Al-Mezan center for Human Rights

March 27, 2001

Press Release



The Belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces transform the Palestinian Occupied Territories to a reservoir for the disposal of waste and sewage
The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have continued to systematically violate the human rights of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In this context, these forces have destroyed hundreds of houses and bulldozed thousands of acres of agricultural land.
In a new escalation, the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have targeted the natural environment in the Gaza Strip in order to pollute and destroy it.
In this context, yesterday, 26/3/2001, a dam supporting a water collection reservoir in Israel, just over the Green Line, broke, spilling water through the border fence into the Gaza Strip and destroying thousands of acres of farm land and hundreds of greenhouses, and killing a large number of chicken coops and cattle and sheep fields.Besides, the electrical current network has been severely damaged.
Estimates of the losses have not been defined because the damage has been so extensive that it will take a period of time to give definite figures.
As a result of the sudden flooding, hundreds of civilians who were in their farms were not able to reach their houses.
The flooding is expected to result in long- term negative effects. Apart from the huge financial losses resulting from the destruction of farmland and the death of thousands of cattle heads and poultry, the natural environment in the Gaza Strip will be substantially damaged. In this context, the natural underground water reservoirs located in the Gaza and North Gaza provinces will be heavily polluted. In the same context, the incidence of particular diseases, especially parasite infections and worm infestations will increase.
It is worth mentioning that the incident took place early in the mourning. The reservoir is located in Nahal Oz, inside Israel, to the east of Gaza. The reservoir holds 5 million cubic meters of treated sewage water.
The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces chose to build this reservoir in this site in order to:

Prevent the rainwater from flowing, along Wady Gaza valley, into the Palestinian Territories. As a result, the valley dried. Later, sewage was drained into the valley from the Israeli settlements located nearby. This has resulted in damaging the natural environment in the area, including the seashore, and the spread of harmful insects such as mosquitoes and flies.
Collecting sewage water and treating it (primary treatment); which makes it suitable for irrigating cotton fields. The fact that these reservoirs are kept uncovered constitutes a continued threat to the environment and the health of the local population.

It is worth mentioning that the reservoir’s site is much higher than the level of land in the Gaza Strip; which constitutes a permanent threat of flooding. Such a threat has come true, as we have witnessed.
The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces, aiming at causing the most possible degree of harm to the Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, have carefully and deliberately chosen the sites of such reservoirs.
In this context, it is worth mentioning that the largest sewage collection reservoirs is located in Bait Lahia. Sewage water from three municipal zones and a number are Israeli settlements located in the north of the Gaza Strip is drained in them. These reservoirs, which site was chosen by the Israelis, are located over the best and sweetest underground water reservoirs in the Gaza Strip. Previous studies proved that the underground water reservoir located under these sewage collection reservoirs is the biggest one in the Gaza Strip. The incidence of parasite infections among the inhabitants of the nearby village is very high (98% among its children).
In the light of the current situation, where the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have been targeting both the Palestinian citizens and their property, Al-Mezan center for human rights warns from the continuing of the Israeli crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and requests the following:

The International Community must immediately provide protection for the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In this context, the UN Security Council is requested to immediately send a team of International Human Rights Observers to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in to monitor the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian civilians.
The European Union, which will hold a meeting to revise its Partnership Agreement with Israel, should cancel this agreement.
The High Contracting Parties of the 4th Geneva Convention must immediately hold a conference to discuss ways that guarantee
The application of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The fulfillment of the legal obligations implied by the Convention by the Parties.

END


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