spraying dangerous chemical materials composed of Glyphosate, Oxygal and Diurex, since 2014. These substances are sprayed on the agricultural lands of Palestinians living in border areas of the Gaza Strip. For example, in the past two years, Israeli forces sprayed Palestinian agricultural lands with chemical substances at least 17 times, whereas updated data shows the dangerous impact of these substances on crops, the environment, and health of residents. According to the testimonies of tens of Palestinians farmers, these chemicals damaged numerous agricultural crops and changed the crops’ color. Substances included in these chemical materials can also cause cancer and other chronic diseases.

The spraying of the above-mentioned chemical substances leads to several environmental risks and the violation of the right to have a clear, healthy and sustainable environment; right to life; right to enjoy the highest possible level of physical and mental health; and the right to an adequate standard of living.

Access restricted areas in the Gaza Strip are undergoing multiple forms of Israeli assaults, whereas the latter sprays chemical herbicides along the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip. This includes agricultural lands that feed thousands of Palestinian households. The policy of destroying Palestinian crops led to a severe impact on the lives of Palestinian residents and their economic and food security. For example, the systematic spraying of chemical herbicides significantly damages the soil, thereby undermining the Palestinian farmers’ resilience throughout the eastern areas of the Gaza Strip.

It is worth noting that Israeli forces deliberately conduct spraying operations in these areas at the beginning of agricultural seasons, especially in December and April of every year. These months are the main ones for harvesting winter and summer crops (such as watermelons and okra in the summer, and peas, beans, wheat and barley in the winter) and planting different kinds of leaves (e.g., spinach, dill (Anethum graveolens), parsley and chard). According to Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture data, approximately 2,000 dunums of agricultural lands are subjected to attacks by spraying operations. Another harmful element of Israeli spraying operations is their unexpected timing, whereas they usually take place without any prior warning or notification, especially as a result of droplets that extend to far-reaching areas. These droplets are also spread as a result of the wind speed and direction, thereby exacerbating the damage and affecting a larger agricultural area.

Spraying operations pose a direct threat to Palestinian farmers. For example, many farmers lost their main source of income due to the damaging of their crops/plants and harming their livestock (such as cattle and birds that feed on weeds in these areas). The used chemical substances are also considered anti-germination materials.

Israeli forces many times use false pretexts and allegations to justify their spraying operations and obliterate the herbs and plants growing next to the separation wall. This led to ravaging large agricultural lands and prevented Gaza’s farmers from cultivating their lands and performing agricultural activities. In other words, the occupation intentionally attacks agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip, while occasionally leveling off these farmlands. This raises serious questions about the feasibility of spraying herbs with chemical herbicides and simultaneously razing and leveling off these lands.

Context of the Policy Issue

First: Areas Suffering from Spraying Operations

The Israeli policy of spraying herbicides on agricultural lands in the access restricted areas east of the Gaza Strip is a serious hindrance for hundreds of Palestinian farmers who depend on agriculture to support their families. This practice constitutes collective punishment against Gaza Strip residents, who have been living under siege for 13 years in a row. According to Palestinian human rights organizations, Israeli forces deliberately and systematically spray Palestinian agricultural lands with herbicides in the period between November and April of every year to damage crops, whereas Israeli airplanes fly at low levels and attack farmlands with chemical herbicides as far as 2,000 meters within the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces also ignite rubber tires to check the direction of the wind, in order to maximize the area of lands that receive the harmful droplets of herbicides. According to human rights organizations in the Gaza Strip, aircraft used by occupation authorities can carry between 400-800 gallons of herbicides. These planes can fly at a speed of 120-160 miles per hour, which enables them to maximize the area of lands affected by herbicides. In response to a “Freedom of Information” request made by Gisha Center in November 2016, the Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed that herbicides are dropped by airplanes along Gaza’s border area, and that the spraying takes place between the Erez crossing in the north and Karm Abu Salem crossing in the south, over an estimated area of 12 dunums.

The results of Forensic Architecture analysis showed the concentration of herbicides and their westward direction towards the Gaza Strip

Second: Materials Used in Aerial Spraying Operations

According to environmental expert George Kurzom, Israeli occupation forces spray access restricted areas with a mixture of Glyphosate, Oxygal and Diurex. Kurzon also pointed out that the herbicides dropped by Israel on Gazan farmers’ lands might remain inside the soil for several years without decomposing. He also noted that, in general, herbicides are considered carcinogenic and may cause genetic, congenital and reproductive disorders. Moreover, a report issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) [which is a subordinate of World Health Organization] shows that Glyphosate, which is an active substance in many herbicides used by the occupation, is indeed a cancerous substance.

