"Time in Palestine is not measured with miles but with checkpoints"

Victor de Curea-Lugo

The Palestinian people are subjects to closures, curfews, roadblocks and restrictions that have caused the total collapse of the Palestinian economy, rising unemployment and poverty and / or limiting access to essential services. The restrictions apply to all daily activities impeding any resemblance to a normal life.

Israel inflicts its obligations as set out in the Fourth Geneva Convention: to provide the population with food and medical products (Article 55), securing and maintaining medical services, health and public hygiene in the occupied territories and ensure that the medical staff carry out their functions (Article 56); allow and facilitate relief to the occupied population (Article 59), ensure the education for children (Article 50). In addition, the Convention, in Article 52, prohibits any measure aiming at creating unemployment or at restricting the employment opportunities of the working population of an occupied country with a view to induce them to work for the Occupying Power.

In the West Bank there are 1661 kilometers of roads and highways for use only for colonizing population. The Palestinian population is forced to take long detours. This restriction is systematically violating the Right to Freedom of Movement of the Palestinian people guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 12.1.

Amnesty International claims that "to implement the closures and curfews, the Israeli army often shoot live ammunition, release gas or throwing sound bombs, beatings and arrests, and confiscate vehicles and identity documents."

These methods of collective punishment and retaliation are prohibited by Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.