The Association for Human Rights (ASRI) in Israel appealed to the Israeli High Court of Justice on behalf of a Palestinian family against the Separation Wall which has isolated them from both the Palestinian West Bank and Israel.
The Association for Human Rights (ASRI) in Israel appealed to the Israeli High Court of Justice on behalf of a Palestinian family against the Separation Wall which has isolated them from both the Palestinian West Bank and Israel.
The family is living in Khirbit Wata, which is located south east of the illegal Israeli settlement of Gilo, near the West Bank city of Beit Jala. The only road which the family can access is road number 60, but they cannot use it since it is only designated for Israeli citizens.
The ASRI said in its appeal that Israel should find a solution in order to enable the family to be able to drive to Bethlehem, or else grant them permanent residency permits in Israel.
Khirbit Wata is inhabited by 150 members of the Jado family, in addition to 35 members of three other families. Twelve of them have already obtained permanent residency status in Israel.
The lands of Al Wata were annexed to Jerusalem following the 1967 war during which Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the eastern part of Jerusalem. In spite of the fact that the area was annexed to Jerusalem, the residents never received any services from the Jerusalem municipality and instead received services from Bethlehem, despite paying taxes to Israel.
After Israel constructed a bypass road for the settlers in that area, the residents of Al Wata area were barred from entering Jerusalem. The ASRI appealed to Israel and managed to obtain temporary residency status for the residents.
Yet, when Israel started to construct the Wall, the residents were isolated and had to pay fines for “not renewing permits on time”, even though they had no way to access permit renewal sites. They also face daily hardships and mistreatment by the Israeli border police while trying to cross the checkpoints installed in the area.
In many cases, the residents were barred from entering Bethlehem, and soldiers also barred their relatives and friends from entering the area to see them.
Also, Al Wata residents do not have health insurances because Israel does not allow Palestinian ambulances from entering their area.
In 2005, a resident of Al Wata area had to walk to Bethlehem governmental hospital after feeling sick, he suffered a stroke immediately upon reaching the hospital.
During the same period, the mother of the resident died after suffering a stroke after she was forced to walk to Bethlehem. One of her sons who accompanied her eventually carried her to the hospital, and she died in his arms before they could reach the hospital.
In 2004, the ASRI was informed by the Israeli authorities that family members should go to the Israeli ministry of interior in order to apply for Israeli identity cards but when the family attempted to do so, they only received temporary entry permits that must be renewed every three months and do not grant any rights to the residents.
The ACRI attorney who filed the appeal, Oded Feller, said that the residents are living in a ghetto and are deprived of all of their rights.
“This violates international law,” he said. “The Wall is barring the residents from education, decent living, and health services. It is isolating them from their relatives and friends.”
Feller demanded that Israeli authorities demolish the Wall in that area and allow the residents to be able to move freely between the area and Bethlehem.