Third: Impact of Herbicides on the Agricultural Sector

The spraying of chemical herbicides on agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip damages numerous crops and changes their color due to penetrating their roots. This is clearly seen in several plants and leaves, such as spinach, parsley, peas, turnips, cabbage, zucchini, wheat and barley. The sprayed substances (especially the cancerous Glyphosate) ravage the soil and prevent its germination, thus leading to substantial losses incurred by farmers. For example, the total losses of farmers due to Israel’s spraying of herbicides on their lands from the beginning of 2020 until the time of preparing this paper were approximately $379,670 U.S.

Vegetation losses in days 5 to 15 after spraying herbicides. The red color shows the areas where vegetation has been lost.

In light of what was mentioned above, the paper presents a number of policy options for relevant Palestinian and international bodies. This encompasses alternatives and suggestions to introduce policies that support Palestinian farmers in access restricted areas. The paper assumes that the presented propositions can be simultaneously implemented to lead to a stronger impact within a reasonable time-period.

First Alternative: Internationalize the Agricultural Crisis in Gaza’s Border Areas and Resort to International Bodies

This alternative suggests referring this issue to the international community (such as the Human Rights Council, World Health Organization, and other international agencies) and calling upon them to fulfill their legal and moral duty of confronting unjust policies and taking effective measures to stop the Israeli violation of Palestinian farmers’ rights. International parties must also oblige the occupation to stop spraying toxic herbicides, as well as examining the possibility of pressuring Israel to compensate Palestinian farmers for the suffered losses.

Second Alternative: Adoption of National Policies and Interventions to Enhance Palestinian Farmers’ Resilience in these Areas

This alternative focuses on strengthening the resilience of Palestinian farmers and helping them mitigate the damages of spraying crops with herbicides. Moreover, it enables farmers to bear the losses related to Israel’s spraying activities, by creating a fund to support Palestinian farmers to compensate them for suffered damages. This alternative also includes exempting farmers of taxes related to agricultural lands in these areas, as well as establishing “medical points” to provide adequate treatment for livestock in these areas. It is also possible to cooperate with a number of international parties in this context to finance that fund and provide the necessary anti-pesticide materials.

Main Recommendations:

• Call for an international investigation by specialized committees to examine the chemical materials sprayed by Israeli aircraft on agricultural lands and highlight their impact on the soil, environment, and health of residents. This will facilitate the curbing of spraying assaults and can expose the occupation’s violation of international law.
• Request from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to establish scientific laboratories in the Gaza Strip. It is also vital to develop Palestinian capacities to examine the nature of chemical substances sprayed on agricultural lands, as well as providing farmers with the necessary materials to protect their soil from spoilage.
• It is necessary to implement Decree Law No. (12) of 2013 regarding the Palestinian Agricultural Disaster Risk Reduction and Insurance Fund (PADRRIF).
• Protect the agricultural sector from hostile military activities and enable Palestinian farmers to cultivate their agricultural lands in Gaza Strip border areas.
• Adopt all available measures and means to end the siege on the Gaza Strip, along with holding the perpetrators accountable for their blatant human rights violations.

To View the Full Policy Paper as PDF

This Policy Paper was prepared as part of the “Youth as Human Right Defenders” project funded by the European Union The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH

Background:

The Israeli-imposed siege and the frequent aggressions targeting medical facilities in Gaza have debilitated the health sector and its capacity to provide proper medical services. This is exacerbated in cases of chronic diseases, which gives rise to a need to leave the Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, or elsewhere. However, Israel imposes a strict and discriminatory permit regime, which has a disproportionate impact on medical patients given their conditions, and it is not unusual for these permits to be significantly delayed or ultimately refused by Israel.

The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) collected questionnaires from 102 women diagnosed with cancer in the Gaza Strip to assess the quality of the treatment, availability of equipment, accessibility, and referral process.

The full report is accessible here.

Conclusion and recommendations:

The 16-year-long Israeli-imposed blockade and closure on Gaza have had detrimental impacts on the health sector in the besieged Strip. Specifically, the siege has compromised the ability of the healthcare sector to deliver proper medical services due to the absence of crucial medication, equipment, and supplies under flimsy security pretexts. Ultimately, frequent aggressions and targeting of health facilities and the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza compromise the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare services available to Palestinians in Gaza.

MIFTAH urges the international community to:

• Put an end to Israel’s impunity and hold it accountable for its persistent crimes, including the crime against humanity of apartheid, through the adoption of effective and concrete measures;

• Exert pressure to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow for the free movement of people and goods;

• Ensure the urgent implementation of UNSCR 1325 to provide immediate protection for Palestinian women and to put an end to Israel’s impunity;

• Support the UN Special Rapporteur in the oPt, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, the ICC investigation and the UN Commission of Inquiry.

The summary factsheet is accessible here.

The legislation of the family protection bill is aimed at the protection of the family itself as an institution, and to guarantee its preservation. Palestinian legislators are aware of the importance of this bill, which is why all ministries and official institutions committed to developing its relevant programs, policies and plans, each according to their field of expertise. Their goal is to contribute to the promotion of a culture that combats domestic violence and encourages the response of public policies to this objective, through education, health, legislation and the media. Another objective is to track the bill’s impact and periodically assess it in cooperation with other civil societies. This paper focuses on some of the financial indicators pertaining to this bill.

