Israel continued to discriminate against Palestinians living under its rule in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). According to the Adalah-The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Israel maintains over 65 laws that discriminate against Palestinians.
Israel has displaced hundreds of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as a result of home demolitions and imposition of other coercive measures.
Recent Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, and have wounded another 1,900. Vast areas have been reduced to rubble and some 120,000 people have been displaced.
However, despite such cruelty, some major countries still defend Israel’s moves. Just like United States said Israel has the right to defend itself. But let’s be clear they are not defending they are occupying. Here’s a list of policies pursued by Israel that have nothing to do with terrorism.
Israel controls Palestine water
According to UN Fact Finding mission on the Gaza Conflict, Israel has complete control over Palestine water supply. The country prevents Palestinians from developing or accessing their own water resources and thus undermining their right to self-determination.
Israel sprays toxins over Palestinian crops
Several media outlets have reported that Israel aircraft sprays herbicide beside the buffer zone along the Gaza strip, which directly affect the livelihoods of Palestinians in violation of international standards.
According to a study done by Hareetz, it was killing agricultural crops and causing “unpredictable and uncontrollable damage”. The report also concluded the spray is reaching more than 300 metres (980ft) into Gaza.
Hurdles in education
According to a report, students in Gaza are not able to get study permits to access education opportunities in the West Bank, forcing most students to drop out and repressing the academic output in Gaza.
Restricting the movement
Israel continued its illegal air, land and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip, restricting the movement of people and goods in and out of the area, which continued to have a devastating impact on the human rights of Gaza’s inhabitants.
Israel stopped the entry of construction materials and fuel into Gaza repeatedly. This shut down the only power plant in Gaza, leading to a further reduction in the supply of electricity, which had already been available for only about four hours a day.
Freedoms of expression
The authorities used a range of measures, including raids, incitement campaigns, movement restrictions and judicial harassment, to target human rights defenders who criticized Israel’s continuing military occupation of Palestinian.
Discrimination
Israel continued to deny Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza married to Palestinian citizens of Israel the right to nationality by enforcing the discriminatory Entry to Israel Law.
Israeli court also rejected a petition for access to education by Palestinian citizens of Israel living in Karmiel, citing the discriminatory Nation State Law. The Israeli Health Ministry began the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines that excluded the nearly 5 million Palestinians, but were later given after international pressure.
Final words
Such policies only serve to oppress and continue Israeli occupation, not just the military but economic occupation. The international community must take notice of such aggression and give Palestinians the right to self-determination.
