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ICRC: Life Hard for West Bank Palestinians

   VOA News 17 February 2010
   An  Israeli  soldier  stands  guard  after letting Palestinian Mahmoud
   Samar,  right,  who  claims to own land in Bilin that he cannot access
   due to Israel's West Bank separation barrier, into the West Bank v

Photo: AP

   An  Israeli  soldier  stands  guard  after letting Palestinian Mahmoud
   Samar,  right,  who  claims to own land in Bilin that he cannot access
   due  to  Israel's  West  Bank  separation  barrier, into the West Bank
   village of Bilin, 11 Feb 2010

   The International Committee of the Red Cross says Israeli restrictions
   are  having  a severe impact on the livelihoods of Palestinians in the
   occupied  West  Bank,  where  more  than  half the population lives in
   poverty.
   In  a  statement  Wednesday,  the  ICRC  said although the Palestinian
   economy has shown some growth and people are more free to move, living
   a normal life is close to impossible for many Palestinians.
   The  group  noted  that  harassment  by Israeli settlers is a frequent
   occurrence,  with roughly 10,000 olive trees belonging to Palestinians
   having  been  chopped  down  or  burnt  in  the  past three years.  In
   addition,  checkpoints  and  roadblocks  in  the  West  Bank  make  it
   difficult  for  Palestinians  to get proper health care or visit their
   relatives.
   Israel has not yet commented on the report.
   ICRC  head of operations for the Middle East, Béatrice Megevand-Roggo,
   says  Israel  must  do  more  to  protect Palestinians against settler
   violence,  allow  families to get to a hospital or school unobstructed
   and safeguard their land and crops.
   Megevand-Roggo said Israel must find the right balance between meeting
   its  security  needs  and  protecting  the  rights  of the Palestinian
   population.

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