All family members in Palestine are subjected to violence, including children, minors, women and men. However, married women remain the sector most vulnerable to domestic violence according to a 2019 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics survey. It said 29.4% of married women had been subjected to at least one type of violence by their husbands as opposed to 13% of men who had been subjected to violence by their wives, by their own confession. A total of 44.7% of individuals who have never been married have been subjected toviolence;7.6% of the elderly and 44.2% of children(12-17yearsold) were the victims of violence at the hands of one of their parents. Although a high percentage of women have been victims of violence from their spouse, a considerable percentage of these women, around 60.3% preferred to stay silent about the assault. Only a small percentage of women asked for help through official avenues; 2.9% went to a defence lawyer to file a lawsuit against their husbands, 1.3% went to the police or a family protection unit and 1.4% went to the centres for mental, social and legal aid.

Financial indicators for the Family Protection Bill

The table above shows that the estimated and main additional cost of the Ministry of Social Development to be around ILS4 million a year, considering that the other parties (police, prosecution and courts) are currently carrying out their roles without fully allocating specialized departments for protection from violence. However, if these parties do allot specialized departments for protection from violence, overall costs will reach approximately ILS16.2 million. Nonetheless, even if this cost is incurred, it still only comprises a small part of public expenditures, approximately 0.1%. Overall public expenditures for 2022 amount to approximately ILS16.2 billion, which means the cost of passing this bill and implementing its provisions will not constitute financial burden on the general budget and will not be an obstacle to ratifying the law by decree.

Furthermore, it should be noted that while it is imperative to calculate some of the costs resulting from violence against women, the reaerate the high costs as well. The secret social costs, which impact society as a whole. Data from the Ministry of Social Development showed (see graph), that violence exercised against women has prompted around 60% of them to flee their homes. Also, 18% of them attempted suicide in addition to suffering from mental and physical illnesses, unwanted pregnancies or others. Calculating expenses incurred from violence is not an easy process and there are no national data or figures that can measure the impact violence has on the state’s general budget due to the prevalent mentality towards violence as an issue associated only with women. This is especially true when the conversation is about the indirect and intangible effects of violence, including:

Violations of human rights; negative social, economic and political impacts; working women who get sick and need to take sick leave; lack of focus and productivity; impact of violence on children and academic failure; the rise in the percentage of school dropouts among children; the rise in long-term unemployment rates; the percentage of homeless children who become a burden on society; government expenditures for medical treatment; safehouses; therapy; monitoring cases of violence against women; individual expenses for following up on legal cases and lawyer fees; loss of income because of repeated absence from work or inefficacy; social expenses resulting from the breakup of the family; expenses of training individuals on how to deal with cases of violence; expenses for issuing laws and legislation on the protection of women from violence.

Confirmation of the above is that the UN believes the economic, social and health costs of violence against women are, to a large extent, undocumented and unrecognized. However, these remain colossal, according to researchers, specialists and defenders of women’s rights.

To view the full factsheet as PDF

Background:

The illegal Israeli settlement project, including settler-only bypass roads, military checkpoints, and the annexation wall, continues to expand and steal more Palestinian land and resources. As of today, the number of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, is close to 300, with around 750,000 Jewish settlers residing in them.

Israeli state-sanctioned settler terrorism against Palestinian civilians and property is prevalent and has been on the rise in recent years. Violence takes the form of psychological, physical, and verbal violence, including beating, throwing stones or sharp tools, intimidation, shooting, verbal assaults, and assaults on agricultural lands, cars, and homes. Such attacks are committed in the presence of Israeli occupation forces who often join them.

The high frequency of these forms of violence and their persistence give rise to psychological, physical, and material harm. Palestinian survivors of settler terrorism seldom press charges and file complaints against Israeli settlers given the complicity of the Israeli law enforcement system.

The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) and the Women’s Center for Legal and Counseling (WCLAC) collected questionnaires from 229 Palestinian women covering settler violence in the occupied West Bank governorates of Al-Khalil/Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

MIFTAH calls on the international community to:

Put an end to Israel’s impunity and hold it accountable for its persistent crimes, including the crime against humanity of apartheid, through the adoption of effective and concrete measures;

Stop all relations and trade with illegal Israeli settlements including international companies that profit from them;

Criminalize and blacklist Israeli settler groups that engage in terrorist activities and hold those with dual citizenship accountable in their respective states;

Ensure the urgent implementation of UNSCR 1325 to provide immediate protection for Palestinian women and to put an end to Israel’s impunity;

Support the UN Special Rapporteur in the oPt, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, the ICC investigation and the UN Commission of Inquiry.

• The summary factsheet is accessible here.

• The full report is accessible here.